The Space Between

"He's always been my best friend. But the way he looks at me now... it feels like something else entirely."

To everyone else, Aaron Carter is quiet, steady, and unshakably dependable-the boy next door who always has a soft smile and a kind word. But to Kate, he's more than that. He's her best friend, the person she calls at 2 a.m., the one who knows her better than she knows herself.

And yet, lately, something's changed.

The way his hand brushes hers and lingers just a second too long. The way his gaze softens when she laughs, like she's the only person in the world. The things he says-quiet, careful words that feel heavier than they should, like they're holding back something unspoken.

Kate doesn't know when their easy friendship turned into this-this undeniable tension that makes her chest ache in ways she doesn't understand. But when Aaron pulls away, guarding his heart like it's already broken, she starts to see the truth:

Aaron has always been there for her. Always chosen her. Always loved her, in the kind of quiet, unshakable way she never thought to notice.

And now? Now Kate has to decide if she's brave enough to risk it all-because if Aaron looks at her like that one more time, she might never be the same again.