Falling in love with your best friend is nothing but easy. But Franco Colapinto doesn't like easy, no matter how much it hurts, and no matter how long it'll take for Adela Kim to realise. But when Adela's 2 year long relationship ends suddenly, she'...
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It's like any other night when Franco Colapinto realises that he's fallen in love with Adela Kim.
There's no special moment like in the movies, it's just the feeling of his heart hammering in his chest, sending that signal to his brain - his heart knows, his brain knows. He keeps these feelings buried inside his chest, not wanting them to spill past his lips in fear of ruining quite possibly everything.
So Franco loves her in silence.
And Franco would really make a move, he would - but there's one giant issue.
His best friend, the girl that he's hopelessly in love with, has a boyfriend. Franco's really never been the biggest fan of Grayson, but Adela likes him. So Franco tells himself that he does, too.
Movie night for Franco and Adela has been a tradition of theirs since they were little. Grayson doesn't really seem to be a fan of their little tradition, often looking at Franco with a frown. But, he tells Adela it's fine anyways - he knows that they don't see each other often enough already, with Franco flying all around the world for his F2 career.
He watches her dance around her room as he rests his head against her headboard, a smile playing on his lips - the same smile that all his friends tease him about, saying that he's hopelessly in love. Franco has always shrugged it off and told them to shut up, but he's realised that they're right.
"You ready for Monaco?" she asks, a smile on her lips. Franco nods, as Adela flops down on her bed, next to him. "It'll be fun," he smiles. "You should come."
"I do want to, but I need to finish a few dresses. Nads' got a charity gala she's going to soon and she's asked me to make her something." she pouts. "I'll come to one during the holidays, though. Promise." She links her pinky finger with his, and Franco's face heats up at the touch - he reminds himself that this is normal, this is just his best friend. He's never felt shy around her, at least not until he realised his feelings.
"Maybe I'll take Grayson, too." she hums, and Franco tries to hide the way his smile falls by looking at the pictures stuck up on her wall. His eyes scan the polaroids, there's a few of her and her friends Adelaide, Selene and Vienna, a few with Grayson, but he lets his eyes linger of the ones of her and him.
The one of them at the beach when they were younger, building a lopsided sandcastle. Franco would admit it was a pretty good feat by six year olds, though. The one that she'd taken of the two of them, making silly faces at the camera. The one of them at the annual Colapinto and Kim family barbecue, sitting on the lounge chairs at Franco's house.
But, his favourite by far was the one of where she attended an F3 race of his for the first time and watched him win the sprint. She's holding his trophy as the two of them smile at the camera, her head on his shoulder. They're both drenched in champagne, and Franco can't help but let a small smile grace his lips as he thinks of the memory.
Then, his eyes land on a picture of her and Grayson, and he hates to admit how jealousy bubbles within him. Grayson's got his arm around her, and she's looking at him with nothing but love in her eyes - and if Franco ever got the opportunity to trade places with anyone, he'd trade it with Grayson in a heartbeat.
He wonders what it's like to be loved by Adela Kim. He hates that he doesn't get the chance to.
"Right. Grayson." he swallows the lump in his throat as he replies. Adela doesn't notice the disdain in his voice. But if she does, she doesn't mention it.
And when Adela puts on the romcom that she wants to watch tonight (he lost the rock-paper-scissors), it doesn't help rid Franco of the thoughts of what it's like to date her. It's an overwhelming, all-consuming feeling - but he needs to keep all of this in.
He can't ruin his friendship with her, can't ruin her relationship with Grayson.
Franco's a patient man. He can wait. He thinks.
As the movie goes on, Franco finds him getting more tired by the minute. His eyes flutter shut as he opts to listen to the movie instead, and Adela shuffles beside him.
"Sleepy today?" she asks, and Franco hums in response, his eyes still shut. Adela pulls the blanket up so he's warm, and he hears the soft click of her nightlight, and he knows that she's turned it off.
