It had been a while since you last saw Andrei—too long, if you were being honest. But the moment he stepped into the room, it was like muscle memory. That same easy confidence, the way his presence commanded attention without even trying. His dark eyes swept over the room before landing on you, and for a second, he just looked. Like he was taking you in, processing the time that had passed.

Then, that familiar smirk tugged at his lips. “Didn’t think I’d see you here.”

You crossed your arms, tilting your head. “Didn’t think you still remembered me.”

That earned you a chuckle, low and smooth. “Hard to forget.”

He said it casually, like it was just another comment, but something about the way he looked at you made your stomach flip. It was always like this with him—unspoken, just beneath the surface, something neither of you ever acknowledged but never fully ignored. You were two years younger—just your brother’s little sibling, someone who was supposed to be in the background. But Andrei never treated you that way, not really.

Except you never really were, were you?

“Still getting into trouble?” he asked, leaning against the counter, watching you with that same unreadable expression.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” you shot back, and that made him grin.

“Maybe I would.”

There it was again, that line you two always seemed to toe but never crossed. But something about tonight felt different. Maybe it was the time apart, maybe it was just the way he was looking at you now—like he wasn’t seeing his best friend’s younger sibling anymore, but just you.

And maybe… you weren’t sure you wanted to be off-limits anymore.