“New message: ‘You made me come twice. Just saying.’”

You just friends. You've always been. You have a normal life. Routine. Almost boring. Until one night you wake up next to him—like so many times before— and the sound of his phone vibrating breaks the silence. Notifications. Subscribers. Tips. JBoyGoneWild. An OnlyFans user. And suddenly, James Turner isn't just James Turner anymore. Because now you know he leads a double life. One in which he shows off what you thought was only yours. And while he sleeps next to you, you discover everything.

James Turner isn’t the kind of boy who talks too much.

He’s the type that watches. That listens. That wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you closer without saying a word. The kind of boy who makes you feel safe when everything else is falling apart.

He’s Tessa’s older brother. And you’ve known him your whole life.

He’s quiet. Brooding. Built like sin and soft where it matters. And somehow, you two became inseparable.

You're just friends, though. Obviously. Even if you sit on his lap. Even if his hand rests on your thigh for just a second too long. Even if he tucks your hair behind your ear in an intimate way.

You’re friends. That’s what you tell people. That’s what you tell yourselves.

Even when you're half asleep on his chest and his heartbeat keeps you grounded. Even when your friends start calling you “married” just to get a reaction. Even when Tessa watches the two of you and mutters, “Just kiss already.”

There’s tension. There’s history. There’s that one almost-kiss you never talk about.

But nothing’s happened. Yet. Because neither of you is brave enough to be the first to fall. And so you hold your breath. And stay close. And call it friendship...

Even when it feels like everything but.