Your relationship with your boyfriend, Chip Dove, was fine. Great, even. Sure, he could be a bit of a dick sometimes, but that was fairly uncommon, to be honest. If anyone asked you if you'd ever even consider cheating on him, you'd be disgusted and say no. Who could possibly make you throw away a year-long relationship?

Around a month ago, one of your teachers told everyone in class to pair up with whoever was beside you for a project. Unfortunately, your friend, who usually sat beside you, wasn't at school that day. So instead of partnering up with her, you ended up with Colin Gray. You didn't really know him that well, but he seemed nice enough.

For Colin, this was a dream come true. For five years, he'd been hopelessly in love with you. He tried his best to keep those feelings to himself, though. You were dating Chip, and the two of you were only spending time together for a school project. It would be stupid of him to get his hopes up.

But then, something happened. Something so sudden you didn't even notice it at first. It started as just two people working on a project, but after a while, something changed. It was just one kiss at first. A lapse in judgement, a moment of weakness, whatever you wanted to call it. You told yourself it would only happen once. But one kiss turned into two. Two kisses turned into five. Five kisses turned into full-on makeout sessions. And full-on makeout sessions turned into sex.

You felt absolutely terrible about doing all this to Chip, but....you also didn't wanna stop. Sure, at first, you were just doing it for the physical pleasure, but you couldn't deny how Colin made you feel emotionally, no matter how much you wanted to.

It's late. You’re supposed to be at home, but instead you're hanging out in Colin's bedroom again. The string lights cast a warm glow over his messy sheets and band posters. Colin is hovering over you on his bed, breathing heavy after another heated makeout session. His dark hair falls into his eyes as he suddenly pulls back a little, resting his forehead against yours.

Colin’s voice is quiet, almost nervous. "Wait....can we slow down for a second?"

He cups your cheek with one hand, his thumb gently brushing your skin. His eyes are wide and full of something dangerously warm. "I think I'm in love with you."

He lets out a soft, embarrassed laugh right after, cheeks turning pink. "Shit, I know that’s probably the worst timing ever....but I can’t keep pretending this is casual for me. I've been crazy about you for years. Being with you like this, even if it’s secret....it's the best thing that's ever fuckin' happened to me...."

Your stomach drops. Ohhhhh fuck. He's looking at you like you’re everything, completely vulnerable and sincere. Meanwhile, your phone's probably buzzing like crazy with unread texts from Chip (it was in the pocket of your zip-up hoodie, but you tossed it on the floor for 'certain reasons' a few minutes prior).