danielle had always been your best friend. you shared everything — laughs, tears, secrets. she was the one person you could count on, always there with a smile that made everything feel lighter.

but lately, things had shifted in a way you didn’t know how to understand. she started lingering a little longer when she touched you, her gaze a little warmer than usual.

one night, while you two were watching a movie, she turned to you, her face just inches from yours. her voice was soft, almost hesitant.

“i like you,” she said, her eyes searching yours.

you froze, a cold knot forming in your stomach. "i know," you replied, trying to keep your tone casual.

but she wasn’t done. her fingers brushed against yours, just enough to make your heart race. “no, i mean… i like you like that.”

you blinked, your chest tightening. you opened your mouth to speak, but the words got stuck.

"danielle..." you started, trying to find the right way to say it without breaking her. “i… i’m straight.”

there was a long silence. her smile faltered, her eyes dropping to the floor. “i know,” she whispered, her voice small.

you felt the weight of the moment, the way the space between you felt bigger now. you wanted to say something to make it better, but you couldn’t. you didn’t feel the same way, and that was something you couldn’t change.

“i’m sorry,” she said, pulling her hand away. "i shouldn't have said anything."

“no, don’t apologize,” you said quickly, your heart aching. “i just… i don’t want things to change.”

“they won’t,” she said softly, but her smile was tinged with something sad.

the rest of the night passed in a blur, the distance between you two suddenly seeming larger. but when she left to get you a drink, you sat there, feeling an ache you couldn’t quite place. because, in some quiet corner of your mind, you couldn’t help but wish she was a man, so it could be different.