My forbidden crush

PRETENDING NOTHING CHANGED

When I got home, I headed straight for the refrigerator. I grabbed a bottle of water and walked back into my spacious living room. After taking a few gulps, I tossed the bottle onto the table beside my car keys and collapsed onto the couch.

My mind immediately drifted back to what had happened earlier.

Without realizing it, I found myself gently touching my lips, a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth.

“f**k,” I muttered under my breath.

I already knew I was in for a rough ride.

My thoughts wandered back to the day Caleb had introduced us to the girl he had bragged about for weeks.

And honestly?

He hadn’t exaggerated.

She was breathtaking.

Ocean-blue eyes that could trap anyone in a daze, a smile that could light up an entire room, and a voice so soft and sweet that I found myself listening to every word she spoke.

I had been admiring her from a distance when Caleb suddenly wrapped an arm around my neck.

“Meet my best friend, Alexander, but we call him Alex,” Caleb said proudly.

She smiled.

“My name is Ariana Smith.”

That smile.

That damn smile.

Caleb is one lucky bastard, I thought.

“And before I forget,” Caleb added with a laugh, “Alex here is a complete playboy.”

I threw the towel I was holding at him.

“Shut the f**k up!”

The memory faded as I rose from the couch and headed to my room.

After undressing, I stepped beneath the shower, allowing the cold water to run over my body.

But even then, I couldn’t escape her.

Ariana.

The desire I felt for her was beginning to show, and that terrified me.

“Snap out of it,” I muttered to myself.

Even though Caleb and Ariana were no longer together, Caleb was still my best friend.

And if he ever found out about the feelings growing inside me…

He would see it as betrayal.

⸻

The night felt longer than usual.

No matter how hard I tried, sleep refused to come.

Every time I closed my eyes, I found myself thinking about him.

Alex.

How was I supposed to act around him after what happened yesterday?

The thought alone made my stomach twist.

To make things worse, Alex wasn’t just my ex-boyfriend’s best friend.

We attended the same classes.

Avoiding him completely was impossible.

After taking a quick shower, I dressed up and applied light makeup, hoping to hide the exhaustion from my sleepless night.

“Good morning, Jasmine,” I greeted, hugging my older sister.

“Good morning.”

She pinched both my cheeks playfully before giving me one of her adorable smiles.

“Didn’t you sleep last night?” she asked.

My eyes widened.

“f**k. Is it really that obvious?”

She laughed.

“Only if you’re standing close. From afar, you look fine.”

Great.

Another reason to avoid Alex today.

“Grab a plate. Breakfast is almost ready,” Jasmine called.

“I’m already late for class. Please don’t be angry.”

I kissed her cheek and hurried out of the house.

“But it’s still too early!” I heard her yell from behind.

She was right.

I wasn’t late.

I simply wanted to arrive early enough to avoid Alex.

Since I didn’t own a car, I had to wait for the bus, which felt like forever.

By the time I arrived at school, the hallways were unusually quiet.

Seeing how empty the campus was brought a smile to my face.

Maybe luck was finally on my side.

But the moment I stepped into the classroom, that smile disappeared.

Alex was already there.

And suddenly, my confidence vanished.

“Act normal,” I whispered to myself.

“Nothing has changed.”

I forced a smile and walked in.

The moment he noticed me, his face lit up.

“Come sit here.”

His deep voice alone was enough to make my heart betray me.

As I walked toward him, I couldn’t help but admire how ridiculously handsome he looked.

And for a second…

I wished he wasn’t a playboy.

Since the day Caleb introduced us, Alex had never taken relationships seriously.

Every girl was just another fling.

Yet somehow, despite everything, we had become close.

Neither of us knew exactly when it happened.

We were simply always there for each other.

“Come sit here,” he repeated, pointing to the empty seat beside him.

Normally, I would’ve sat there without hesitation.

But after yesterday, I had purposely come early to avoid moments like this.

As I tried to sit, my bag got caught on another chair.

I tugged at it impatiently.

And the next thing I knew—

I lost my balance.

Before I could react, I landed directly on Alex’s lap.

His arm wrapped around my waist instantly, shielding me from falling.

My breath caught.

His eyes locked with mine.

And suddenly, the entire room disappeared.

My gaze drifted to his lips.

Then back to his eyes.

“Did you hurt yourself?” he asked softly.

His voice snapped me back to reality.

“Y-Yeah… I’m fine.”

I quickly stood up and sat beside him.

But my heart wouldn’t stop racing.

And all I could think about was one thing.

Please don’t let him hear it.

Neither of us said much after that.

We tried to pretend nothing had happened.

But the silence between us had changed.

And no matter how hard we tried…

The awkwardness kept creeping back.

Because deep down—

we both knew something had changed.

**************************************************

⸻

Alex

Today, I arrived at class earlier than usual.

Not because I wanted to study.

I just needed some time alone.

After everything that had happened yesterday, I needed to sort out my thoughts and figure out how I was supposed to act around Ariana.

Things were different now.

And no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise, I couldn’t deny it.

Just as I was mentally rehearsing how to act normal around her, she walked into the classroom.

I frowned.

Why was she here so early?

For some reason, I wasn’t expecting her.

Before I could stop myself, I raised my hand and waved at her.

“Over here.”

The words escaped my lips before I even thought about them.

Relax, I told myself.

But relaxing was the last thing I could do.

As she walked towards me, I found myself staring.

Her smile.

Her eyes.

The way a few loose strands of hair framed her face.

Was she always this beautiful?

I quickly looked away.

Get yourself together, Alex.

Then suddenly, she stumbled.

Everything happened so fast.

Her bag caught on another chair, and before she could regain her balance, she fell straight into my arms.

My reflexes kicked in immediately.

I wrapped an arm around her waist, making sure she didn’t hit the floor.

But the moment she landed on my lap…

I froze.

Her scent invaded my senses.

Her body was pressed against mine.

And when our eyes met…

I forgot how to breathe.

Neither of us moved.

Neither of us spoke.

For a second, it felt like the entire world had stopped.

My eyes drifted to her lips.

Those same lips that had haunted me all night.

Fuck.

I quickly forced my gaze back to her eyes.

“Hope you didn’t hurt yourself,” I managed to whisper.

Honestly, I wasn’t even sure if my voice had come out properly.

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied softly before standing up and taking the seat beside me.

But the warmth she’d left behind on my body remained.

And that was the problem.

I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

I had tried.

God knows I had tried.

Because this was Ariana.

Caleb’s ex-girlfriend.

My best friend’s ex-girlfriend.

The woman I had absolutely no business wanting.

Yet, somehow…

I did.

And that scared the hell out of me.

The silence between us was almost unbearable.

We both pretended to focus on our books, but neither of us was reading a damn thing.

Every now and then, I caught her stealing glances at me.

And every time I did, she’d quickly look away.

The strange thing was…

I was doing the exact same thing.

I let out a quiet sigh and leaned back in my seat.

This wasn’t good.

Not good at all.

Because somewhere between being Caleb’s friend and being Ariana’s friend…

I had crossed a line I promised myself I would never cross.

And the worst part?

I wasn’t sure I wanted to go back.