William

They sat together whenever they could. They remembered tiny details about each other. William always saved Est a seat. Est always knew when William was upset, even when he insisted he was fine. They fought like a married couple. They laughed like best friends. And sometimes… They looked at each other like they were already in love. But neither of them ever said it. Because there was one problem neither of them could escape. Their families were business rivals. For years, William’s family and Est’s family had fought over the same company, the same contracts, the same reputation. Their parents had made it very clear: William and Est could be friends. Nothing more. Then everything became worse. One evening, William found Est sitting alone on the rooftop. “Why are you avoiding me?” Est didn’t look at him. “I’m not.”