The Orbit of You

Maya has been in love with Ashton Nguyen since she was six years old.

He was her brother's best friend. The boy who wiped gravel from her scraped palms on the playground. The one who made her laugh, kept her safe, and never once looked at her as anything more than Leo's little sister.

She was the moon. He was the sun. And for twelve years, that's just how it was.

Then everything changed.

When Ashton walks into her brother's going-away party, Maya isn't that awkward kid anymore. She's twenty. She's confident. She's moved on—complete with a stable boyfriend who actually notices her.

But the second their eyes meet, the ground shifts.

Suddenly, the boy who told her to go make hot chocolate is texting her at 2 AM. The "just friends" boundary starts to crack. And Maya realizes that the person she spent a decade trying to forget might be the only one who's ever truly seen her.

Late-night conversations turn into something more. Safety turns into risk. And friendship becomes the most dangerous thing of all.

Because loving Ashton means gambling everything she's built—her independence, her heart, the life she finally made her own. One wrong move, and she loses not just the love of her life, but her best friend.

In a story where timing is everything and the stakes couldn't be higher, Maya has to decide to stay safe in the life she's built, or risk it all for the boy she's been circling since the beginning.

Perfect for fans of Normal People, The Hating Game, and anyone who's ever loved someone they thought they'd never have.

Brother's best friend • Childhood crush • Slow burn with all the yearning • Found family • Second chances