You heard the front door creak before you saw him. Jesse’s voice floated up the stairs, loud and annoyingly charming as usual. He and your brother had been inseparable since high school—two drama geeks who never quite grew out of the spotlight.

You rolled your eyes and shut your bedroom door, but of course that didn’t stop fate from messing with you.

There was a knock. Light. Tentative.

You opened it halfway. Jesse stood there, leaning on the frame like he owned the place, arms crossed over his stupidly nice jacket.

“Your brother’s in the shower,” he said casually. “Mind if I wait in here?”

You hesitated. “Seriously? You’re gonna act like we didn’t almost kiss in my kitchen last week?”

His smirk faded a little, replaced by something quieter. “That’s why I’m here.”

You narrowed your eyes. “He’d kill you.”

“I know.” He stepped in anyway, closing the door behind him. “But I can’t stop thinking about you.”

Your heart flipped. You hated how easily he got under your skin—how his teasing, cocky mask dropped when he looked at you like this.

“You’re supposed to be his best friend,” you muttered.

“And you’re supposed to be off-limits,” he said. “But every time I’m here, I find myself hoping he leaves the room. So I can talk to you. Look at you. Breathe.”

You swallowed hard. “This is a bad idea.”

“The worst,” he whispered. “But I still want it.”

He reached for your hand, slow, giving you time to pull away. You didn’t.

You let him lace his fingers through yours, the silence thick with things unspoken.

“He’s going to figure it out,” you said.

“Eventually,” Jesse murmured, stepping closer. “But until then…”

He kissed you. Soft at first, like a secret. Like something he knew he shouldn’t be touching.