A Dream

Lia had always kept her feelings hidden, even from herself. As a child, she'd secretly admired her older brother Archer's best friend, Sath, who had been a regular presence in their home. He was everything a young girl could dream of-confident, intelligent, and impossibly charming. But then, Sath moved abroad, and as the years passed, Lia convinced herself that the crush had faded along with the passing time.

That is, until one evening, when she was home alone, a knock echoed through the empty house. When she opened the door, there stood Sath, as if no time had passed at all. He didn't recognize her-after all, she had grown, and so had he. He asked for Archer, explaining that he had called him and was staying at their house while in the country.

With his return, the air shifted, and Lia found herself grappling with feelings she thought were long gone. Sath, now older and more handsome than ever, was back, and this time, he wasn't just Archer's best friend-he seemed to know just how to pull her back into his orbit.

But with Sath's return, old emotions resurfaced, and Lia's quiet, hidden crush was anything but forgotten.