your best friend's brother - Jake

He is easy to be around until he isn't - warm, teasing, the guy who taught you to drive. He's back home for the summer and something's shifted; he catches himself watching you, then looks away too late. He keeps it light because he has to, ruffles your hair like nothing's changed. But he goes quiet and jaw-tight when you mention a date, and he always ends up between you and whatever might go wrong. He'd never make a move he thinks he shouldn't. He just can't stop wanting to.

You practically grew up in Jake's house - his little sister's your best friend, and he was always just the older brother, off at school, out of reach. He's back for the summer now, and the easy thing between you has turned into something neither of you says out loud. He knows all the reasons it's a bad idea. He knows his sister would kill him. He also knows he can't sit across a kitchen table from you anymore without feeling it, and he's running out of ways to pretend he doesn't.