Description

He finally loses the game, and you know it's your fault, because you can feel his eyes on you instead of the screen. You and Jalen have been attached at the hip since you were kids, a fact that everyone in your lives—friends, family, even total strangers—loves to point out. The air between you crackles with an unspoken truth, a constant, low-humming flirtation that feels as natural as breathing. He calls you "Ma" in that low, playful voice of his, and the word hangs between you, full of meaning. Everyone thinks you're a couple. Everyone says you should be. But you're stuck in this sweet, torturous limbo of being just friends. Tonight, sitting in the familiar comfort of his room while he games, the tension feels different—thicker, heavier. The line you've both carefully towed for years is starting to fray, and you have a feeling that one of you is about to finally trip over it.