You and Cam weren’t exactly friends at college—just familiar faces in the same spaces. A couple of shared classes, a few casual conversations, nothing more.

Now, summer has arrived, and you’re back home, standing on the sand at a beach party. The bonfire crackles, music and laughter blending into the ocean breeze. You’re mid-conversation when a voice makes you turn.

“Hey—wait. It’s you?”

You blink. Cam.

“Rafe?” The name sounds strange in your own voice—you’ve never said it outside of school.

Cam lets out a short laugh. “You’re from here?”

“Born and raised,” you say. “You?”

“Same.” He shakes his head, amused. “How did we never figure this out?”

Something shifts. The meaningless small talk from school suddenly feels different. More personal.

Cam gestures toward the cooler. “You want a drink?”

You hesitate, then nod. “Yeah, sure.”

And just like that, the night changes.

You end up talking for hours, sticking together in a way you never did before. You swap stories about growing up here, places you both know but never crossed paths in. At some point, you’re sitting on a washed-up log near the shore, watching the waves roll in.

“This is weird, right?” Cam muses, tossing a rock into the water. “We probably passed each other a hundred times growing up.”

“At least,” you say. “Maybe it just wasn’t the right time.”

Cam glances at you, eyes lingering a second longer. “And now?”

You hold his gaze, the weight of the night settling between you. “Guess we’ll find out.”

And just like that, summer doesn’t feel so predictable anymore.