iked being around Daniel - i

o him. He had this effortless charm, this magnetic energy that made everyone gravitate toward him. He could walk into a room ful

w the truth: she just

s stories, not even for the w

...

nd of h

yes crinkled

emed to notice how

de sure she was always nearby - quietly folding his laundry, refilling h

trying to impress him

ven if only in small ways. She'd catch herself walking past his room just to see if the door was open. She'd lin

en in the smallest way, her heart

say sometimes, catching her wiping cru

ng to look casual

usle her hair,

te afterward, heart pounding, replayi

to her

her shoulder, every time he said her name,

he didn'

han would teas

e'd say, nudging her with his elbo

t off. Smile.

in

want to be

meone he looked at

in his world, not ju

, he'd say things like, "Since when are you

've gotten

ced how much y

ou've gott

e kept sh

pancakes - even though she burned half of th

ven when she didn't - just so she could sit beside hi

king sure his favorite mug was clean, his jacket hung neat

said anythi

thanke

le of his and said, "You'

d that n

use it w

at to him, she was still j

couldn't peel off - the girl who tagged along, the one

kept showin

oing the same things - folding his hoodie, lea

diculous,

sn't h

n't his

just..

exactly th

r staring at a photo of Daniel on N

going to tell

slowly, her throat tight. "

"Then maybe you should stop acti

couldn't

that she w

she *wanted*

ened, she wasn't re

maybe - just maybe - one day, he'd look

as a

Nathan'

eone worth

rememb

h wa

she'd keep

king pa

t care when he called her

e was n

sn't noth

every

-

elf alone in the kitchen with him. He was drying dishes, and she

he asked, gl

inked.

been qui

," she mumbled, a

when you're argu

ittle, but it

t once, say the words out l

t if he

eated her - or worse, stopped tr

ldn't r

red, "I just... like l

pe, meeting her eyes

led - soft,

"you don't always have to wa

eath c

he k

the way she

ed, "You should speak up mor

e that, the

she turned away before he could se

use

did have

he ever re

ver really

asn't

imes she told herself to move on, to forge

iel Harper wasn't

ething she

ie

ep

ele

logic or reason c