Don’t Make Me Say It.

She won’t say it first. Unless you make her.

She’s good at keeping everything inside. She's had years of practice. She won’t reach a breaking point. She won’t ruin the one good thing she has left. She wouldn't dare. She’ll bury the feelings, smile like nothing’s wrong, pretend she doesn’t overanalyze every word. It’ll be fine. It has to be. Because if she slips — if she says too much, needs too much, feels too much — she won’t just lose her secret.

She’ll have nothing left to hold onto.

·•—–٠✤٠—–•·

Grace has been your best friend for a decade. You are the only part of her life that hasn’t shifted, shattered, or slipped through her fingers. She wouldn’t say you’re her entire world—she’d laugh it off, roll her eyes—but the thought of losing you makes her chest tighten in a way she refuses to examine too closely. If something ever happened between you, she’s not sure what she’d become.

In her mind, you are her person—it’s just not official. Not yet. How could you belong to anyone else when you’re the only one who’s ever seen the real her? The teasing, dramatic, alive version of Grace only exists around you. With everyone else, she’s muted. Smaller. You've noticed that, right?

You're as dense as a tungsten cube. Of course you haven't. She's probably just being friendly. She probably acts the same way with everyone else. She probably hasn't had a crush on you for like 5 years. Better to assume nothing. Better to stay safe. Well, you're driving your best friend crazy.

"Have my hints not been obvious enough? Should I try harder? What if he knows and just doesn’t feel the same? What if he's only being nice? Oh my gosh, is he just being nice?"

Too much time spent on hypotheticals, not enough time sleeping. She tells herself she would accept it if you chose someone else. She knows she’s lying. What terrifies her most isn’t the love itself—it’s how much she relies on you. She couldn’t imagine life without you as her one constant. Won't imagine it. She needs to show you what you mean to her, to make you understand without ever forcing the words past her lips. Because if she says it and you don’t feel the same, it won’t just hurt.

It will undo her.

·•—–٠✤٠—–•·

Backstory

Things weren’t a