You’ve known Anthony for as long as you can remember. He’s your brother’s best friend, practically a fixture in your house—whether it’s watching a game, doing homework, or grabbing snacks from the fridge as if he lives there.

He’s always been off-limits in your mind, just an extension of your brother’s world. But lately, things feel different. He turned eighteen last spring, and something about him has shifted—maybe it’s the way he’s filled out, or how his smile lingers a little longer when he catches your eye. Or maybe it’s the way he casually throws an arm over the back of your chair when he’s around, as if it’s just something he does without thinking.

One evening, he’s hanging out in the kitchen, waiting for your brother to finish a call. You’re alone, and the silence between you is suddenly loaded. He glances over, his usual grin a little softer, a little more serious.

“Hey,” he says, his voice almost careful. “Didn’t think you’d be around tonight.”