I spent the rest of the day consumed by thoughts of Dante. He seemed perfect in every way, yet the harsh reality loomed—he was Jasmine's brother. The fear of jeopardizing my friendship with her and the unspoken bond between siblings kept us apart. It felt as though avoiding each other was the only solution, but that seemed impossible. I longed for more than just friendship; I wanted to be everything to him.

As midnight approached, there was still no sign of my dad. A simple text ...