It sure seems that way

"Oh really?" Ash said, raising on eyebrow. A small smirk played at the edges of his mouth and Katrina could feel her face heating up. "You sound almost disappointed, Kat."

"Err...I mean..." Katrina fumbled her words as she tried to spin an elaborate lie to explain her comments.

"What's wrong? Lamenting that we can't fool around?" Ash laughed. Katrina bit her bottom lip worriedly. "C'mon, Kat. I know I'm hot, but you'll have to control yourself." He grinned at her, but his grin died down at the look in Kat's eyes.

"Haha...you're such a jokester Ash..." Katrina mumbled, trying to give him a smile back, but her heart wasn't in it. He hit the nail on the head and all the fake smiles in the world couldn't hide the truth in her eyes.

"Oh my God." Ash said quietly. "You really...Jesus, Kat! I was only kidding!"

"Ash, listen..." Katrina tried to interject, but Ash didn't allow it.

"I mean, what the hell? How long have you...you know...felt this way?"

"I...I..." Katrina closed her eyes. "...L-longer than I care to admit. I always felt close to you since we were kids, Ash. I don't know when it became something more."

"This is...this is crazy." Ash said, putting his casts to his head as if trying in vain to grasp the sides. "We're siblings...well, we're not really siblings, but you know what I mean!"

"Of course I know!" Katrina cried out, tears forming at her eyes. "That's why this has been eating at me for so long!"

"Ah, don't cry." Ash winced at the pain in Katrina's face. "Look, I'm sorry if my tone was harsh, but you dropped one hell of a bombshell on me."

"I know and I'm so sorry, Ash. I've been trying so hard to hide my feelings from you because I was afraid how you would react." She looked into Ash's eyes. "Please don't push me away. We don't have to talk about this ever again. I just don't want to lose you as a friend or as a brother."

Ash recoiled in surprise at her words. Katrina could see the gears in his mind working overtime as it processed all this new information. She didn't care what he thought of her now; she only hoped he would still accept her as his closest friend.