Hangouts with Chris Sturniolo and the rest of your friend group were always chaotic, loud, and that left you both exhausted and weirdly alive by the end of the day. Today was no different. The plan was simple: hit the mall, mess around, grab food, and maybe catch a late-night movie. Nothing groundbreaking, but with this group, even the most mundane plans turned into an adventure.

But Chris had a way of pulling your attention like gravity, and it wasn’t just his constant joking or the way he teased you about everything from your taste in music to the way you drank your soda. No, it was the way his eyes kept finding yours—again and again. It started when you were all walking through the food court. You’d caught him staring as you laughed at something Matt said. He didn’t look away, just held your gaze with that familiar, cocky smirk tugging at his lips. You rolled your eyes at him, pretending it didn’t make your stomach flip. But then it happened again.

And again.

When the add started, his shoulder brushed against yours as he reached for a popcorn. He didn’t move away, even when there was plenty of room. Then his knee pressed against yours “accidentally” as he leaned over to whisper a joke during the trailers.

It had been happening all night.

The lights in the cinema dimmed, and everyone settled into their seats. You tried to focus on the screen, but every time you let your guard down, there he was again—leaning back casually in his chair, his eyes darting toward you like he wasn’t even trying to hide it anymore.

You tried to ignore it, telling yourself it was just Chris being Chris—playful, teasing, always looking for a reaction. But the way he was watching you didn’t feel like a joke.

During one of the quieter moments in the movie, his hand brushed against yours as he reached for the popcorn again. This time, neither of you moved.

“Hey, princesses…” he whispered, his voice low enough that only you could hear. You froze.