Aidan is your brother’s best friend. You’d just been through a brutal breakup—the kind that leaves you aching in places you didn’t know existed. Days blurred together as you cried until your eyes burned, every hour feeling heavier than the last. Ice cream became a food group. You wrapped yourself in oversized hoodies and fuzzy socks like armor, trying to shield yourself from the hollow ache in your chest.

This afternoon was no different. You were curled up on the couch, cocooned under a thick blanket, snuggled into a pillow that had long since absorbed your tears. The world felt quiet, muffled by the storm inside you.

And then the front door opened.

Footsteps echoed through the hallway, familiar and easy. You didn’t need to look up to know who it was—Aidan had that unmistakable presence. He always did. Your brother’s best friend. The one who saw too much with one glance and never said too much out loud.

He stepped into the room, eyes finding you immediately. His expression shifted—surprise, concern… something else.