First real Heartbreak

It started with a boy named Ethan.

He was in her chemistry class.

Tall. Friendly. Always smiling.

And he liked her.

Actually liked her.

Not just as a friend.

Not just as Nathan's sister.

But as Sophia.

The real one.

The one who laughed too loud sometimes. Who got lost in books. Who made pancakes at midnight when she couldn't sleep.

And for once… someone noticed.

Ethan asked her out after school one afternoon.

Just coffee.

Nothing serious.

But Sophia said yes anyway.

Not because she didn't love Daniel anymore.

She did.

God, she did.

But maybe saying yes to someone else would help her stop loving him like this.

Maybe it would remind her what it felt like to be seen by someone who actually saw her.

So she went.

And she tried.

She smiled more. Laughed harder. Let herself enjoy the way Ethan looked at her — like she mattered.

Like she was enough.

And for a while…

It almost worked.

When Daniel found out, it wasn't from her.

It was from Lena.

Who, in her infinite wisdom, thought it would be "funny" to tell him while they were playing video games.

"Wait," Daniel said, pausing the game mid-boss fight. "Sophia has a boyfriend?"

Nathan nearly choked on his soda. "What?"

Lena grinned. "Technically, it's just one guy. But yeah. She's dating Ethan."

Daniel blinked. "Since when?"

"This week," Lena said casually. "I think they're going out again tomorrow."

There was a long silence.

Then Daniel said, "Okay."

Nathan narrowed his eyes. "You good?"

Daniel shrugged. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

Lena smirked. "Because you're making that face."

"What face?"

"The one where you pretend not to care, but you really do."

"I don't care," Daniel said quickly.

Nathan gave him a knowing look.

"You always say that," Nathan said. "Right before you start acting weird."

Daniel groaned. "I'm not acting weird."

"Yes, you are," Lena said, grinning. "Your voice just got lower."

"I'm just tired."

"Uh-huh." Lena leaned back. "Well, if you want my advice? You better figure out how you feel soon. Because she's not waiting forever."

Daniel didn't respond.

He just stared at the screen — at the paused game — and tried very hard not to think about Sophia laughing with someone else.

The next time Daniel saw Sophia, it was at home.

She was sitting on the couch, texting, wearing jeans and a sweater that smelled like vanilla and cinnamon.

He hated how much he missed that scent.

"Hey," he said, dropping down beside her.

She glanced up. "Hi."

He hesitated. "How was your date last night?"

Her fingers stilled on her phone.

Then she shrugged. "It was fine."

"Fine?" He raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound exciting."

"It was nice," she said carefully. "We had coffee. Talked. That's it."

He nodded slowly. "Okay."

She frowned. "Why do you look like you swallowed something gross?"

"I don't."

"You do."

He sighed. "I guess I just didn't expect you to start dating so fast."

She tilted her head. "Why not?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know. You never seemed interested before."

She gave him a strange look. "People change."

He swallowed hard. "Yeah. They do."

Silence settled between them.

Then she asked, "Do you not like him?"

He blinked. "What?"

"Ethan. Do you not like him?"

Daniel hesitated.

Did he like Ethan?

He didn't hate him.

He was okay.

Nice guy.

Too nice, maybe.

"He seems cool," Daniel admitted.

Sophia studied him. "But?"

"But…" He trailed off. Then shook his head. "Never mind."

"No," she pressed. "Tell me."

He exhaled. "He's just… not your type."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what's my type?"

Daniel opened his mouth.

Closed it.

Then said, "Someone who challenges you."

Sophia blinked. "Ethan does."

"Does he?" Daniel asked, surprised.

She nodded. "He makes me laugh. He listens to me. He doesn't treat me like a kid."

Daniel flinched slightly.

"Oh," he muttered.

Sophia watched him carefully. "You okay?"

"Yeah." He cleared his throat. "Totally fine."

She tilted her head. "You sure?"

"I'm just tired."

She smirked. "Sounds like an excuse."

He groaned. "Can we drop it?"

She crossed her arms. "Only if you answer me one thing."

"What?"

She leaned in slightly. "Why do you suddenly care so much about who I'm dating?"

Daniel froze.

His brain screamed at him to lie.

To brush it off.

To say it was nothing.

But something in her expression stopped him.

She was watching him.

Really watching.

Waiting for an answer.

And for once, he didn't know what to say.

Later that evening, while helping clean up after dinner, Sophia caught Daniel staring at her.

She raised an eyebrow. "What now?"

He blinked. "Huh?"

"You keep doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Looking at me like I'm about to disappear."

Daniel looked away. "I wasn't."

"You totally were."

He sighed. "I just… don't want you to get hurt."

She frowned. "Why would I get hurt?"

He hesitated. "Because people don't always see what's right in front of them."

Sophia tilted her head. "Are you talking about Ethan?"

"No," he muttered. "I'm just saying… people can be blind."

She studied him for a long moment.

Then she said, "Is this about you?"

He stiffened. "What?"

"Because if this is about you suddenly realizing I'm not twelve anymore —"

"I didn't say that."

"But you noticed."

"I didn't say that either."

She smirked. "You're terrible at lying."

Daniel groaned. "Please stop."

"Stop what?"

"Being annoyingly insightful."

She laughed. "Too late."

He shook his head, walking past her toward the living room.

But she followed.

"Seriously," she said. "Do you have a problem with Ethan?"

Daniel paused.

Then he turned to face her.

"No," he said finally. "I just…"

He trailed off.

She waited.

He looked at her — really looked at her — and for the first time in years, he saw her differently.

Not as Nathan's little sister.

Not as the girl who used to follow him around like a shadow.

But as someone who was standing in front of him, asking him questions he wasn't ready to answer.

He took a step back.

"I just don't want to see you get hurt," he said again.

Then he walked away.

Leaving her alone in the kitchen.

Heart pounding.

Because maybe — just maybe — he was starting to notice.

Over the next few weeks, things changed.

Sophia kept seeing Ethan.

She tried to fall for him.

She wanted to.

But every time Ethan reached for her hand, or kissed her cheek, or called her babe, she compared it to Daniel.

To the way he said her name.

To the way he looked at her without really looking.

To the way he still ruffled her hair like it meant something.

And eventually, it became too much.

One night, while walking home from a movie with Ethan, she stopped suddenly.

"I can't do this," she whispered.

Ethan frowned. "What? Did I do something wrong?"

"No," she said honestly. "You're great. You're kind. You're everything I should want."

He smiled faintly. "But?"

"But I'm not falling for you."

He blinked. "You're not?"

She shook her head. "I tried. I really did. But I can't stop thinking about someone else."

Ethan sighed. "Is it Daniel?"

She froze.

He chuckled. "Everyone knows, Soph. Even him."

She looked away. "He doesn't."

"Are you sure?"

She swallowed hard. "He still calls me Soph."

Ethan smiled gently. "Maybe that's his way of holding on."

She looked at him. "To what?"

"To you."

She closed her eyes.

"I don't think he wants me," she whispered.

Ethan touched her shoulder lightly. "Then maybe it's time to stop waiting."

Back at home that night, Daniel was waiting on the porch.

He looked up as she approached.

"You okay?" he asked.

She nodded. "I broke up with Ethan."

Daniel blinked. "Already?"

She shrugged. "Turns out I can't fake being over someone just because I want to be."

Daniel stayed quiet.

Then he said, "Why'd you try?"

She met his eyes.

"Because I wanted to stop loving you."

The words came out softer than she expected.

But they landed like a punch.

Daniel's breath caught.

For once, he didn't have a joke.

Didn't have a tease.

He just looked at her.

And finally, really heard what she'd been trying to say for years.

.