"Of course I do. You're my best friend," he said with a warm smile, reaching out as if to touch her arm.
Alice swallowed hard. Her heart pounded against her chest as she gathered the courage she had been building up for years. Taking a deep breath, she looked straight into his eyes.
"Something more than that?" she asked softly.
His hand froze midway. A puzzled expression crossed his face as he stared at her.
"What do you mean by more?" he asked. "You're starting to worry me."
A sharp ache pierced Alice's heart. Was he really that unaware? Or was he pretending not to understand?
She clenched her hands together, trying to stop them from shaking.
"Do you... see me as more than your best friend?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
The moment the words left her mouth, silence fell between them.
Felix's cheeks turned slightly red. He looked away for a second before stammering, "I-I don't understand what you're asking. You're acting really strange today."
Alice lowered her gaze. Seeing him avoid the question hurt more than she expected.
"Never mind," she muttered, forcing an indifferent tone.
Before she could step away, Felix gently grabbed her shoulders and turned her back toward him.
"Don't say that," he said firmly. "I don't want you doubting yourself. Tell me what you meant."
Alice stared at him for a long moment. Her heart raced so fast she thought he might hear it.
Finally, she took another shaky breath.
"I've had a crush on you... ever since we were little."
The confession came out slowly, word by word, as if saying it too quickly would make it less real.
Felix's eyes widened.
For a moment, he stood completely frozen.
His hands loosened on her shoulders as he processed what she had just said.
"You've had a crush on me since we were kids?" he repeated in disbelief.
Alice nodded.
"Yes."
Felix let out a shaky breath. His own heart was racing now.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he asked quietly. "Why keep it hidden all this time?"
Alice forced out a small laugh.
"I don't know," she admitted. "But I've been trying to get rid of those feelings for a long time."
The instant she said it, regret washed over her.
The pain that flashed across Felix's face was impossible to miss.
Without warning, he pulled her into a gentle embrace.
"Alice," he whispered, holding her close. "You shouldn't have had to hide something like that. And you definitely shouldn't have had to carry it all by yourself."
His voice was so soft that it nearly broke her heart.
For the first time that day, the tension in her body slowly melted away.
"Hmm," she murmured quietly, relaxing in his arms as she listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
Neither of them spoke after that.
They simply stayed there, holding on to each other, while the feelings that had been buried for years finally surfaced.