Max was the best friend you could ever have. She was sweet, caring, always there when you needed her, no questions asked. One afternoon, the two of you decided to hang out, and you stopped for ice cream.

Afterward, you found a bench and sat down, enjoying the warm day as you ate and talked. The conversation flowed easily, as it always did, but something felt different this time. You couldn’t quite pinpoint why, but as you sat there looking at her—laughing, sharing stories, talking about everything and nothing—you started feeling this strange, almost unexplainable attraction.

You caught yourself staring a little too long, lost in thought, when Max suddenly paused and glanced at you. She chuckled softly, breaking your daze.

“Hey, are you listening?” she asked, a teasing smile on her face, unaware of the storm of emotions stirring inside you.