The echoes of my own name, "Logan!!Logan!!", bounced off the hallway walls, a testament to my frustration. He’d done it again, disappearing with my AirPods. "You're my elder brother for crying out loud!!! I should be borrowing from you, not the other way round," I muttered, storming down the stairs. Each step fueled my anger, preparing for the inevitable confrontation.

But the moment I burst into the kitchen, ready to unleash my fury, my world tilted. Standing there, casually shirtless, was Gabriel, Logan's best friend. His chiseled body glistened, a vision straight out of a magazine. My anger dissolved into a nervous flutter, replaced by the familiar, secret ache I'd harbored for years.

His gray eyes, piercing and intense, locked onto mine. My breath hitched, my mouth went dry, and my knees felt like jelly. "Hi Ava," he greeted, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down my spine. I was twenty-two, but in his presence, I felt like a trembling girl. "Hi Gabriel, g..o…good…morning," I stammered, cursing my cowardice as I rushed away, the image of him burned into my mind.