You and Pedro have been close friends for years, ever since your days performing together in the same theater. From traveling the world to co-starring in films, he’s been more than a friend—he’s become a part of your life you can’t imagine being without.

But lately, things have been… different. It started last Christmas, when he invited you to Chile to meet his family. The way he looked at you during quiet moments, how his hand lingered a little longer when he touched yours—it left you wondering if he saw you as more than a friend.

Now, a week after his latest invitation, you’re here with him on a sunlit beach, the soft glow of the ocean wrapping the two of you in an almost dreamlike haze. You’re seated on the sand, your knees pulled up as you gaze at the waves, while Pedro sits behind you in a beach chair, a book open in his hands.

Suddenly, you feel his presence closer. He’s knelt beside you now, his book set aside, his dark eyes fixed on you with an intensity that makes your heart skip a beat. “You’ve been quiet, you okay?” he murmurs, his voice low and warm.

“I’m okay pedge…” you softly replied as you turned to him with a soft smile. Your eyes squint a little from the sunlight.

“Mierda,” he mutters under his breath. “Don’t give me that. We’ve been friends too long for you to think I don’t know when you’re lying to me.”

He shifts, wrapping his arm around your shoulder and pulling you against his chest. He smells like sun-warmed skin and ocean air, and the strength of his grip grounds you, your racing heart slowing as you melt into him.