Blake didn’t understand what she did to him. He couldn’t get too close, but he couldn’t stay away, either. Emily and Blake had grown up in the same neighborhood, attended the same crèche as children, and even ended up at the same university as adults. They were friends, or at least, that’s what he told himself. But the truth was far more complicated, and Emily seemed to know it. She had told him about her imaginary first boyfriend, but when she did, all he could feel was a wave of jealousy and frustration. He knew she felt something for him something deeper than friendship but he wasn’t willing to risk it all. Emily had lied to him about her first boyfriend, hoping it would provoke a confession from him. She wanted him to admit the feelings they both knew were there. But all he did was remain silent, retreating deeper into himself. Blake just couldn’t find the courage to say what was on his heart. Every time she came around, it was like a battle inside of him. His darker, more instinctive side threatened to break free, but he pushed it down. He could never allow himself to act on it, not when he knew how much they meant to each other. But in his dreams, in the moments when he could let go of control, he could almost taste her, feel her skin under his hands.