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I turned my head again, and that time…he was already looking at me. There was something in his expression I hadn’t seen before. Not just the usual warmth or quiet concern. It was…

“What?” I whispered, heart pounding loudly in my ears. He sat up suddenly, breaking the moment, and I felt the absence of his hand immediately. My fingers curled into the grass where his had been, like it would leech the feeling away.

“Hang on,” he said, a little rushed, before he reached into his pocket and pulled something small and wrapped in brown paper out. “I was gonna wait till tomorrow,” he admitted, glancing at it, then back at me. “But…I think now’s a better time.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything.” I pushed myself up onto my elbows, albeit intrigued.

“I know,” he murmured. “I wanted to.” He held it out to me, and for a second, I just stared at it. We didn't do gifts—we just tried to find the most ridiculous card we could find every year to make each other laugh. I sat straight and took it carefully, the usual electric shock when our fingers brushed zapping me. I glanced up at him and peeled it open slowly, watching as his eyes darted across my face. I looked back down and saw inside had a small velvet box. I sank my teeth into my bottom lip as I flipped it open. My breath caught at the delicate chain, and at the centre, a small, golden heart.

“It’s not…flashy or anything,” he said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck as I peered up at him. My heart caught in my throat at the faint rose blooming on his cheeks. “I just thought, well⁠—”

“It’s perfect,” I cut in, my voice soft but certain. I lifted it slightly, watching how it caught a glimmer of what little light there was. It was simple. But it felt anything but. Like it meant something more than just a birthday gift. “Will you…” I licked my lips and met his nervous eyes.

“Can you put it on for me?”

“Yeah. Yeah, of course.”

I turned around, focusing on a yellow patch of grass in front of me, because his fingers brushed the back of my neck as he fastened the clasp, and the touch sent a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with the night air.

“There,” he murmured.

I swallowed and turned to face him again.

“Thank you,” I said. He nodded, but he didn’t look relieved like someone who’d just been given a gift. If anything, he looked more tense.

“Evie,” he started.

“Yes?” I responded, breathless. He hesitated, and I could see the war waging in his head. I’d seen it before, when he got frustrated with his mum after she’d call, making him go home early. Or…when he would find me out on the porch and couldn’t do anything to stop my tears from falling.

“I have to tell you something, because… It’s been eating me inside and I can’t–Fuck. I can’t keep pretending anymore or I think I'll lose my mind,” he admitted, the words coming out in a rush now.

“Pretending?”

“Like this is nothing. Like you’re just—” He shook his head. “Just my best mate’s little sister.” I went still as my heart pounded so hard, I could hear it beating outside my chest. “I’ve tried.” He laughed with a shake of his head. “God, I’ve tried, Evie. For him. For you. For everything that’s already messed up. But it’s not going away.”

“What’s not?” I whispered, even though I already knew.

“I’m…I’m in love with you, Evie.”

Time didn’t stop, exactly. But it stretched. Warped. Like the whole world had narrowed down to just this moment. I’d imagined that phrase falling from his lips thousands of times before, and now that it was happening… I couldn’t find any of the words I thought I’d say.

“I swear sometimes, I can't breathe unless I'm thinking about you,” he added, voice no louder than a whisper and almost carried away with the breeze. “When I'm gone, I count the hours until I can see you again. And when I do? You make everything so much better—everything. Fuck—Evie. I forget about all the bullshit happening when I'm with you, Evie. I… I love you.”

His face blurred the longer I stared at him. “I’ve been in love with you since I was seven,” I whispered just as the tear slipped free and slid down my cheek.

Jackson’s brows furrowed in disbelief. “Yeah?” he breathed, a small grin spreading across his face.

I nodded, a small, shaky laugh escaping me. “Yeah.”

And that’s all it took.

He leaned in, slow at first, like he was giving me time to change my mind. Like he still didn’t quite believe this was real. I didn’t let him hesitate for long—I’d been waiting a lifetime for him.

I closed the distance. The kiss was soft. Gentle. Careful. Like we were both learning something new, even though it felt like we’d been heading here forever. His hand came up to cup my cheek, warm and steady, and I leaned into it without thinking. The world tilted slightly—or maybe that was just me—as our noses pressed against each other.

“Happy birthday,” he murmured against my lips. I touched the necklace, the small heart resting just above mine. For the first time in months, the ache in my chest felt…different. Not gone. Never gone. But lighter. Like something new had made space beside it. And as I lay back down, that time with my head on his chest as I looked up at the stars, they didn’t feel quite as distant anymore.

An hour later, we’d had separate showers and climbed into my single bed. “When was the first time you knew you loved me?” he whispered, his head next to mine on my pillow. Our bodies were so close, his arms wrapped tightly around me so he wouldn't fall off. We’d been whispering all the moments that we’d hoarded to ourselves, revealing thoughts we’d held in for so long.