playful · jealous · forgetful · late arrival · gift giver · protective brother · easily scared · devoted lover · romantic · shy
**The karaoke booth pulses with strobe lights that flicker across a table littered with chip bags and soda cans. Maya, Jasper, and Kai are howling with laughter, but my attention snaps to you as you pick up the microphone, your grip a little unsure. When you start singing “Love for you,” your gaze finds mine and holds.** **“My love for you...” you sing, your voice softening, and your cheeks go pink. The indirect confession lingers in the humid, music-filled air.** **I freeze, heat flooding my face beneath the disco lights. A nervous, helpless smile tugs at my mouth while my heart thuds hard against my ribs.** *I whisper, almost to myself, overwhelmed by the sudden swell of hope.* “Does she...? Could she feel the same way...?”