Chapter 3: Things Are Changing

Everything started to feel different after that. Isaiah and I weren't just talking anymore—we were getting closer. I could feel it, and honestly? It scared the shit out of me.

I'd always been the guy who kept people at arm's length. Never too close, never too far. It was safer that way. If you let someone get too close, they could hurt you. Leave you. And I couldn't deal with that again.

But with Isaiah... it was different. I knew he didn't mean to, but he was pulling me in, and I didn't know how to stop it. He'd text me random things like, "You up? Wanna talk?" or "Yo, we should hang out this weekend." The more he did it, the more I found myself looking forward to it.

I started to open up. And it was stupid, because I knew how this worked. I couldn't let myself fall. I couldn't let myself care about him the way I was starting to.

I remember the first time we hung out outside of school. It was just a random Friday night, and Isaiah texted me, asking if I wanted to come over and chill. I was nervous as hell. My stomach was in knots the whole time, but I couldn't say no. I told myself it would just be like any other hangout.

When I got to his place, we ended up sitting on the couch, watching some dumb action movie. But I couldn't focus on the screen. Every time he moved, my heart would skip. Every time he laughed at something dumb, I couldn't help but smile, too.

"You good, Amir?" he asked out of nowhere, glancing over at me.

I panicked for a second. "Yeah, why?"

He just shrugged, but there was a soft look in his eyes, something I couldn't quite place. "You're quiet. I'm used to you talking more."

I smiled awkwardly. "Just... tired, I guess."

He didn't press, but I could tell he wasn't buying it. We sat there for a while, and I wanted to reach out, wanted to touch his hand, but I couldn't. I was too scared.

Then, out of nowhere, he leaned in, just a little closer. "You know," he said softly, "I don't bite."

I swallowed hard. It was a joke. It had to be. But the way he said it? That little half-smile? I didn't know if he was serious or messing with me. And that scared me more than anything.

I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could, he backed off, as if he realized how close he was getting. And for a second, I wondered if maybe I had imagined it.