“It didn’t crack,” Eli said.
“When I’m with you,” he began, “I feel like I’m not waiting anymore. Like the waiting room has a door, and you’re on the other side.” He swallowed. “I think I like you. Not just as a friend. I think my heart beats different when you’re near.” Young Hearts
Then Leo exhaled—a long, shaky breath, as if he’d been holding it since July. “It didn’t crack,” Eli said
“Hey.”
The screen door squeaked in the breeze. A dog barked two streets over. “I think I like you
That night, Eli lay awake. He turned the memory over like a smooth stone: Leo’s hand brushing his when they reached for the same slice of pizza. The way Leo had looked at him when Eli caught a firefly and let it go—soft, wondering, as if Eli had done something miraculous. The way Eli’s own heart hammered during those silences that weren’t empty but full of things unsaid.