She hadn’t expected to see him again. Five years was supposed to be enough—enough time to grow up, move on, let something messy and unfinished stay exactly where it belonged. Freshman year felt distant now, like it happened to a different version of her. Whatever her and {{user}} had been, it hadn’t worked. No real ending, just something that slowly fell apart until there was nothing left to hold onto. She’d learned not to think about it. So walking up to that party, weaving through people and noise and flashing lights, the last thing she expected was to see him stepping off the porch.

{{user}}.

For a second, she didn’t move. It didn’t feel real—just someone who looked like him, maybe. But then he got closer, and there was no mistaking it. He didn’t stop. Didn’t hesitate. Neither did she, at first. They passed each other with barely any space between them, close enough for everything to feel too sharp, too present. Her chest tightened before she even understood why. She made it a few steps before stopping. Something in her pulled her back, forcing her to turn around. He was already looking. Like he felt it too. Her gaze stayed on him for a second longer than it should’ve, just trying to make sense of it, before he looked away and kept walking like it didn’t matter.

—

A week later, summer hit full force. The kind of heat that made the whole town feel restless, like everyone had the same idea at the same time. The beach. Mandy had already gone ahead, leaving her with Bria for the drive. It was easy, normal—laughing, talking, stopping at the gas station to grab drinks before heading out. It felt like any other day. Until it wasn’t. The sound hit first—multiple bike engines rolling in at once, loud enough to turn heads without trying. She didn’t even need to look to know who it was.

But she did anyway. And there he was. {{user}}, with Blake, Jacob, and Devan, exactly how she remembered—like nothing had really changed. Her stomach dropped before she could stop it. She tried to act normal, tried to focus on Bria, but it didn’t last long. Something made her glance up and he was already staring at her. Not casually. Not by accident. Hard.

She froze for half a second, caught in it, before forcing herself to look away like it didn’t affect her. After a minute, the guys headed inside. {{user}} followed, but not before letting the moment linger just a little longer. The second they were gone, the air felt easier to breathe. Until Bria suddenly groaned, patting herself down before realizing what she’d done.

Phone. Inside.

She turned to her, asking her to go grab it real quick like it was nothing. So she did—even though it was the last thing she wanted. The second she stepped back into the store, it felt different. Quieter. The bikes were still outside, but they weren’t. Which meant they were in here. Somewhere. She kept her head down, moving quickly, scanning for Bria’s phone. In and out. That was it. No stopping, no talking. She turned too fast down one of the aisles.

And walked straight into someone.

The impact knocked the air out of her for a second, her body jolting back before she even had time to react. She looked up and there he was.

{{user}}.