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Liam nudged Harry with his arm and asked him, "Hey mate, when will you tell Y/n you like her?"
Louis chimed in, "Yeah, you know if you wait too long, someone else might snap her up before you have the chance."
Harry glared at Louis, who raised his hands as if to say, "I'm just saying."
"You guys don't understand," Harry sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Y/n is one of my best friends."
"Your best friend, who you're in love with." Niall pointed out.
Harry turned his glare on his Irish friend. "My best friend whose friendship means the world to me, and I don't want to jeopardize that. It doesn't matter how I feel romantically."
"Is that what your heart is telling you, though?" Liam asked gently, trying to understand his friend's feelings.
Harry opened his mouth to reply, but the door opened before he could, and Y/n walked in. She smiled, waving her phone at the boys.
"Sorry about that call, boys. I'd forgotten to let my Mum know that my plane landed safely. You know how it is when you forget to check in and—"
Y/n must have noticed the tension in the room because she stopped short, glancing at each boy. "...did I....interrupt a guy's chat or something?" she asked, an amused smile on her face.
The boys shook their heads, but Harry couldn't help but wonder if she had overheard their conversation. He felt his heart race as she took the empty seat between him and Niall.
Louis cleared his throat and said, "We were just passing the time until you returned, that's all."
"Yeah, nothing important was discussed in the slightest," Niall added, giving Harry a pointed look over the top of Y/n's head. Harry ignored it.
"Okay," Y/n answered slowly. "You sure?" Her gaze fell on Harry as she said the last part, clearly directing it toward him.
Harry felt his heart leap in his chest. Did she know? Had she somehow heard what the boys had been talking about? Harry swallowed hard, giving Y/n what he hoped was a convincing smile.
"I'm sure, love," he said. "We were just waiting for you."
The conversation resumed, but Harry was distracted, focusing solely on Y/n. Maybe one day, he would work up the courage to tell her how he felt. But for now, she was just his best friend, which was enough.
