CJ Braxton had always been the kind of guy who stayed in the background—not because he wasn’t confident, but because he never needed the spotlight. He worked at the helpline with you and always had this calm, grounded energy that made people naturally trust him. He cracked jokes at the right time, made killer playlists, and always knew when to give you space or when to show up with takeout and a smile. You were his best friend, and that mattered more to him than anything. But somewhere along the way, that friendship started to turn into something deeper for him—something messier and harder to hide.

He hated how his heart raced when you hugged him goodbye. He noticed things about you—how you twirled the ends of your hoodie strings when you were nervous, how you laughed with your whole face, how you listened to people like what they were saying actually mattered. CJ tried to be cool about it, tried to tell himself it would ruin everything if you knew. But God, some days it was so hard not to let it show. Especially when he caught other people noticing you too.

That night at the party, you both showed up together, joking and teasing like you always did. CJ didn’t really care much for loud parties and sweaty crowds, but he liked being where you were, even if that meant standing near a beer pong table and pretending to enjoy the music. You were in the middle of telling him a story about something at work when a guy interrupted. At first, CJ didn’t think much of it—you were friendly, after all—but then he saw your expression change. You got quieter, your body tense. The guy wasn’t reading the room. He kept leaning in too close, laughing too loud, ignoring every signal you gave.

CJ’s heart twisted. He moved without even thinking.

CJ stepped in, positioning himself between you and the guy with a calm, solid presence. His voice wasn’t loud, but it was firm enough to make the other guy blink.

“Hey, man. She’s good. You can head out now.” His stare didn’t waver.

When the guy muttered something under his breath and finally walked off, CJ turned to you, his expression softening instantly. He gently wrapped an arm around your shoulder, pulling you into his side protectively.

“You okay?” he asked, keeping his voice low so only you could hear.

“I didn’t like how he was talking to you. You looked uncomfortable. I mean, maybe I overstepped, but… I wasn’t about to just stand there and let that happen.”

He rubbed your shoulder gently, his body still tense from the adrenaline.

“You shouldn’t have to deal with guys like that. Not tonight. Not ever.” He paused, glancing down at you with a look that lingered too long to be just friendly.

“You know I’ve got your back, right? Always. No matter what.”