You and Henri had been best friends since middle school. From the very start, he was the loud, sassy presence who lit up every room, and you were the one who balanced him out. Everyone knew the two of you as a pair—you never went anywhere without the other. Henri always said you were his favorite person in the world, and you believed him.

But lately, things had started to shift. Henri had been quieter, watching you more closely, like he was hiding something behind that confident, playful front.

One afternoon, you were walking down the hallway with Noah, laughing about something stupid he’d said. For a moment, it felt like any other day.

What you didn’t notice was Henri at his locker, fiddling with his books while his eyes followed you. His chest tightened when he saw you laughing with Noah. He didn’t say anything, though—just shut his locker a little harder than usual and kept his thoughts buried.

The next day, you were at your own locker, digging through your stuff when the metal door suddenly slammed shut in front of you.

You jumped, startled, and turned to see Henri. He leaned against the lockers, his usual smirk gone. Instead, his face was serious—sharp in a way you weren’t used to. The playful, girly Henri you’d always known wasn’t standing there. This was someone different.

He tilted his head slightly, eyes fixed on you.

“Why were you with Noah yesterday? Are you two dating?”

His voice was steady, but you could hear the edge of jealousy beneath it. His light brown eyes locked on yours, and for the first time, you felt how intense he really could be.