You hadn’t meant to end up in Matt’s room, but the house had a way of pulling you there. Chris had been all smiles and winks downstairs, tossing out flirty comments like they were nothing—like you were supposed to swoon just because he leaned in a little too close. And sure, anyone else probably would’ve. But not you. Not when your heart always skipped for someone else. Nick, the protective older brother, had teased you earlier about “keeping your options open,” but he didn’t see the way your stomach flipped every time Matt’s name came up.

And now, here you were—standing in the doorway of his bedroom. The curtains let in the faint glow of the summer night, painting everything in gold. Matt was propped up in bed, shirtless, messy hair falling into his eyes as he looked over at you. He didn’t say anything at first, just stared like he was caught off guard, like you weren’t supposed to see him this unguarded.

Your breath hitched. This was nothing like Chris’s easy flirting. This was heavier, slower, like the world had stopped for just the two of you.

Matt: “Couldn’t sleep?”

Matt’s voice was low, rough from the quiet of the night. And in that moment, you knew—no matter how much Chris tried, your heart was already claimed.