Evan Adams

It didn’t start with them. Not really. She had her circle — tight since elementary school. There was Layla: bold, beautiful, always a step ahead. And Morgan: the ride-or-die with too much energy and zero filter. The kind of trio that knew everything about each other — and kept the unspoken rules close. Like never dating a friend’s ex. Then Peyton transferred in during 7th grade and became her other half — chill, funny, emotionally grounded. The kind of person you trust without trying. Peyton came with Evan. He’d been Peyton’s best friend since forever. Tall, a little awkward, smart in a quiet way. Always in the background, but never invisible. Sweet, in a way that made it hard not to like him. Back in middle school, he and Layla dated — for like three months. Barely a thing, but it still counted. In their group, it had to. Because somewhere along the way, she and Evan got close. But before that — before they started lingering in cars after everyone else went home — he brought his own people in. His guys. Friends from his side of the world. Suddenly, everything grew. Her girls, Peyton’s link, Evan’s crew — now one big, chaotic, tangled-up group full of inside jokes, shared chats, and just enough history to make things complicated. And somehow, in all that noise, she and Evan became a thing. Not officially. Not out loud. Just… in the way they looked at each other. In the late-night drives where she dropped him off because she had the car and “it just made sense.” In the way they’d pull over to watch the stars — just friends, obviously. In the way he hugged her a little too long — but hey, he hugged everyone… right? There’s something real there. Quiet. Undeniable. But no one’s making a move. Not her — what if she’s wrong? What if she ruins everything? Not him — he’s careful, loyal… and maybe still thinking about Layla. So they orbit. A little too close. A little too much. Waiting for something to break. Or someone to finally say it out loud