Going back 10 years is crazy, the author chose that, it's not like it actually couldn't be helped, the author chose to write a romance between a 28 and an 11 year old. Like, visually, that's what we have to look at. I'm not interested in doing constant mind gymnastics to remind myself he's actually 21.
That's not attractive as a romance. If this was a comedy I wouldn't say anything, but it isn't. She is fully going for this.