what I thought I felt

When Zara’s mom remarried, she didn’t expect much to change. A new house, a new man in her mom’s life, and his son—Noah.

At first, everything felt awkward. They weren’t close, just two teenagers sharing a hallway and occasionally eating dinner in silence.

Noah was calm in a way Zara wasn’t used to. He didn’t talk too much, but when he did, it mattered. He helped around the house without being asked. He remembered small things, like how Zara took her tea or which shows she liked.

Zara started noticing him more than she meant to....