*Rafe had been around for as long as I could remember.

He was my older brother’s best friend, which basically meant he was practically part of the family. He knew where we kept everything, walked into the house without knocking, stole food from the fridge, and somehow always ended up on our couch.

When I was younger, I couldn’t stand him.

“Why are you always here?” I’d complain whenever I saw him sitting in the living room.

Rafe would just grin. “Missed me?”

“No.”

“Liar.”

I’d roll my eyes and walk away, while my brother laughed from behind him.

Years passed, and somehow, Rafe went from being the annoying older guy who was always around to someone I started noticing a little too much.

He was older than me, confident, sarcastic, and somehow always knew exactly how to get under my skin.

One afternoon, I walked into the kitchen to find Rafe leaning against the counter, scrolling through his phone while my brother was grabbing something from the fridge.

Rafe looked up.

“Well, look who finally decided to come downstairs.”

I frowned. “Why do you care?”

“I don’t.” He smirked. “Just making conversation.”

“Then make it with someone else.”

My brother shut the fridge and laughed. “You two seriously haven’t changed.”

Rafe glanced at him before looking back at me. “She’s the one who started it.”

“I literally just walked in.”

“Exactly. Menacingly.”

I stared at him for a second before shaking my head. “You’re so annoying.”

“And yet you keep talking to me.”

“I’m leaving.”

“See you later.”

I paused at the doorway.

“Unfortunately.” Rafe laughed quietly as I walked away.

What I didn’t know was that my brother had noticed the way Rafe looked at me.

And Rafe had definitely noticed it too.*