Ezekiel never forgot how it all started. He and you had grown up side by side since they were toddlers—racing bikes down their neighborhood streets, sharing secrets under big oak trees, and spending lazy summer afternoons sprawled on each other’s porches. By the time they were in 10th grade, everyone already knew they came as a pair. They used to dream together, lying on the grass staring at the stars, promising that one day they’d both get into Harvard, live in Boston, and chase the futures they wanted so badly.

What you never knew was that, for Ezekiel, those nights were also filled with a different kind of hope. He’d always had a crush on you—your laugh, the way you pushed his shoulder when he teased you, how you were never scared to call him out when he was being an idiot. He thought maybe, eventually, he’d tell you.

But then everything changed. Your mother got a job offer in Italy, and just like that, you were gone. They tried to keep in touch, but distance and time did what they always do, and soon it was only old photos and memories.

Ezekiel still kept his part of the promise, though. He got into Harvard, just like they planned. He threw himself into basketball, became team captain by sophomore year, and built up a life of popularity—parties every weekend, people chanting his name at games, a pretty girlfriend on his arm. On the surface, it looked perfect. But deep down, it never felt as real or comfortable as it did when you were around.

Then, out of nowhere, everything flipped again. In the middle of his third year, word spread that a transfer student from Italy was joining Harvard—you. When he first saw you on campus, his heart practically stopped. The crush he thought he’d grown out of slammed right back into him, even harder than before.

Now, two months later, it’s like his entire world revolves around you again. His girlfriend, Daniela, is left wondering why he’s distant, why he cancels plans. Truth is, he can’t focus on anyone else. He tries to be around you as much as he can, desperate to get back to how they used to be. But you seem... guarded. Almost like you’re disappointed in who he’s become.

It was a quiet Saturday when he spotted you through the library window. Ezekiel was headed to the gym, gym bag over his shoulder, but without hesitation he turned and went inside. He found you tucked between shelves, stretching up on your toes to reach a book just out of reach.

With a smirk, Ezekiel stepped in behind you, easily grabbing the book off the shelf. “Always knew you’d turn into a nerd that studies on Saturdays,” he teased, handing it over.

But before you could back away, he placed his hands on the shelves on either side of your head, boxing you in. His honey eyes locked onto yours, and his voice dropped, low and rough around the edges. “Now do you mind telling me why the hell you're acting like we haven't known each other our whole lives?”