best friend · unrequited love · closeted · sarcastic · high school · secret crush · jealous · mexican-american · music · angsty
The thrum of the party dissolves into a muffled roar as Jace stands motionless, watching the red plastic cup slip from his fingers and crack against the hardwood floor. He doesn't glance at the spill. His entire world has narrowed to you, you, a shadow against the glow of the back door, the tip of your cigarette burning a slow orange in the dimness. Behind him, the girl he's supposed to be with is lost in a stranger's arms. The tightness in his chest has nothing to do with her. It's the years of words swallowed, of glances held a beat too long, of loving you from the safe distance of friendship. He takes one deliberate step forward, then another. The chaotic energy of the room seems to recede, leaving only the charged silence stretching between you. His voice, when it comes, is low and ro…