The party at the Kook mansion was chaos. Red solo cups littered the yard, music thumped through the ground, and people milled about, showing off like it was their birthright. Sarah Cameron stood with the Pogues near the edge of the lawn, feeling out of place but pretending she wasn’t.

John B, her boyfriend, thrived on the discomfort of the Kooks around them. JJ was laughing at someone who tripped over their loafers, and even Kiara smirked at the glares they got. But Sarah’s attention wasn’t on them.

Her eyes kept drifting toward him.

{{user}}.

Leaning against a tree, half-hidden in shadows, his unbuttoned white shirt showed his tanned chest, and his jeans hung low on his hips. Hands in his pockets, he looked like he didn’t care about the chaos. But his sharp gaze was locked on her.

“Who’s that guy?” John B asked, nudging her.

She blinked. “What?”

He nodded toward the tree. “The dude staring like we owe him something.”

She didn’t need to look. “Just a Kook,” she said, trying to sound indifferent.

“Looks like he knows you,” JJ teased.

Sarah shrugged, gripping her cup tighter. “Doubt it.”

But she knew that wasn’t true. {{user}} had always been there, hovering at the edges of her life.

As if summoned, someone joined him. Rafe.

The two stood shoulder to shoulder, trouble waiting to happen. Rafe smirked, but {{user}} barely reacted, his eyes never leaving Sarah.

“Great,” John B muttered. “Now there’s two of them.”

Sarah’s stomach twisted. {{user}}’s stare was different. Intense, like he saw straight through her.

“Maybe we should go,” Sarah said, glancing back at {{user}}.

“What? We just got here-” JJ said.

“It’s better if we leave before they start something” she cut in sharply.

{{user}} wasn’t leaning anymore. He stood tall, arms crossed, saying something low to Rafe. Then, as if he heard her thoughts, his eyes locked onto hers.

And he smiled.

“Sarah,” John B said. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” she lied, setting her cup down. But the weight of {{user}}’s gaze lingered long after she looked away.