She loved him in silence. From the moment she could remember, Sophia Thomas had watched Daniel Harper - her older brother Nathan's golden-boy best friend - from afar. He was everything: charming, confident, kind. And to him? She was just "Nathan's little sister." At fifteen, she tried not to care. Tried not to notice how his smile lit up a room or how his laughter made her heart race. But when Daniel comes home from college and agrees to tutor her in math, Sophia realizes something painful: She never stopped loving him. As they spend more time together, buried feelings begin to surface - on both sides. What starts as stolen glances and quiet longing turns into late-night talks, shared secrets, and moments neither of them expected. But there are rules: - Don't fall for your brother's best friend. - Don't let him see you as anything more than family. - Don't believe he'll ever feel the same. Too late.
Sophia Thomas had always known two things about Daniel Harper.
First, that he was her brother Nathan's best friend - the golden boy everyone adored.
And second, that she was hopelessly, quietly, desperately in love with him.
She was twelve when it started. Not the kind of love little girls declared out loud or scribbled into notebooks with hearts around names. No, this was something quieter - the kind that lived in stolen glances, in the way her heart thudded louder whenever he walked into a room.
Nathan was three years older than Sophia, and Daniel was another year ahead of him. That made Daniel seventeen when Sophia first noticed him - tall, broad-shouldered, effortlessly cool in his worn leather jacket and easy smile. He was everything a teenage girl dreamed of: confident, handsome, kind without trying too hard.
And to him?
She was just "Nathan's little sister."
That phrase followed her like a shadow every time they were together. At family dinners, at weekend hangouts, even at Nathan's college graduation party where she stood awkwardly by the punch bowl while Daniel laughed and toasted with friends.
"Hey, Soph," he'd say, ruffling her hair like she was still ten instead of fifteen. "You growing yet? Or are you still hiding behind your brother?"
She hated how much she loved the way he said her name.
Tonight, though, was different.
Daniel had come home for summer break, and Nathan had insisted he help tutor Sophia in math. She wasn't bad at it - not really - but Nathan said she needed extra help if she wanted to get into the honors track next year.
So here she was, sitting at the kitchen table with a notebook open in front of her, waiting for Daniel to walk through the door.
The sound of laughter reached her ears before she saw him - deep and warm, trailing in with the scent of summer air and cologne. Then he appeared in the doorway, wearing faded jeans and a white t-shirt that clung just enough to show off the shape of his shoulders.
Her stomach did that familiar flip.
"Ready for some math magic?" he asked, flashing her a grin as he dropped his backpack on the chair across from her.
Sophia nodded, swallowing hard. "Yeah."
He sat down, pulling out a pen and flipping open her textbook. "Alright, let's see what we're dealing with."
For a moment, there was silence except for the scratching of his pen as he skimmed the problems. Then he looked up, brow furrowed.
"You got these ones wrong," he said, pointing to a row of equations.
"I know," she admitted, staring at her hands. "I tried, but I didn't understand how to do them."
"Well, don't worry," he said gently. "I'll explain it until you do."
His voice was calm, patient - nothing like the teasing tone he used around Nathan and their friends. And somehow, that made her heart beat faster.
As he explained the steps, she found herself watching him more than listening. The way his lips moved, the soft crinkle at the corners of his eyes when he smiled. He was so close she could smell his shampoo - clean and woodsy.
"Got it now?" he asked, looking at her expectantly.
She blinked. "Uh... yeah. Totally."
He grinned. "Good. Let's try one together."
She picked up her pencil and leaned forward, copying the problem onto her page. But halfway through, she realized she hadn't been paying attention at all.
Daniel caught her hesitation and chuckled. "You weren't even listening, were you?"
Heat rushed to her cheeks. "I was!"
He raised an eyebrow. "Then what did I just say?"
She opened her mouth, then closed it again.
He laughed softly, shaking his head. "You're hopeless, Soph."
She bit her lip, fighting back tears she couldn't explain. Because no matter how many times she told herself she'd grown up, no matter how many times she swore she'd be different around him...
To Daniel, she was still just Nathan's little sister.
And she hated it.
Chapter 1 The Boy I Watched from Afar
16/07/2025
Chapter 2 Daily Admiration
16/07/2025
Chapter 3 First Confession
16/07/2025
Chapter 4 The Dress Incident
16/07/2025
Chapter 5 Heartbeat Moment
16/07/2025
Chapter 6 Tutoring Surprise
16/07/2025
Chapter 7 Growing Awareness
16/07/2025
Chapter 8 The Secret I Wasn't Ready to Tell
16/07/2025
Chapter 9 Family Bonding
16/07/2025
Chapter 10 Sophia's Wish
16/07/2025
Chapter 11 Summer Ends
16/07/2025
Chapter 12 High School Changes Everything
16/07/2025
Chapter 13 First real Heartbreak
18/07/2025
Chapter 14 New arrival
18/07/2025
Chapter 15 Reflection
18/07/2025
Chapter 16 University Calls
18/07/2025
Chapter 17 One Step Closer
18/07/2025
Chapter 18 Unexpected Run-In
18/07/2025
Chapter 19 The way of the heart
18/07/2025
Chapter 20 The girl he loves
18/07/2025
Chapter 21 The Study Group Truth
18/07/2025
Chapter 22 Emily's desperation
18/07/2025
Chapter 23 The Day He Found Her Again
18/07/2025
Chapter 24 A Call from New York
18/07/2025
Chapter 25 One Step Closer
18/07/2025
Chapter 26 The Accident That Changed Everything
18/07/2025
Chapter 27 The Call That Changed Everything
18/07/2025
Chapter 28 The One Who Belongs
18/07/2025
Chapter 29 The Words I've Been Waiting For
18/07/2025
Chapter 30 Their First Kiss
18/07/2025
Chapter 31 Secret Relationship Begins
18/07/2025
Chapter 32 Nathan Gets Suspicious
18/07/2025
Chapter 33 Brother Confrontation
18/07/2025
Chapter 34 Daniel Makes a Choice
18/07/2025
Chapter 35 The Ones Who Knew First- How it all started
20/07/2025
Chapter 36 When the Past Comes Knocking
20/07/2025
Chapter 37 A Stranger at the Door
20/07/2025
Chapter 38 The One Who Walked In Silence
20/07/2025
Chapter 39 The One Who Remembers
20/07/2025
Chapter 40 Beneath the Glass
20/07/2025