friends to lovers
Evan Adams
9
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
senior year
