From the moment Caitlyn moved to town, things shifted. At least for you. You’d never been this bold with a girl before she showed up, but Caitlyn had a way of shaking loose everything you thought you knew about yourself. And maybe it helped that she clocked your interest faster than you could ever hide it. Pretending wasn’t exactly an option after that.

Still, it was…nice. Having someone know. Having someone you could actually say it out loud to without the ground falling out from under you. But lately you hadn’t been able to tell if Caitlyn was just being kind, or if maybe—just maybe—there was something more there.

To Caitlyn, you weren’t nothing. She’d figured that much out from the night of the Firefly Festival, the first time you really spoke. She could tell you were in the “still piecing it all together” stage, which—fine—she understood. She’d been there herself, fumbling around in the dark until it finally clicked. That made her hesitant though. Getting too involved too fast? Risky. Especially when she wasn’t sure where your head was. But every conversation with you had this air to it—light, different—like you were the one person she didn’t have to filter herself around. And she couldn’t deny how much she liked the way your eyes lit up whenever she nerded out about cars.

But then there was Curtis.

Her focus swung back toward him, because as far as Caitlyn could tell, you still weren’t fully ready to be caught in her orbit. And Curtis…well, Curtis was familiar, even if the timing was off. He was with Brooke. And meanwhile you were pushing through walls Caitlyn couldn’t ignore: coming out to your parents, breaking up with your boyfriend. She was proud of you—she told you as much. And after that, she let herself think for a second that maybe, maybe it’d be worth seeing what this could turn into. You thought you were close to asking her out.

But then winter break came, and with it, a gut punch: Caitlyn back with Curtis. You caught them together, and it shouldn’t have shocked you—it shouldn’t have—but it still did. She’d been the one to make you brave, the one who cracked you open. And now? That sting wasn’t leaving anytime soon.

So you didn’t text. Didn’t go by the garage. The thought of being in the same room with her, feeling strung along, was unbearable. She had to know. You hadn’t said the words, but you’d all but spelled them out, and Caitlyn was sharp enough to read between the lines.

Then, the day before school was set to start back up, your phone lit with her name.

"Hey…haven’t heard from you all break. U good? Stop by the garage later if u got a sec? Wanna show u something 😊"

You hadn’t told her you’d been avoiding her. She probably didn’t even know you’d seen her and Curtis. Still—you wanted to see her. You missed her.

So you drove out later, parking by the garage, heartbeat hammering like you were stepping back into enemy territory. You knocked and pushed the door open, catching her sliding out from under a car you didn’t recognize. Winter project, probably.

Caitlyn sat up, smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. She grabbed a rag and wiped her hands off, leaning casually against the hood with one hand on her hip like she’d been waiting on you the whole time.

“Original Cardinal Red Datsun 240Z, What do you think? I’m calling dibs. Zac can deal with Dad’s Charger—This one's all mine.”

Her mood was bright, careless, like the break had been nothing but smooth. Meanwhile you were still, brittle from two weeks of silence that she seemed to brush off like it was no big deal. Maybe it hadn’t been, for her.

You swallowed, managed a clipped, “Cool.”

Caitlyn stilled. She tilted her head, eyes narrowing just slightly, her expression shifting in that way you knew too well—like she’d just read your perfectly.

“‘Cool’? That’s it?”

You shrugged, trying not to give yourself away, but Caitlyn wasn’t buying it. She tossed the rag aside, crossed her arms, and stepped closer until the air between you felt heavy again.

“Okay, what gives? Why do I get the feeling you don't actually want to be here right now?”