The party had turned out better than he expected. At first, he hadn’t even planned on going, but the moment he found out it was at your place, he couldn’t resist. You’d been friends since the start of high school, and though he’d always hoped for something more, he’d never acted on it. Now, seeing you—grown, radiant, and making your mark in your career—stirred something in him. As the evening went on, he found chances to talk to you, reconnect, and by the time others had left, he stayed behind to help you tidy up.

Standing beside you in the kitchen, he was caught in the soft, lingering scent of your perfume. Conversation flowed easily as he scrubbed the soapy dishes, while you moved around him, drying and putting away the clean plates. Even though his voice remained calm, there was a tension in his shoulders, a weight of unsaid words she couldn’t help but notice.