Everly was sixteen when she learned that love could ask for more than it ever intended to give back.
It started quietly, during those days when school closed earlier than usual and students drifted home slowly, unwilling to let the day end. Everly and Jayden always stayed behind. Sitting on benches. Walking without direction. Talking about music, dreams, and futures that felt close enough to touch.
Everly's family lived simply. Her parents worked hard, earning just enough to keep their home steady and warm. She had one sibling, her younger brother Jace, who followed her around like a shadow and trusted her without question. Jayden's life looked different. His parents were wealthy. Their house was larger. Their lives seemed easier. Problems were things other people dealt with.
At the beginning, their relationship felt safe. Jayden was gentle with his words, careful with his actions. Everly had never been with anyone before him. She believed deeply in waiting. Marriage meant something to her. Commitment meant something.
Jayden had lived differently.
Over time, his conversations changed. He began bringing up things Everly was not ready for. He talked about his past. About experiences he claimed were normal. About how love should not have limits. Everly always resisted. She said no kindly at first, then firmly."I'm not ready," she would say."You're scared for no reason," Jayden would reply. "I'd never hurt you."
Love slowly became pressure, but as we all know, time has a way of wearing people down.
One afternoon, Everly stood by the door, adjusting her bag as her mother watched her. "I'll be at Tonya's place after school," she said. "We're reading together."
Her mother nodded. "Be careful." Everly did not go to Tonya's house. She went to Jayden's. That day, she gave in, not because she wanted to, but because she was tired of saying no to someone she loved and that decision followed her for the rest of her life.
Weeks later, her body began whispering that something was wrong. She woke up tired, even after long sleep. Her appetite disappeared. Her head spun during lessons. She stared at herself in the mirror some mornings, barely recognising the girl looking back.
She told only Tonya. "You need to tell someone," Tonya urged."I can't," Everly whispered. "I don't know how."
Months passed before fear overcame denial. Everly finally told her parents something was wrong. Not everything. Just enough to get help. They took her to the hospital. Tests were ordered, Scans were done. The waiting room felt colder than it should have.
When the doctor returned, the room went silent, when he spoke, the room seemed to shrink.
"She's pregnant." Her mother's breath caught. Her father's hands trembled.
Then the doctor continued.
"She also tested positive for HIV."
Everly felt something collapse inside her.The words settled slowly, like dust after a fall. Tears filled her eyes, but none fell at first. The doctor explained carefully. Treatment. Medication. Possibilities. Risks. Hope, wrapped in medical language. The child could survive. The virus could be managed. Nothing was guaranteed, but everything was not lost, but Everly barely heard him. Her mother cried openly. Her father stared ahead, silent and broken.
At home, the disappointment was painful but quiet. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?" her mother asked. "I was afraid," Everly sobbed. "I didn't know what to do."
After long hours of talking, crying, and praying, one decision was made. They she would keep the child. The next day, they went to Jayden's parents. His parents listened without emotion. When they called Jayden into the room, Everly felt her heart pounding. "Jayden," his father said, "is this true?" Jayden barely looked at her."No," he said flatly. "It's not. We broke up a while ago." Everly's voice shook. "Jayden, you know what happened." He shrugged. "I don't."
That moment crushed her. They left quietly. Everly cried the entire ride home. "My life is over," she whispered.
As the pregnancy progressed, her health worsened. She stopped attending school about two months to her due date. Her body grew weaker. Smiles became rare. Some nights, she lay awake holding her stomach, apologising to the child she was not sure she could protect.
Then the day came. The labour room was cold and bright. Everly lay on the bed, her body trembling, sweat running down her face. Pain came in waves, each one stronger than the last. Nurses moved quickly around her. Machines beeped softly.
"Breathe, Everly," a nurse said, gripping her hand. "Stay with us."
Everly tried. Her breaths were shallow. Her vision blurred. Her body felt like it was giving up.
Her mother stood outside the room, crying into her hands. Jace paced the corridor, fear written all over his face.
Inside, Everly slipped in and out of consciousness. Memories flooded her mind. Her childhood laughter. Jace calling her name. Her parents smiling at her graduation she would never attend.
"I'm tired," she whispered weakly.
Doctors rushed. Voices overlapped. Her heartbeat slowed.
And then, silence. They managed to save the baby but Everly was no more.
When the new-born was placed into her grandmother's arms, the woman collapsed into tears. "She looks just like her," she cried. Her husband held her tightly."We'll raise her," he said. "She won't be forgotten." They named the child Everly.
Weeks later, Everly's parents went back to Jayden's house to tell them the truth. The house was empty. Neighbours said the family had moved away months earlier.
Later, they learned Jayden's parents had relocated to New York.
Jace stood quietly as he listened. His voice was steady when he finally spoke.
"They will pay for this."
This was only the beginning…