By the time they were teenagers, their friendship had only grown stronger. They walked to school together, studied for exams side by side, and even suffered through awkward high school dances in each other's company.

"Why don't you two just date already?" people often asked, including their closest friends.

Lila would laugh it off, her blue eyes twinkling. "Ethan's like my brother. That'd be weird."

Ethan would nod, hiding the faint blush that rose to his cheeks. Deep down, he wasn't sure he felt the same. But he valued their friendship too much to risk it.