s believed tha

like old hoodies and inside jokes. Safe like som

riend - nothing m

she th

changed e

at, and spiked punch hung thick in the air. Maya was tucked in the corner of the couch, laughing at a mem

hing was

when she looked at him. The way her stomach did a stup

ed to feel... complicated. His hugs lasted a heartbeat longer. His texts came q

ooked away, pretending t

Ryan asked,

oo fast. "Just a l

that sweater," he teased

d, smiling - but h

an against Ryan's arm. Tall, pretty, and fli

girl purred. "Tasha told me you

t off guard. "Uh, yeah. Just

she said, touching his arm. "I

a f

wasn't jealous. She wasn't. But when Ryan laughed

o fast. "I'm gon

"Want me to

" she said, al

fairy lights. Maya gripped the edg

id sh

He was her best friend. That was th

t stop her hear

when Ryan found her a few min

" he

turn. "Ha

led. "Y

ouldn'

t kind o

m. "So? You had company. I di

ed. "What are yo

"Nothing. Just... enj

r, then stepped c

ay

ha

acting

I'm

e been doing it for

e what?" s

ers. "Ever since I

le

caught in

ie night. He'd walked her to her door like always, hugged her like always. Bu

in. And she hadn't mov

away and mumbled something stupid about being

il

arely a whisper. "

n't sure if yo

't," sh

ed closer again, and now there was b

softly. "That girl at the

it di

hy did

ng, Ryan! Because we're not supposed to do this. We'r

don't?" he

eath h

"What if we stop pretending this

so hard she felt

nd that had always been there, hidden under l

to lose you,"

pretending I don't feel this. Every time you laugh, or touch my arm, or look

sting in her eyes. "Wh

ly lifting her chin. "W

n word they'd ever swallowed,Maya turned away, trying to c

w easily Ryan could make her feel everything and nothing at the same time. I

with your best friend felt l

closer, his breath

he whispered. "Not

y. Every wall she had

inally met hers, it

moment, everything they we