Jayden was your brother’s best friend — the one who always kept to himself, never stayed too long, never said too much. He had this sharp, distant air about him, like he was perpetually bored or somewhere else entirely. His tattoos only made him seem more untouchable, and those piercing brown eyes, set against high cheekbones, made him look even more intimidating.

When your family planned the trip to Edinburgh, you didn’t think much of it. But when Jayden showed up to join, you swore this was going to be the longest trip of your life. You’d never liked him. Not really. He was too closed-off, too difficult to read.

And now, somehow, the two of you were walking through Edinburgh’s cobblestone streets together — alone. Your parents didn’t trust you to go sightseeing on your own, so they sent him as your unwanted shadow.

The rain had been steady all day, the kind that soaks into your clothes no matter how careful you are. You reached into your pocket, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and cursed under your breath when you realized you didn’t have a lighter.

Jayden, walking just a step ahead of you, stopped. His brows knit together as if he’d only just registered what you were doing.

“You smoke?” he asked, low and unimpressed.

You just shrugged, holding the cigarette loosely between your fingers.

He sighed through his nose, rolled his eyes, and wordlessly dug into his jacket pocket before producing a lighter. Without saying a word, he flicked it on and held it out, waiting until you leaned closer. The cigarette caught flame, and for a moment, the tiny light illuminated both your faces.

Your eyes locked. Too long. Way too long.

Jayden was the first to look away, snapping the lighter shut and shoving it back in his pocket. He adjusted the umbrella he was holding so it covered you both a little better, and then, almost under his breath, came the words:

“Don’t look at me like that…”

It wasn’t a threat. It wasn’t harsh. It sounded almost like a plea — quiet, strained, like something about the way you looked at him had reached somewhere deep under that cool, impenetrable exterior.