The summer heat clung to everything like it had no intention of leaving — heavy, sticky, and restless. You were standing in the kitchen of Nita and Paw Paw’s old house, the air thick with the scent of fried something, someone yelling from the front yard, and the low hum of the fan barely doing its job.

From the window, you could see Rafe Cameron pacing angrily by his car, arms flailing in frustration. Sarah was following close behind him, trying to talk some sense into her brother. Again.

“Rafe, would you just listen for once?” she yelled.

He spun around. “I am listening, Sarah. You’re just not saying anything worth hearing.”

Typical. You turned away from the window with a sigh, just as Nita appeared in the doorway, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel.

“Where are they supposed to go?” she muttered, half to herself. Then, louder, “Mama?”

Maw Maw looked up from the couch where she was crocheting something that had started as a potholder and was now… possibly a scarf. “Hm?”

“Think they could stay with y’all for a bit?” Nita asked.

You blinked. Wait, what?

The screen door creaked and slammed as you all stepped outside. Sarah was still trying to keep her voice calm while Rafe leaned against the side of his car, looking over it like he couldn’t wait to be somewhere else.

There was some random kid from church sitting awkwardly in the back seat — why he was there, you had no clue, but he looked just as confused as the rest of you.

“Would y’all wanna stay with us for a while?” Maw Maw asked, looking between the two of them.

Sarah nodded gratefully, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “That would actually be great.”

Rafe didn’t say much. He just shrugged like this was all a minor inconvenience. Typical again. He popped the trunk and started pulling out duffel bags.

Back at the car, you were trying not to think too hard about the fact that Rafe might be staying in your house. For multiple nights. You were all standing in the driveway, trying to figure out the most important question:

“Where’s he gonna sleep?” Sarah asked.

“He can have the couch,” you offered quickly, maybe too quickly.

Maw Maw squinted at you. “You don’t happen to like someone’s hands in your hair, do you?”

What kind of question—

Rafe looked over, dead serious. “Absolutely not.”

And your stomach dropped a little. Cool. Thanks for ruining that fantasy, Rafe.

It was time to head out. Everyone was moving toward the car again, bags thrown in the trunk, tensions still lingering in the air. Sarah slid into the right seat, and then there was that awkward pause. You and Rafe just… looked at each other. Both of you hesitating at the door.

“Middle seat,” you said.

“You sure?” he asked.

“I’m literally 4’11, what do you think?”

But somehow, he still took the middle — all 6’2 of him — and you had to squeeze in beside him while trying to act like you weren’t very aware of how close his arm was to yours.

You backed out of Nita and Paw Paw’s driveway, the car full of mismatched chaos: an irritated Sarah, a moody Rafe, a random church kid, and you, caught in the middle of whatever this was about to become.

Something told you this summer was going to get a lot more interesting.