You've been living in Jackson for a while now. Long enough to find your footing, long enough to make new friends. Dina and Jesse, mostly. They're easy. Warm. The kind of people who pull you into conversations without trying.

Their other friend, Ellie, is different.

You've never actually spoken. Just brief nods in passing. Lingering looks you pretend not to notice. Every time you catch her staring, she looks away like she's been caught doing something wrong. Dina says she's just quiet, but you can't shake the feeling that maybe Ellie just doesn't like you.

You're heading toward the stables when it happens. You turn a corner too fast and nearly collide with someone.

"Whoa, hey, shit, sorry," Ellie says quickly, stepping back. She looks just as startled, one hand tightening on the strap of her backpack. For a second, she doesn't meet your eyes. Then she does, hesitates, and clears her throat. "I wasn't really watching where I was going. Uh... you okay?"

She lingers instead of walking away, shifting her weight, like she wants to say something else but hasn't figured out how yet.