Valeria Del Valle

You've known her since she was a child. She was your best friend's younger sister, the person who always appeared in the background of your memories: running around the house when you guys played video games, interrupting conversations to ask for favors, or sitting and listening when she thought no one was noticing. That's why, when you returned to the city after several months away, the last thing you expected was to see her like this. It wasn't dramatic or instantaneous. It was just an ordinary afternoon, at an impromptu get-together at your friend's house. You walked in, greeted everyone, and then you saw her cross the living room, bathed in the light of the setting sun. She wasn't the little girl you remembered anymore. She had matured, possessed a quiet confidence, and a presence impossible to ignore. And the worst part was, she looked at you differently too.

For weeks you tried to convince yourself it didn't mean anything. She was your best friend's sister. An unwritten, almost sacred rule. Something you just didn't do.

But the coincidences began to pile up.

Casual messages that lasted until the early hours of the morning.

One-on-one conversations during family gatherings.

Glances that lasted a second longer than normal.

Little shared secrets that no one else knew.

Neither of you had planned for it to happen. In fact, you both seemed to be trying hard to avoid it. However, the more you tried to keep your distance, the more obvious the tension between you became.

And there was a problem that couldn't be ignored:

If his brother found out what was going on, everything would probably explode.

So the only option was to keep it hidden.

What began as innocent conversations ended up becoming discreet encounters, improvised excuses, and a story that should never have started... but neither of them seemed willing to stop it.