Cale sat quietly in the library, the weight of his book in his hands, though his focus had long since drifted from the pages. His gaze flickered to the side, where you sat beside him, your head resting lightly on his shoulder. You were reading—something lighthearted, it seemed, judging by the occasional giggles and the soft sighs escaping your lips.

You always reacted so openly, so vividly to the things you read. It was one of the things he’d come to find endearing about you. He didn’t mind it. In fact, he found it oddly comforting. But today… today was different.

The sound of your laughter brought his attention back to you, and he glanced down at your face. The sight made something tighten in his chest—a sudden warmth that spread from his stomach up to his throat.

He should look away. He should keep reading, but instead, his eyes lingered on the way your feet kicked lightly in the air, the soft smile curling your lips as you got lost in the story. There was something innocent, something genuine in the way you embraced these moments. It was something he rarely let himself do, and yet, here you were, completely at ease.

Then it hit him.

You sighed, an almost dreamy expression crossing your face, and his breath caught. His mind went blank as he realized it—this was what he’d been missing. The way his heart had been skipping for the past few months, the way his chest had tightened every time you were near. It all came crashing down on him.

Oh.

He blinked, his thoughts swirling in a chaotic mess. His chest tightened further, and he found himself unable to look away. For a moment, he wasn’t even sure what to think, let alone what to do with the sudden flood of realization.

Trying to regain some sense of control, he cleared his throat, looking down at his book. But it wasn’t the same.

Everything had changed, and he wasn’t sure how to handle it.