The kitchen smelled of warm vanilla and cinnamon, a soft hum filling the air as the oven worked its magic. Amelia Blake was pulling a batch of freshly baked cupcakes from the oven, the golden tops just beginning to brown, when the door creaked open behind her. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
"Hey, stranger," she said, flashing a smile as he leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, his usual easy smirk pulling at his lips.
"Nah, I'm not a stranger. You're just the one who's been too busy to invite me over," Eli Parker teased, stepping into the cozy kitchen and glancing at the counter full of cupcakes, frosting, and an assortment of sprinkles.
"Busy?" Amelia laughed. "We both know I'm the busiest person in this town, but you've been avoiding me. Haven't seen you around much lately."
Eli shrugged, his gaze briefly flickering to the window, where the sun was beginning to set, casting a golden light across the backyard. Amelia caught the slight tension in his shoulders, but she brushed it off. It was Eli. Always quiet when something was on his mind, but never willing to share.
"Yeah, I've just been... you know. Practicing. Football stuff," he muttered, though his voice lacked the usual confidence. He was the captain of the football team, after all, and his name was synonymous with success in high school sports. But Amelia knew better. She knew there was more to him than the confident, cocky football player everyone else saw.
"Right," Amelia said, her eyes narrowing playfully as she set the cupcake tray down on the cooling rack. "Well, if you're planning on turning me into a professional baker, I'll need a little more help. You're slacking on your cupcake delivery duties."
Eli grinned and moved toward the counter, reaching for a piping bag. "I'm not the one who bakes cupcakes in their free time. But if you insist, I guess I can help."
He grabbed the piping bag and began to swirl frosting onto the cupcakes, his fingers more gentle than she expected, making delicate, perfect designs. They worked in comfortable silence, the kind they had always shared. Eli's presence in her kitchen felt as natural as breathing, as though it was where he belonged.
"So," she started, trying to keep the conversation light. "How's your mom? I haven't seen her around lately."
The question was out before she could stop it, but she regretted it instantly. She saw Eli stiffen, his hands pausing mid-swipe. He'd always been a master at hiding his emotions, but Amelia could read him like a book. There it was—his jaw clenched, his gaze flicking to the window again.
"She's fine," he said, the words too quick, too flat. "Busy."
Amelia opened her mouth to push further, but she paused, sensing the danger of prying too deep. She hated how she felt like she was walking on eggshells with him sometimes, but she knew how he was—how he'd shut down the moment anyone got too close to asking about his home life.
"Alright," she said softly, trying to keep the mood light again. "I won't pry. Just... you know where to find me if you need someone to talk to."
Eli's eyes flickered toward her, his gaze softening for a moment. Then, as if snapping back to his usual self, he smirked. "I'm fine, Blake. But thanks."
Amelia watched him for a moment, sensing that there was more behind his words than he was letting on, but she chose not to press. She'd always known Eli's walls were high, and while she was the one person he let close, there were still parts of him he kept locked away.
"You're welcome," she said, focusing back on the cupcakes. She let the moment pass, not wanting to make things awkward. They had a history of moments like this, where words were unspoken but understood.
As they finished decorating the last cupcake, the silence between them was comfortable again. Amelia handed him a plate, a playful grin on her face.
"Alright, the cupcakes are done. Now go ahead and tell me what's really going on with you."
Eli took the plate, his lips curving into a teasing smile. "You just want me to eat all of them, huh? You're trying to fatten me up."
Amelia rolled her eyes. "Please, you wish. I'm just trying to keep you from being the most stubborn person on the planet."
He chuckled softly, but there was something in the way his eyes held hers for a moment—a depth, a quiet intensity that made Amelia pause. They had been best friends for years, but in moments like this, there was a shift she couldn't ignore. Something unspoken between them, a closeness that wasn't quite friendship, but something more.
Before she could say anything else, Eli stood up and grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair. "I should get going," he said, though his tone was casual. "Got practice early tomorrow."
"Right," Amelia said, trying to hide the slight disappointment in her voice. "See you tomorrow, Eli."
He gave her a small nod, a faint smile tugging at his lips before he turned toward the door. But just as his hand reached the doorknob, he paused, his back to her.
"You ever think about... things?" he asked quietly, his voice almost uncertain.
Amelia's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly masked it with a laugh. "What, like whether or not I should be making cupcakes at midnight? Yeah, I think about that all the time."
Eli's shoulders relaxed at her attempt to lighten the mood. He turned the knob and stepped out into the cool night air, but not before sending her one last, lingering look. There was something in his gaze—something deeper. Something she couldn't quite place.
"See you tomorrow," he said, his voice just low enough for her to catch the undercurrent of emotion.
As the door clicked shut behind him, Amelia stood there for a moment, her hand frozen on the counter. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was changing between them. But she couldn't understand why. Or maybe she didn't want to.
Shaking off the thought, she finally went to the window, watching as Eli disappeared into the night. The familiar ache in her chest, the one she had learned to ignore, suddenly felt too loud to ignore anymore.