022 | midnight thoughts

The apartment was still, cloaked in the soft, muted darkness of midnight. The city outside hummed faintly, distant and subdued, as if the world itself was resting. Gianna lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, her thoughts spinning endlessly, refusing to quiet.

She had tried everything to fall asleep-counting the cracks in her ceiling, scrolling through her phone, even replaying her rehab progress in her mind-but nothing worked. Instead, her mind kept circling back to one person: Hector.

Hector Fort. Her best friend. The boy who had been by her side for as long as she could remember. The boy who had thrown a football at her head when they were kids, and who now spent his days supporting her through one of the toughest times of her life. He had been there for her every step of the way, never faltering, never letting her feel alone.

And lately, something about the way she felt around him had started to change.

Gianna turned onto her side, her pillow cool against her cheek as she stared at the faint outline of her nightstand. It was confusing, this strange new feeling. She had always thought of Hector as her friend, her rock, her constant. But now, when he smiled at her, her heart seemed to skip a beat. When he brushed her hair out of her face, she felt warmth bloom in her chest. And when he hugged her, she didn't want to let go.

Was she... falling for him?

The thought sent a wave of nervous energy coursing through her body. It didn't make sense. They were friends. Best friends. They'd always been that way. There was no room for anything else, was there?

But then, she thought about how he had looked at her earlier that evening. They had been laughing about something silly-probably a joke Marc had made during dinner-and Hector had caught her gaze. For a moment, everything else had fallen away, and it was just the two of them, his smile soft, his eyes warm. She hadn't been able to look away, and her heart had betrayed her by fluttering in her chest like it was trying to tell her something she wasn't ready to hear.

She groaned softly, pressing her hands against her face. "No, no, no. This isn't happening," she whispered into the darkness.

But even as she denied it, the feelings swirled stronger. She thought about all the little moments that had built up over the weeks. The way he had carried her crutches without her asking. The way he always seemed to know when she needed reassurance. The way he had stayed up with her during her toughest nights, just talking, just being there.

And tonight, when he had said, "I'll be here. Every step of the way," it had felt like more than just a promise. It had felt like a declaration, like something unspoken but deeply understood. Her heart had clenched at his words, and now, hours later, she was still replaying them in her mind.

"I think I like him," she admitted softly to herself, her voice barely audible over the stillness of the room.

The words felt strange on her tongue, but also... right. It was terrifying, this realization. Hector wasn't just anyone. He was Hector. The boy who knew her better than anyone. The boy who had seen her at her lowest and still stayed. The boy who had been her anchor when everything else felt like it was falling apart.

But what if admitting these feelings changed everything? What if it ruined the bond they had spent years building? What if he didn't feel the same way?

Her mind spiraled with questions, each one more overwhelming than the last. She clenched her eyes shut, willing herself to stop thinking, to let it go. But the truth was out now, and there was no shoving it back into the box.

She liked Hector. Maybe more than liked him. And that thought terrified her.

Rolling onto her other side, Gianna sighed, her fingers clutching the edge of her blanket. She didn't know what to do with these feelings. She didn't even know if she was ready to confront them. But one thing was certain: things were changing. Whether she wanted them to or not.

As the minutes ticked by and the first hints of dawn began to creep into the sky, Gianna finally felt her body relax, exhaustion winning out over her racing thoughts. But even as sleep claimed her, one thought lingered in her mind, clear and undeniable.

She liked Hector Fort. And nothing would ever be the same again.