Legend of the Forbidden by J. F. Jenkins

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    Dani scrunched up her nose. “You smell like sour grapes.”
    â€œNew cologne,” he mumbled.
    â€œRight.” She rolled her eyes. “I'm not stupid. I know what that smell is, Ethan, and you don't need to be so upset. He's not a hot island boy. He's from the city actually. In fact, he's not even from Inero.”
    Brad? Is Dani the girl he's been sneaking around seeing? “Anyone I know?”
    â€œI hear you two are close. Practically the same person, actually,” she said, and folded her arms in front of her, looking up at him. “His name starts with an E and rhymes with… look, do I have to spell it out? Because I can if I have to, but why would you think I'd be interested in anyone else?”
    â€œWhy would you be interested in me?” he asked, confused. The whole thing blindsided him. Dani wanted to be with him? There was definitely chemistry between the two of them, but that was normal with best friends, right? No, if it was normal, then Tyson and she wouldn't have felt the need to break off their engagement. What you feel for her isn't normal friend feelings. They can't be, or you'd feel them for everyone else too.
    Dani laughed. “I can't believe you're asking me that. Why wouldn't I be? You're smart, funny, and… well, you're nice on the eyes. Look, I'm obviously butchering this whole confession thing, so let me try saying it again in a different way. I think I'm in love with you . Tyson noticed it. Everyone has pretty much noticed it, I think, except for you. So I am telling you straight out that I am.” Her gaze met his again, and he noticed the tears in her eyes. “And the scowl you're giving me is making me wonder if I just risked everything for nothing.”
    â€œI'm confused, shocked, and trying to figure out how to process this,” he said honestly. Stop thinking and just say what you feel before you can talk yourself out of it. “All our lives we've been close. I mean, we share the same birthday and hatch day, there isn't a time when you haven't been there for me when I needed you. You're my beautiful best friend, but up until now you've always been off limits. I never let myself indulge in any hypothetical feelings, so I don't know how to respond to this.” He watched her deflate where she stood, and before she could say anything, he continued.
    â€œThis is what I know… about how I feel. And this is just me word-vomiting my guts here, because if I break my stream of consciousness, I'm probably not going to say everything I need to. When I come out here to see you, or know you're coming to visit me, it's like the highlight of my year. The world feels a lot less lonely, and I love that we can talk and be and fit together so well. I've never been all too in touch with my emotions, because I taught myself to shut them off a long time ago. Right when I started to notice how gorgeous you are.
    â€œIs it love? I don't know. But I can say that when you and Tyson left, I knew he would make a move on you, and it drove me up a wall waiting for you. And when I saw you come back alone? All I felt was relief.”
    A weight lifted off of Ethan's shoulders that he hadn't even realized was there. How long had he been pushing those feelings aside?
    Dani's eyes never left his face, and the smile returned. “So you feel something?”
    â€œSomething, yes. But where do we go from here? Run off and get married?”
    She laughed and shook her head. “We're free to do whatever we want.”
    Freedom to choose, something his father had wanted Ethan to believe he had, but they both knew he didn't. Deep down, he'd always wanted to choose her but knew he never could. Not until now at least. But what about Maya? What about tradition? What would it be like to just follow my gut? Stop thinking. He closed his eyes and leaned in, kissing her lips. Hopefully he'd do it right.
    Unlike when Maya had kissed him, there wasn't a pull on his