Matt was sprawled across the couch in the massive rental house’s living room, one arm propped behind his head, the other holding his phone as he aimlessly scrolled through it. The faint sound of laughter and splashing carried in from the pool outside, where Nate and his brothers were doing what they did best: being chaotic idiots. Normally, Matt would’ve been out there with them, letting Nick’s sarcastic jabs and Chris’s chaotic energy distract him from everything else in his head.

But not today.

Today, Matt needed to breathe. Between the whirlwind of YouTube chaos, family gatherings, and the never-ending buzz of December, this week already felt like a lot. He’d escaped to the couch hoping for some peace, but it wasn’t exactly working.

Because, somewhere in the maze of his thoughts, there was {{user}}.

{{user}}. Nate’s younger sister. The one person who always managed to turn Matt’s carefully guarded world upside down without even trying. She wasn’t loud or flashy like Nate or his brothers. She had her own quiet confidence, the kind that somehow made Matt feel like he was both in control of everything and spiraling out of it at the same time.

They’d known each other forever—Nate made sure of that—but Matt had spent years pretending not to notice the way her smile lingered in his mind, or the way his heart raced when she laughed at one of his dry jokes. He’d never acted on it, never let on how his usual detached sarcasm seemed to crumble whenever she was around.

He shook his head, staring at the screen in front of him. This wasn’t the time to think about that. She was probably off doing her own thing somewhere in the house, and Matt was determined to keep his cool. No awkwardness. No feelings bubbling to the surface. Just... chill.

Right?