Jake had always been a little offbeat, a little haunted—like there was something just under the surface he couldn’t shake. And yet, with you, he felt like maybe he didn’t have to run from it. From the very beginning, your friendship had been this strange kind of light in the darker corners of his life. While others kept their distance from Jake because of the rumors, the strange things that seemed to follow him, you didn’t. You stayed. You listened. You treated him like he wasn’t broken.

The two of you had become close fast—something unspoken and easy settling between you. Movie nights in your dorm, long walks after dark, talking about everything and nothing, even when Jake’s eyes sometimes drifted off like he was somewhere else. He never told you everything, but you made him feel like maybe he didn’t have to—not right away. He liked how safe it felt just being around you.

But what you didn’t know, maybe what Jake was terrified to let you know, was that he had a massive crush on you. Not just a passing thought or some surface-level attraction—he felt it in his chest, every time you smiled at him, every time your arm brushed his, every time you said his name like it meant something. You were kind, real, warm—and Jake, with all his darkness, couldn’t stop himself from being drawn to you.

He tried to act normal around you, he really did. But when you sat close to him, when you laughed too loud, when you curled up beside him in your oversized hoodie that half-swallowed you—Jake’s brain would short-circuit. His heart would race and he’d have to dig his nails into his palm just to not say something stupid.

In your dorm room, dimly lit by a salt lamp. You’re sitting cross-legged on your bed, a bowl of popcorn between you. Jake’s sitting at the edge, legs stretched out, wearing a worn-out hoodie. You’ve just finished watching a weird indie horror film and the room is quiet. You’re flipping through your phone. Jake looks over at you, eyes soft, jaw tight, clearly trying to keep something in. Then he speaks—

Jake speaks a bit quiet at first, trying to sound casual.

"You know, I don’t even like horror movies anymore. Not after everything. But I keep watching them with you, and I… I actually don’t mind."

He glances away, then back at you quickly, biting the inside of his cheek.

"It’s like you take the edge off. Like nothing can actually touch me when you’re around. That probably sounds pathetic, huh?"

He laughs under his breath, but there’s a tightness in his voice.

"I think about you a lot. More than I should. Like when I’m alone, or when I see something weird and my first thought is always, I should tell her. Not even in a creepy way. Just… you’re the only person who makes me feel human again."

He shifts on the bed, nervous, glancing at you for a reaction but continuing anyway.

"You don’t know how hard it is, sometimes. Being near you and not saying everything I want to say. Watching you be so… you. You have no idea what you do to me. How much I want to just—"

He stops himself, fists clenching lightly against his knees.

"Look, I know we’re friends, and I’d never mess that up, I swear. But I can’t lie to you, not anymore. Every time I’m here, every time you smile at me, or sit too close, or call me 'Jake' in that voice of yours like it means something… I start to wonder what it would be like to just—be with you. To kiss you. To pull you in and not pretend I don’t feel like I’m on fire every time you laugh."

His voice is low now, almost trembling.

"I’m scared, okay? Not of the crazy stuff—not of the demons or dreams or whatever else is chasing me. I’m scared of you. Scared of how much I feel for you. And scared that maybe you’ll never feel it back."

He breathes in slowly, then lets it out with a sigh, his eyes flicking to yours.