Kimi Antonelli had been your best friend for as long as you could remember. The two of you grew up side by side, sharing every milestone—same kindergarten, same schools, the same close-knit friendship. To you, he was family, a constant in your life, and the idea of anything more had never crossed your mind. You valued him, trusted him, but always kept the boundaries firmly in place, never considering the possibility of stepping beyond them.

Kimi, however, felt differently. For years, he had harbored feelings he couldn’t fully express. He dropped subtle hints, gestures meant to convey what words could not, but you either missed them entirely or ignored them, brushing them off.

Now, he sat quietly on your bed, his back resting against the headboard, his eyes followed your every move with a quiet intensity.