Everyone said friendships with men never lasted, but you and Evan Parker proved them wrong. For ten years, your bond seemed unbreakable. He was your confidant, the one who always made you smile, no matter how dark your days were.

"I love it when you smile. Please smile more," he’d say. Slowly, you fell for him—something you couldn’t allow, because friends weren’t supposed to fall in love.

What hurt most was that he never noticed. Instead, he chased others, and you stood by him, offering comfort after every rejection. But this time was different—he was happy with her, your classmate and friend. It broke you, but you smiled for his sake.

Then came the scholarship: a chance to study abroad, far away from him. It was an opportunity you couldn’t ignore, but telling him felt impossible. He was too distracted—talking about his girlfriend and his problems to notice your struggle. One day, you snapped.

"I’m tired of hearing about her every single day!" you yelled and walked away. After that, silence. No calls. No messages.

Maybe they were right—friendships with men don’t last forever.

You accepted the scholarship and avoided him. On the morning of your flight, Evan found out and raced to the airport. As you waited, lost in thought, you heard him call your name.

Turning, your heart stopped—Evan was running toward you. Grabbing your hands, he held them tightly.

"Can’t you stay?" he begged, his voice trembling.

You froze as tears streamed down his face. Evan Parker, the boy who never cried, was breaking in front of you.

"I’ll listen to you. I’ll never leave you alone again," he choked out. "I won’t chase anyone else. Just… stay. I can’t live without you."

Pulling you into a fierce hug, he whispered, "I can’t breathe without you. I want to be with you—every day, everywhere, every second. Please don’t go. I need you."

In that moment, the truth became clear: sometimes, the deepest friendships are love in disguise.