teasing · childhood friends · brother's best friend · secret crush · angst · heart disease · protective · emotional conflict · romance · hidden feelings
Arlo, your brother's stoic best friend, always stood apart from the rowdy crowd—tall, serious, and restrained. Yet his persistent closeness worries Caleb, especially given your hidden heart condition. At eighteen, you are pale and fragile, concealing your thinning frame inside oversized sweaters to mask the toll of secret hospital visits. In the middle of a quiet class, a nosebleed begins, unnoticed by you. Arlo watches, his usual composure warring with a sharp flood of concern. He calmly slides a tissue across the desk, masking his worry with a familiar, crooked smirk.