The idea of telling Melissa how he felt made Zack's stomach flip, but Milo's words kept repeating in his head: She might like you, too.

That was enough to make him consider taking the risk.

As they neared Melissa's house, Zack's nerves spiked. "Maybe I should wait," he muttered. "Like, for the perfect moment."

Milo gave him a knowing smile. "Zack, if I waited for the perfect moment to do things, I'd be stuck under a collapsing bookshelf or dodging a rogue marching band. Just go for it."

Zack took a deep breath. "Okay. Yeah. Okay."

Milo knocked on the door, and within seconds, Melissa opened it. "Hey, guys! What's up?"

Zack glanced at Milo, who nodded encouragingly before stepping back. "I'll, uh, just be over here. Definitely not listening." He hummed innocently before making a dramatic effort to inspect a nearby mailbox.

Melissa arched an eyebrow. "Weird, even for Milo," she murmured, before turning back to Zack. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah! I mean—uh—can we talk for a sec?" Zack asked, shifting on his feet.

Melissa tilted her head. "Sure?" She stepped onto the porch, closing the door behind her. "What's up?"

Zack swallowed hard. "So, uh… we've been spending a lot of time together."

Melissa chuckled. "Well, yeah, that's kind of what best friends do."

"Right! Totally! But, uh… I mean, it's different now. Or at least, it feels different," Zack said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I, uh… I kinda like you. More than just as a friend."

Melissa blinked. "You… like me?"

Zack laughed nervously. "Yeah. Like, really like you."

For a moment, Melissa just stared at him, and Zack felt his heart drop. Oh no. I messed up. I shouldn't have—

Then, Melissa smiled. Really smiled.

"You're an idiot," she said playfully, nudging his arm. "Of course I've noticed."

Zack blinked. "Wait, what?"

Melissa laughed. "I've kinda been waiting for you to say something. I mean, I wasn't sure, but I hoped…" She trailed off before grinning at him. "I like you too, Zack."

Zack felt like he could breathe again. "You do?"

Melissa rolled her eyes but looked amused. "Yes. I mean, you're sweet, funny, and you put up with Murphy's Law on a daily basis, which takes serious dedication."

Zack laughed. "I guess I do."

Melissa hesitated for a second, then reached for his hand. Zack felt his face heat up, but he squeezed her hand in return.

From the sidewalk, Milo let out a small cheer. "Woo! I knew it!"

Melissa sighed but smiled. "You were totally listening, weren't you?"

Milo grinned. "I mean, duh. But I'm really happy for you guys! This is so great. Also, we should probably move because—"

Before he could finish, the neighbor's sprinkler system suddenly malfunctioned, sending water shooting in all directions. The trio barely managed to dodge the worst of it, but Zack and Melissa were still slightly soaked.

Milo just laughed. "See? Perfect moment."

Zack and Melissa looked at each other before bursting into laughter. Maybe it was the perfect moment—Murphy's Law and all.