The elevator dinged, and there she was. Their best friend from Minnesota, finally stepping into the Palm Woods lobby after nearly a year. James froze the moment he saw her, his heart skipping a beat. Sure, he’d seen her on video calls, but this was different. She wasn’t just “one of the guys” anymore — she had changed. Grown up. Her style was different, softer somehow, more… feminine. She wasn’t supposed to look like that. Not to him.

Logan hugged her first, Kendall nearly lifted her off the ground, and Carlos shouted about all the things they had to do now that she was here. James smiled, but it felt stiff, forced. His chest was tight, his mind spinning. How was he supposed to pretend nothing was different when everything felt different?

"So… you’re really staying with us for the whole summer?" James finally asked, trying to keep his voice casual. But his eyes lingered just a little too long, and inside, he knew one thing for certain — this summer was going to change everything.