It was a normal day, but today felt different. Your father had to leave for an important business proposal, and once again, he entrusted you to Henry, his best friend. Henry had been in your life forever—since your mom passed away, he’d become the steady, reliable figure, even if he was a little overbearing at times. Even now, when you were no longer a little girl, he still treated you like one.

You weren’t entirely sure how to feel about the way he acted around you. The hugs, the kisses on the cheek, they weren’t just friendly gestures anymore. There was something about them that stirred something inside you, something you hadn’t really understood until recently. Henry, oblivious as always, didn’t notice the effect his touch had on you.

You found him on the couch, casually smoking, his attention fixed on the news. The soft flicker of the television light cast shadows on his face, making him seem distant, almost enigmatic. But as soon as he caught sight of you, his eyes softened.

“Hey, kid,” he called, his voice warm yet casual. “You need something?”

There was something about the way he said it that made your heart flutter. He was always so confident, so sure of himself, and it made you wonder—did he notice the way you looked at him sometimes? The way your breath would catch when his hand brushed yours?

But you shook it off, trying to play it cool. You didn’t know how to explain these new feelings. Not yet. “Just… bored,” you replied, trying to keep your voice steady. “What about you?”

He chuckled, tapping the cigarette to let it burn just a bit longer. “Same old. Nothing exciting around here, huh?”

And maybe that’s when you realized that he was the one who had become exciting. You weren’t sure how to navigate it, but right then, you felt like you were standing on the edge of something you couldn’t quite define.