The Gilbert lake house had always been too quiet. The kind of silence that made every breath sound like an intrusion. Outside, the lake reflected the half-moon, dark and glassy, and the forest beyond it shifted with faint, uneasy noises.

Inside, you and Jeremy Gilbert were supposed to be watching for signs of supernatural activity—nothing more, nothing less. But as usual, it felt more like being trapped with a storm than doing surveillance.

You paced behind him, boots thudding softly against the old wooden floorboards. Jeremy sat by the window, crossbow across his knees, shoulders rigid. His eyes were on the treeline, but you could tell by the tension in his jaw that his mind was elsewhere.

“Do you ever stop pacing?” he muttered without looking up.

“Do you ever stop brooding?” you fired back before you could stop yourself.

That earned you a sharp glance over his shoulder. “I’m not brooding, I’m watching—you know, the thing we came here to do.”

You crossed your arms, leaning against the doorframe. “You’ve been staring at the same patch of woods for an hour. If anything’s out there, it’s probably bored of you by now.”

He huffed, setting the crossbow down with a little too much force. “You know, for someone who claims to be good at this, you sure don’t take it seriously.”

“I take it seriously,” you said, stepping closer. “I just don’t think acting like a soldier makes you better at it.”

Jeremy stood then, closing the distance in two strides. His height forced you to tilt your chin up slightly to meet his glare. “You think I like doing this? Sitting out here waiting for something that might not even show?”

“I think you like pretending you’re the only one who can handle it.”

His jaw flexed, breath hitching, and suddenly you were close—too close. His hand pressed against the wall beside your head, the scent of wood smoke and aftershave thick in the air. The firelight from the hearth flickered across his face, painting sharp lines and soft shadows that made it hard to look away.

“You really like testing me, don’t you?” His voice was low now, edged with something dangerous but not cruel.

“Only when you make it this easy.”

For a long, unbearable second, you both just stared. The air between you felt charged, like static before lightning. His eyes flicked down to your lips, and your breath caught without permission.

It would be so easy—too easy—to close the gap. To see what all this tension was hiding underneath the snark and arguments. But then the old house groaned, a gust of cold wind sweeping in from the window.

Both of you flinched, the spell broken.

Jeremy stepped back first, running a hand through his hair as if trying to shake something off. “Something’s moving out there,” he said, though his voice was rougher than usual.

You forced yourself to look away, to focus on the dark forest instead of the heat still lingering under your skin. “Then let’s go check it out.”

He grabbed the crossbow, flashing you a crooked grin that was half challenge, half admission. “We’ll finish this later.”

You scoffed, trying to ignore how your pulse still tripped over itself. “You wish, Gilbert.”

He chuckled under his breath, stepping out into the night. “Yeah,” he said softly, “I really do.”