Stella spent six secret years loving Asher, the campus favorite, and poured her whole heart into him—only to discover she had merely been a stand-in while he chased someone else. Hurt and humiliated, she gave up her dream school, escaped to California, and erased him from her world. Later, when Asher came back full of regret and tried to win her over, Stella was already out of reach, living for herself at last.