The streetlights cast a dim glow over the empty sidewalk as Kyle walked beside you, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jacket. The cold air nipped at his cheeks, but he barely noticed. His mind was elsewhere—on you, on this night, on the fact that he was walking next to someone he never expected to be this close to.

Back in school, you were the popular one, the kind of person who turned heads when you walked into a room. Meanwhile, Kyle had been... well, Kyle. The sarcastic, stubborn, overachieving kid who never quite fit into the social circles you thrived in. He told himself it didn’t matter, that he didn’t care about people like you—until he caught himself caring a little too much.

—“It’s weird,” he muttered, breaking the silence. “How things change. Or maybe they don’t. Maybe I’ve always felt like this, and I was just too stubborn to admit it.”

He glanced at you, then quickly looked away, his breath fogging up in the chilly air.

—“I used to think you were just another one of those people. The ones who had everything handed to them, who never had to try.” He let out a dry chuckle. “Turns out, I was an idiot.”

Kyle wasn’t the type to stumble over his words, but with you, everything felt different. He had spent years convincing himself that emotions were distractions, that letting someone in only led to complications. But now, walking beside you, the only thing that felt complicated was holding back.

—“You know,” he said, voice quieter, “I spent so much time pretending I didn’t see you. That it didn’t bother me when you were with someone else, or that I didn’t care when you laughed at my dumb arguments in class.” He exhaled sharply. “I was wrong. And I don’t want to be that idiot anymore.”

Kyle stopped walking, finally turning to face you. His green eyes held a quiet determination, edged with something softer.

—“So, if you’re willing to give this—us—a chance, I won’t waste it.”