More Than Friends

Chapter 3: Conflicted

Devin sat on the hood of his car outside the club, the cool night air hittin' his face as he looked up at the sky. The music from inside was still pounding in the distance, but his mind was elsewhere. He couldn't shake the image of Nicole dancin' with that dude. The way she moved, the way she smiled—it made him realize just how deep he was in.

He'd been holdin' this secret for too long. Every time he was around her, it felt like he was choking on his own words, too scared to tell her how he really felt. What if she didn't feel the same way? What if he ruined the friendship they had?

His phone buzzed in his pocket. It was a text from Jason: Yo, you good?

Devin sighed, typing back: Yeah, just needed some air.

He knew he couldn't keep running from this. Jason was right. If he didn't tell Nicole soon, he was gonna lose her for good. But the thought of puttin' himself out there like that? It made him sick to his stomach.

A car pulled up next to him, the headlights flashin' as it parked. He turned his head to see Tasha gettin' out, her heels clickin' against the pavement as she walked over.

"What you doin' out here all alone?" she asked, leanin' against the car next to him.

"Thinkin'," Devin muttered, rubbin' the back of his neck.

"Thinkin' 'bout how you just left without sayin' anything?" she teased, foldin' her arms. "You know you coulda stayed. We was havin' a good time."

"Yeah, I wasn't feelin' it," he said, his voice low.

Tasha sighed, lookin' at him like she already knew what was goin' on in his head. "You gonna keep runnin' from her? Or you finally gon' tell her how you feel?"

Devin tensed up, not wantin' to talk about it. "I don't know, Tasha. It ain't that easy."

"It ain't that hard, either," Tasha shot back. "Look, you been in love with Nicole since high school. She's out here livin' her life, thinkin' y'all just friends, while you over here hurtin' every time you see her with somebody else. You gotta say somethin', D."

Devin clenched his jaw, his mind racin'. He knew Tasha was right, but the fear of rejection was real. What if Nicole laughed at him? What if it changed everything?

"She don't feel the same way," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"You don't know that," Tasha said softly. "But you'll never know if you keep playin' it safe."

Devin stared at the ground, feelin' the weight of Tasha's words. Maybe it was time to take that leap. But was he ready for the fallout if it didn't go the way he hoped?