Chapter 3 First Confession

Sophia had never been good at keeping secrets from herself.

She could pretend, yes - pretend she didn't notice the way her heart sped up when Daniel walked into a room, pretend she didn't memorize the sound of his laugh, pretend she wasn't always watching him.

But deep down, she knew the truth.

So one night, after another day of pretending, she sat cross-legged on her bed with her favorite pen and opened the worn leather-bound diary Nathan had given her for her thirteenth birthday.

She flipped past old entries about school, friends, and summer plans.

Then she stopped at a blank page and wrote:

"I think I'm in love with Daniel Harper."

The words felt heavier than they should have.

She stared at them for a long time before closing the diary and tucking it under her pillow like it was evidence.

It wasn't just a crush. She'd had those before - fleeting, silly things that came and went without much thought. This was different.

This was constant.

This was painful.

She remembered the first time she said his name out loud like it meant something - whispering it to herself in the mirror when no one was listening. She remembered how her cheeks flushed even then.

And yet, every time she saw him, she played it cool. Smiled. Laughed. Let him ruffle her hair and call her "Soph."

Because if she let him see what was really in her heart...

What if he laughed?

What if he looked at her like she was still twelve?

What if he disappeared completely?

Her best friend Lena caught her staring at Daniel again one afternoon - this time through the kitchen window as he leaned against the porch railing, talking to Nathan and their friends.

"You're doing it again," Lena said, nudging her gently.

Sophia blinked. "Doing what?"

Lena smirked. "That thing where you pretend not to be in love with him."

Sophia's stomach dropped. "I don't- I mean, I'm not-"

"Yes, you are," Lena interrupted. "You look at him like he's the only person in the room."

Sophia swallowed hard, looking away.

"I don't know what to do," she whispered. "He doesn't see me."

Lena sighed, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Then maybe it's time you made him see you."

Sophia wanted to believe that was possible.

But until Daniel looked at her the way he looked at other girls - with interest, with curiosity, with desire - she would keep writing her feelings in ink instead of saying them out loud.

Because for now, her diary was the only place where Daniel Harper could belong to her.

Even if only in secret.