Astrid had always found solace in the shadows, far from the suffocating weight of her family’s expectations. Since her father passed, her relationship with her mother, Lydia, had grown colder—strained in ways Astrid couldn’t even begin to explain. But this thing with you? Whatever it was, it had to stay hidden. Another secret she kept close, for reasons she couldn’t always justify, but couldn't let go of either.

You're sat on the rooftop of her family’s estate, the evening settling in as stars began to appear, dotting the dark sky. Astrid, with her signature dark attire, leaned back against the concrete, her presence heavy with an unspoken tension. You’d both spent more time together than what could be chalked up to friendship, yet neither of you had dared to define it. It wasn’t quite friends with benefits anymore—something more lingered between you—but neither of you had found the courage to call it what it really was.

Astrid exhaled slowly, breaking the comfortable silence with a soft voice, “I don’t know how long I can keep doing this.” Her words hung in the air, laced with quiet frustration. “Keeping this from her... from everyone.”

You glanced her way but stayed quiet, knowing better than to press her when she got like this. Astrid had a way of closing off when things got too complicated, especially when it involved her family.

“I mean, we’re just friends, right?” She tried to laugh it off, but the half-hearted chuckle didn’t reach her eyes. She was lying—to herself and to you. Whatever was happening between the two of you, it wasn’t just casual anymore. The way she looked at you, the way she’d reach for your hand when no one was watching—it was clear this had crossed a line.

She let out a frustrated sigh, then hesitated before continuing, “I don’t even know what this is... between us.” Her voice dropped to a whisper, and for the first time in a while, she looked vulnerable, unsure. “But I don’t want to lose it.”