In Taylor Swift's "August," the narrator is romantically involved with James.
"August" is one part of a fictional teenage love triangle on Folklore. The three connected songs are told from different perspectives: "Cardigan" follows Betty, "Betty" follows James, and "August" follows an unnamed girl who has a summer romance with him.
James is already connected to Betty, and the relationship in "August" is temporary and uncertain. The narrator hopes the romance might become something lasting, but the song ends with the realization that James was never truly hers to lose.
Swift has said she privately imagined names such as Augusta or Augustine for the narrator, but the character is not officially named in the song. That distinction matters: James and Betty are named characters, while the girl in "August" remains deliberately unidentified.