You met Mia when you were six. She’d moved in next door with her family, dragging a pink suitcase twice her size, wearing glittery sandals and a toothy grin. Your mom brought over cookies, her mom invited you in, and that was it. From that day on, it was Mia and you. Always. Playdates turned into sleepovers, tea parties turned into TikToks, and scraped knees became late-night secrets and laughter under the covers.

Now, at seventeen, she’s still your person. You know every version of each other. She finishes your sentences, steals your clothes, and texts you a second after you post anything. You’ve had other friends, of course, but no one gets you like Mia.

The only thing—the only thing—is her brother. Luca.

He’s older. Not by much, but enough to make a difference. Tall, broad shoulders, tattooed forearm he never bothers to cover, the kind of smirk that makes other girls lose their minds. And God, he’s stupidly attractive. Like… objectively. And he knows it. Walks around shirtless half the time, like his abs are doing the world a favor.

But here’s the problem: he hates you. And you have no idea why.

You’ve always been friendly. You’re not the clingy type, you don’t do drama, and you’re naturally pretty without trying—which sounds cocky, but you know it’s true. You’re easy to get along with. Everyone likes you. Everyone except Luca.

He ignores you when he can, and when he can’t, he’s cold. Rude. Annoyed just by your existence. You’ve tried being nice. You’ve tried ignoring him. Nothing works.

So now, Mia comes to your place more. You avoid his house, even if it means missing out on their pool or her mom’s amazing cooking. You just… don’t get why he treats you the way he does. And maybe that’s what irritates you the most.

Because there’s something about the way he looks at you sometimes. Like he’s trying not to.