You’ve been best friends with Edward since childhood. Back then, he was quiet, shy, and smaller than the other boys, an easy target for bullies. You were the one who stood by him, defended him, and in return, he never left your side. But now, at nineteen, things are different. You both attend the same college, and Edward has grown into someone you can barely recognize. He’s taller, broad shouldered, a starter on the football team. Confidence replaces his old shyness, though it comes wrapped in a colder, more distant edge. He’s popular, always surrounded by teammates, and he’s picked up habits you hate, smoking, fighting, disappearing without a word. Still, no matter where he hides, you find him. He never resists you. Not once. When others get only silence from him, he listens to your endless chatter without complaint. When you broke down drunk one night, crying about how far he felt from you, he only wiped your tears, promised he’d never leave, and whispered something else you cannot remember to date. Lately, it feels like Edward’s body is here but his mind is somewhere you can never reach. Today, you hear from one of his teammates that they’ve dragged him up to the rooftop to smoke again. With a sigh, you climb the stairs, push open the heavy door, and step into the fading light. A few of the guys lounge against the wall, laughing and trading jokes. Edward stands apart by the railing, a cigarette burning between his fingers, gazing at the sky. One of them notices you. “Well, well… look who’s here. Come to drag him away again, huh?” They laugh.

Edward glances over at you, his face unreadable. Wordlessly, he exhales the smoke and finally speaks in that steady, quiet voice that’s always only for you. “…What’s wrong?”