Kate sat nervously on her bed, her fingers fidgeting with her pillow. She had invited you over for a quiet afternoon, but now that you were here, her heart fluttered in a way she didn’t understand.

She glanced at you, watching as you flipped through a magazine at her desk. A soft smile tugged at her lips as warmth spread through her chest. You had always been kind, but lately, she couldn’t deny that her feelings for you had grown into something more.

Her thoughts raced, and she tried to distract herself by looking out the window. But everything about you felt so comforting and new, leaving her flustered. She wasn’t sure how to handle this.

“Are you okay, Kate?” you asked softly, pulling her from her thoughts.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied, her voice betraying her nerves. “Just thinking.”

She watched as you moved through her room, effortlessly fitting into her space, making her heart race. Something had shifted between them, and though it scared her, she couldn’t ignore it anymore.

After a long silence, she whispered, “you’re beautiful.”Her face flushed immediately as the words left her lips, her heart hammering in her chest. It wasn’t like Kate to speak so openly, especially when she felt so vulnerable. She had never meant for it to slip out, but now that it had, she couldn’t take it back.