Not that I'd complain... Shut up, Zach.
Point is, we've always had our thing. Just us two, hanging in each other's space, never crossing the line. Until recently. Until I started toying with it. Just little hints. Testing the water.
And last night... last night felt like the line got blurry.
My chest was pounding like it was trying to tear through my ribs. And her eyes—those aquamarine eyes—snared me, hypnotic and magnetic, like they were pulling me under. Her lashes dipped, slow, flicking to my mouth before meeting my eyes again, and that one look scorched me.
Her breath skimmed across my lips, warm, shaky, and all I could think about was how close she was. How her body pressed into mine, her weight pinning me to the mattress in a way that was equal parts torture and heaven. Every curve of her was right there, searing through her clothes into me, and I wanted—God, I wanted—to drag her closer, to feel all of her flush against me.
Her lips parted, just barely, and it damn near killed me.
Like she was taunting me. Begging. Daring me to close the gap.
My fingers twitched at my sides, desperate to reach up, cup her face, hold her still so I could finally claim what I'd been dying for.
One inch. One breath. That's all it would've taken. And I swear, if I'd leaned up, I would've kissed her until the world burned down around us.
Oh, fuck.
I groan and roll over in my bed, jamming a pillow over my lap because just thinking about it sets me off all over again. My boxers are doing jack shit to hide it. Painfully hard and stiff.
And yeah, I literally just came back from jerking off in the bathroom. And guess what? I might have to go for round two. That's what last night does to me every time it pops back in my head.
I know. I know. Best friends aren't supposed to think this way. I'm a shitty person, I get it. Saints and perfect gentlemen don't do this. But newsflash — I've never been either of those.
Forgive me, okay? I can't help it. Caroline's... well, she's Caroline. My best friend. My whole damn life. And I'm not immune to her. Never was.
But listen — this is not just hormones. Not just me being some horny teenager looking to get laid. I want way more than that. Always have.
Truth is, I've been in love with her forever, and whatever happened last night? That was the push I've been waiting for. The BIG sign.
I saw it in her eyes — she wanted that kiss too. Which means she feels something. For me. Right?
And that's why I'm bouncing off the walls today.
Like literally. I can't sit still.
I pace around my room like a caged animal, running my hands through my hair, grinning like an absolute idiot every time I replay her face in my head. I catch my reflection in the mirror and I'm actually smiling at myself.
Who does that? Psycho people. Or guys who think their dream girl might actually like them back.
I grab a pillow and launch it in the air like I just scored OT in the Frozen Four. Then I dive on my bed, face buried in the sheets, laughing into the mattress like a maniac because holy shit — this could be it.
Tonight's prom. Tonight's the night.
We'll dance, we'll laugh, and I'm finally shooting my shot.
And yeah, I'm anxious as hell. First time confessing to a girl I'm in love with. And not just any girl. The girl. My best friend.
If luck's on my side? I walk out of prom with a girlfriend. Not just any girlfriend. Caroline.
The nerves are eating me alive, and if I keep pacing around my room I'm gonna wear a hole straight through the carpet. I need a distraction. Bad.
So I hit up Jacob. Of course he's already on — the guy's basically married to Elden Ring. We've been running co-op since the season ended, and yeah, I've kinda gotten sucked in too.
Next thing I know, we're an hour deep, grinding through some cursed castle with fire-breathing gargoyle things swooping at us from the rafters. My controller's slick withsweat because if I die one more time on this boss, I swear I'm gonna snap it in half.
"Bro, watch the left, WATCH THE LEFT!" Jacob's yelling through my headset.
