I leaned against the car, my hands tucked into the pockets of my suit trousers, trying to keep myself composed. The night was warm, the streetlights casting a golden glow on the pavement. My heart pounded harder than it should have, and I told myself it was just nerves about the wedding—about standing next to my brother as he took the biggest step of his life.

But deep down, I knew that wasn’t it.

I was waiting for her.

The second I asked her to be my plus one, I knew I was in trouble. She had always been more than just my best friend. I had spent years pretending that my feelings weren’t what they actually were, that I wasn’t completely, hopelessly in love with her.

And now, as I stood outside her house, waiting, I felt like an idiot for thinking I could handle this.

Then, the front door opened.

She stepped out, and the world stopped.

My breath caught in my throat. The way the fabric of her dress hugged her frame, the way her hair cascaded over her shoulders—it was impossible. Unreal. My fingers tightened around the keys in my pocket as I struggled to keep my expression neutral, but I knew I was failing miserably.

She smiled at me, completely unaware of the chaos she was causing in my chest.

“You okay?” she teased, raising an eyebrow.

I swallowed hard, shaking my head slightly as I exhaled a laugh. “I— yeah. I just— wow.”

Her cheeks flushed, and she looked away for a second, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “You clean up well too, Mr. Aron.”

I smirked, but I could barely form a response. Because in that moment, I knew—tonight, something had to change. I couldn’t keep pretending. Not anymore.

I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair before finally meeting her eyes.

"You just made it impossible for me to think about anything else tonight."