The first time I realized I was falling for him, I was standing in the rain… watching him kiss my best friend.
It wasn't supposed to hurt.
It was just a normal Friday afternoon at Riverside High, the kind where the hallway smells like perfume, sweat, and cafeteria fries. Students were rushing out of school, laughing, screaming, living their teenage lives like nothing could ever go wrong.
And then I saw them.
A few meters away from the school gate.
My best friend.
And her boyfriend.
Kissing.
Not a quick, innocent kiss.
A real one.
The kind that makes your heart stop without asking permission.
I froze.
The rain started falling harder, but I didn't move. My books pressed against my chest, soaking slightly from the water. My uniform clung to my skin. Yet I couldn't feel the cold.
Because all I could feel… was something inside me breaking.
I shouldn't have been there.
I should have left earlier.
I should have walked the other direction.
But I didn't.
And that was the problem.
⸻
"Maya"!
Her voice cut through the rain.
She pulled away from him and turned toward me, smiling brightly like nothing had just happened. Like my chest wasn't tightening.
"Wait for me!" she called, waving.
Her boyfriend smiled too.
That smile.
God.
It was unfair how good he looked when he smiled.
Tall. Calm. Confident. His dark hair slightly messy from the rain. His school jacket hanging loosely over his shoulders.
And his eyes…
They landed on me for just a second.
Longer than necessary.
Something shifted in them.
Something unreadable.
I quickly looked away.
Because if I stared too long, I was afraid I'd drown in that look.
⸻
My best friend ran toward me and grabbed my arm excitedly.
"Guess what?" she said, practically glowing.
"What?" I forced a smile.
"We're going to the school party tonight! And he's coming!"
She pointed at him proudly like she had won a prize.
He walked toward us slowly, hands in his pockets, rain falling over him like it was part of some movie scene.
He stopped beside her.
Then he looked at me again.
"Hey," he said softly.
Just that one word.
But it felt louder than everything else.
"Hi," I replied.
My voice almost failed.
This was ridiculous.
He was my best friend's boyfriend.
So why did my heart react like this?
⸻
My name is Maya Thompson.
Seventeen years old.
Average student.
Not popular.
Not invisible.
Just… existing.
And my best friend, Sophie Williams, was the kind of girl everyone loved.
She was beautiful without trying. Smart. Cheerful. The type who could light up a room just by entering it.
And somehow, she chose me as her best friend in freshman year.
We did everything together.
Lunch.
Homework.
Sleepovers.
Secrets.
At least… I thought we did everything together.
Until him.
⸻
His name is Ethan Cole.
Senior year.
School basketball captain.
Everyone's crush.
And Sophie's boyfriend.
They had been dating for three months.
Three months.
And in those three months, something inside me had changed.
I didn't notice it at first.
It started small.
The way he laughed at my jokes more than necessary.
The way he remembered things I said in passing.
The way he would look at me when Sophie wasn't watching.
I told myself it was nothing.
I told myself I was overthinking.
Because falling for your best friend's boyfriend wasn't just wrong.
It was dangerous.
⸻
"We should head home," Sophie said, linking her arm with mine.
Ethan walked beside us.
The three of us together.
Like a perfect triangle.
But I felt like the extra line.
"Are you coming tonight?" Sophie asked me.
"To the party?"
"Yes! Please come! It won't be fun without you."
Ethan glanced at me again.
That look again.
Like he was waiting for my answer.
"I… I don't know," I said.
I didn't like parties.
Too loud.
Too crowded.
Too much chance of seeing him.
"Well, think about it," Sophie said cheerfully.
She squeezed my hand.
And for a moment, guilt hit me hard.
She trusted me.
Completely.
She told me everything.
She showed me her texts.
She talked about her plans with him.
And I listened.
Like a loyal best friend should.
So why did it feel like I was hiding something?
⸻
When we reached the street corner, Sophie's phone rang.
She stepped away to answer.
That left me alone with him.
The rain slowed.
The silence grew louder.
Neither of us spoke for a few seconds.
Finally, he said, "You look cold."
"I'm fine."
"You're shivering."
I didn't answer.
He removed his jacket.
Before I could protest, he placed it gently over my shoulders.
The warmth shocked me.
But more than that…
His touch lingered.
Just slightly.
Our eyes met.
This time, he didn't look away.
Neither did I.
The world felt quieter.
Smaller.
Like it was just us standing there under the grey sky.
My heart beat too fast.
This wasn't normal.
This wasn't allowed.
And yet…
I didn't want him to move.
⸻
"Ethan!" Sophie called from a distance.
He stepped back immediately.
The moment was broken.
Like it had never existed.
He smiled at her.
That smile belonged to her.
Not me.
I suddenly felt stupid.
What was I thinking?
He was her boyfriend.
He loved her.
That's how it was supposed to be.
Not me.
Never me.
⸻
That night, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling.
Sophie had been texting me about the party nonstop.
She was excited.
So excited.
I tried to ignore the small voice inside me.
The voice that replayed the rain.
The jacket.
The eye contact.
The silence.
Why did it feel like something had started?
Something I couldn't stop?
My phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
I frowned.
Then opened it.
One message.
From an unsaved contact.
"You shouldn't ignore what you feel."
My breath caught.
Another message came in seconds later.
"See you tonight."
My heart stopped.
Who was this?
I stared at the screen, hands shaking slightly.
Then a third message appeared.
"—E."
E.
My mind raced.
Only one person's name started with E.
But that couldn't be possible.
Right?
Because if it was…
Then everything was about to change.
And I had no idea how to stop it.
⸻
And somewhere across town, at a different window…
Ethan Cole was staring at his phone too.
Smiling.
While the rain continued falling.