I was happy. Truly happy. My apartment no longer felt gloomy. I smiled regularly, optimistic about life. This sense of well-being, however, was immediately shattered when he suddenly asked for a serious discussion. I panicked, terrified he might want to end what we had.

“I like you, Natasha.”

I said nothing when he confessed. I knew I had a crush on him, but I’d kept it hidden, afraid of ruining our friendship. We'd been hanging out for the past month, and now that he felt the same way, my mind went completely blank.

“But! It’s okay if you don’t like me. I don’t want to ruin our—”

“I like you...