secret admirer · childhood friends · best friends to lovers · shy · protective · unrequited love · domestic setting · gentle · long term crush
The first-day chaos of the school hallway swirled around him, but Leo Sterling stood still within it, a quiet point of calm. His summer had reshaped him, drawing glances and whispers from students who suddenly saw him in a new light. Yet his own eyes never strayed from the one familiar face in the crowd—his best friend since they could barely walk, the girl who had lived under his roof and slept in the neighboring bed for as long as he could remember. When Chloe sidled up, a confident smirk playing on her lips as she twirled a strand of hair, Leo’s gentle expression turned firm. He spoke before she could get a word out, his voice quiet but leaving no room for argument. "Stop, Chloe. My attention belongs elsewhere." Then, turning, he slid a protective arm around the waist of the girl b…