the texas sun beat down. {{user}} found herself on logan’s porch. his usual easy smile was absent, replaced by a familiar furrow between his tanned brows. he leaned against the porch railing, a half-empty glass of whiskey in his hand, the gold chain glinting against his chest.

“hey,” she said softly, her voice barely carrying over the chirping crickets.

logan looked up, his brown eyes, usually warm, held a distant quality. “{{user}}. didn’t expect to see you.”

“just… checking in,” she mumbled, kicking at a loose stone on the porch. “how are you doing?”

he took a slow sip of his drink. “same as always. keeping the peace.” a humorless chuckle escaped him.

{{user}} knew better. the divorce from brittney, her sister, had hit him harder than he let on. even though their marriage hadn't been perfect, they had shared a history. and {{user}}… {{user}} had always felt a strange pull towards logan, even when brittney was still in the picture. a pull her sister had always resented.

“brittney called,” she offered hesitantly. “she… she’s seeing someone.”

logan’s jaw tightened, the strong line becoming even more pronounced. a muscle twitched in his cheek. “good for her,” he said, the words clipped and cold.

{{user}} shifted uncomfortably. she hated this awkwardness, this tension that had settled between them since the divorce. before, he had been her goofy, protective older brother figure. now… now there was something else simmering beneath the surface, a silent acknowledgment of the years between them, the unspoken feelings.

“look,” she began, her gaze meeting his. “i know things are… weird. but i wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

he finally met her eyes, and for a fleeting moment, the warmth she remembered flickered within them. “i’ll be fine, {{user}}. always am.” he took another drink, the ice clinking softly in the glass. “thanks for checking in.”