Chapter 3

Lila woke up to the smell of coffee.

For a few seconds, she stayed in bed, staring at the ceiling.

Then reality returned.

Ryder was living in the house.

The thought immediately made her pull the blanket over her face.

This was going to be a long summer.

After a few more minutes, she forced herself out of bed and headed for the shower.

By the time she came downstairs, the morning sunlight was pouring through the kitchen windows.

Lila had changed into a comfortable cream-colored lounge set that hugged her figure without being too fitted. Her dark hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, and her skin still held the fresh glow of sleep.

She looked effortlessly beautiful.

Unfortunately, she had no idea.

She walked into the kitchen.

And nearly walked straight into Ryder.

"Oh!"

Ryder stepped aside just in time.

"Careful, Princess."

Lila pressed a hand against her chest.

"You almost gave me a heart attack."

"I'm standing in my own kitchen."

She blinked.

Then narrowed her eyes.

"Your kitchen?"

"For now."

A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Lila hated how unfairly attractive that grin was.

Ethan looked up from the table.

"There she is."

"Good morning."

Ethan pointed his fork at her.

"Where are you going looking like that?"

Lila frowned.

"Looking like what?"

"Like you're about to star in a commercial."

Ryder glanced up briefly.

The little girl he remembered was definitely gone.

Lila had grown into a beautiful young woman.

Confident.

Graceful.

Nothing like the child who used to follow Ethan and his friends around.

Still, the thought passed as quickly as it came.

To him, she was still Ethan's little sister.

"Ignore him," Ryder said.

"I try," Lila replied.

Ethan threw a napkin at him.

Breakfast continued with the usual chaos.

At one point, Lila reached for a piece of toast.

Only to discover Ryder had stolen it first.

"Seriously?"

"You were too slow."

"It was on my plate."

"It was on our table."

"Our table?"

Ryder nodded.

"Sharing is important."

Lila stared at him.

"I don't think that's how sharing works."

"It does when I'm hungry."

Ethan nearly choked on his coffee laughing.

By the end of breakfast, Lila was already exhausted.

And it wasn't even ten in the morning.

---

Later that afternoon, the house became busy again.

People drifted in and out as they always did during summer.

Lila was sitting on the back porch scrolling through her phone when Rebecca arrived.

Rebecca looked stunning.

A fitted blue sundress highlighted her figure perfectly, and her blonde hair shone beneath the sunlight.

She spotted Ryder immediately.

Of course she did.

"Ryder!"

Ryder looked up from where he was helping Ethan sort through a pile of tools.

"Rebecca."

She smiled.

"You didn't answer my message."

"I was asleep."

"For twelve hours?"

"I was tired."

Rebecca laughed and sat beside him.

Close enough that anyone watching would notice.

Lila looked back down at her phone.

Unfortunately, she could still hear them.

"You've gotten boring."

"I've gotten older."

"Same thing."

"No, it isn't."

"It is."

Ryder shook his head.

Rebecca bumped her shoulder lightly against his.

The gesture looked natural.

Easy.

Like something she had done a hundred times before.

Lila hated how much that bothered her.

A little while later, one of Ethan's friends joined the conversation.

Then another.

Soon the entire group was laughing.

Rebecca sat comfortably beside Ryder the whole time.

Like she belonged there.

Lila told herself she was being ridiculous.

Rebecca wasn't doing anything wrong.

Neither was Ryder.

But that didn't stop the uncomfortable feeling sitting in her chest.

---

An hour later, Lila volunteered to run a small errand for Ethan.

Mostly because she needed a break.

When she returned, she noticed something unexpected.

Across the street, Mrs. Wilson stood beside a broken fence.

The elderly woman looked frustrated.

Then Ryder appeared.

Without being asked.

Without making a big deal out of it.

He took the hammer from her hand and started helping.

For nearly forty minutes.

No audience.

No praise.

No attention.

Just helping.

Mrs. Wilson smiled the entire time.

By the time he finished, she hugged him.

Lila watched from a distance.

The sight made something warm settle inside her chest.

People loved talking about Ryder's bad-boy reputation.

The motorcycle.

The tattoos.

The smoking.

The trouble.

They never talked about this.

The side of him that quietly helped people when nobody was watching.

---

That night, the house finally became quiet.

Ethan had gone to bed.

The guests had left.

Even Rebecca had gone home.

Lila lay awake staring at the ceiling.

Sleep refused to come.

With a sigh, she slipped out of bed and headed downstairs for water.

The house was dark.

Silent.

She filled a glass and took a drink.

Then she noticed light coming from the back porch.

Curious, she walked toward it.

Ryder sat alone outside.

A cigarette rested between his fingers.

The orange glow briefly illuminated his face.

He was staring into the darkness.

Not smiling.

Not laughing.

Not joking.

For the first time since his return, he looked tired.

Really tired.

As if he were carrying something heavy.

The floorboard creaked beneath her foot.

Ryder looked over.

For a second, surprise crossed his face.

Then a faint smile appeared.

"Can't sleep?"

Lila stepped onto the porch.

"Apparently not."

Ryder glanced at the empty chair beside him.

Then back at her.

The silence stretched between them.

Quiet.

Comfortable.

Different from before.

And for the first time since Ryder had returned home, it felt like they weren't standing on opposite sides of a crowd.

It felt like they were simply two people sitting beneath the stars.

Neither of them knew it yet.

But that conversation was about to change everything.

Chapter 4

"Can't sleep?"

Lila stepped onto the porch.

"Apparently not."

Ryder glanced at the empty chair beside him.

"Join the club."

Lila sat down.

The night air was cool against her skin.

For a few moments, neither of them spoke.

The town was quiet.

Most of the houses nearby were dark.

Only the distant sound of crickets filled the silence.

Lila wrapped both hands around her glass of water.

Beside her, Ryder leaned back in his chair.

The orange glow of his cigarette briefly lit his face before fading again.

"Those things are going to kill you someday," Lila said.

Ryder looked down at the cigarette.

"Probably."

"And you're okay with that?"

"No."

"Then why smoke?"

He shrugged.

"Bad habit."

"That's a terrible excuse."

"It's the only one I've got."

Lila shook her head.

"You're impossible."

"So I've been told."

A small smile tugged at her lips.

For some reason, talking to him felt easier tonight.

Maybe because there was no audience.

No Ethan.

No Rebecca.

No group of friends talking over each other.

Just the two of them.

The way it had never been before.

"You know," she said, "you never actually fixed my finger."

Ryder frowned.

"My what?"

"The fence."

His expression remained blank for two seconds.

Then understanding appeared.

"The mango tree."

"The mango tree."

A laugh escaped him.

"I forgot about that."

"I didn't."

"You cried for almost an hour."

"It hurt."

"It was a scratch."

"It was a serious injury."

"It was absolutely not a serious injury."

Lila tried to look offended.

Failed.

And started laughing.

Ryder laughed too.

The sound was softer than usual.

Less guarded.

The moment surprised her.

For years she had imagined what it would be like to spend time alone with him.

Now that it was happening, it felt strangely normal.

Comfortable.

Not magical.

Not dramatic.

Just nice.

The realization somehow made it even more dangerous.

"How's college?" Ryder asked suddenly.

Lila blinked.

"Good."

"Good?"

"You sound disappointed."

"I expected a longer answer."

"You asked a short question."

"Fair point."

He leaned back again.

"So?"

Lila smiled.

"So what?"

"Tell me something."

She considered it.

Then began talking.

About her classes.

About the friends she had made.

About the professor who seemed to enjoy giving impossible assignments.

To her surprise, Ryder actually listened.

Not the distracted kind of listening most people did.

Real listening.

The kind that made her feel like her words mattered.

When she finally stopped talking, she realized something.

She knew almost nothing about the last two years of his life.

"You never told anyone where you went."

Ryder's gaze shifted toward the darkness beyond the yard.

"I left."

"That's not an answer."

"It wasn't supposed to be."

Lila studied him quietly.

Something changed.

Only slightly.

The easy mood from before seemed to fade.

Not completely.

Just enough for her to notice.

"You don't like talking about it."

"No."

The answer was immediate.

Simple.

Final.

Lila nodded.

She could tell when a door was closed.

So she didn't push.

Instead, she looked up at the stars.

The silence returned.

Not uncomfortable.

Just thoughtful.

A few minutes later, the back door opened.

Both of them turned.

Ethan stepped outside.

His hair looked like he had lost a fight with a tornado.

He stopped when he saw them.

Then narrowed his eyes.

"What are you two doing?"

Lila laughed.

"Existing."

"At midnight?"

"It's not midnight."

"It feels like midnight."

Ethan pointed at Ryder.

"Why are you awake?"

Ryder gestured toward the cigarette.

"Making good life choices."

"Clearly."

Then Ethan pointed at Lila.

"And you?"

"I couldn't sleep."

Ethan looked between them.

His suspicion was so obvious that both of them started laughing.

"What?" Ethan demanded.

"Nothing," Lila said.

"You're both weird."

"You say that every day."

"Because it's true."

A few minutes later, Ethan disappeared back inside.

The moment the door closed behind him, Lila and Ryder laughed again.

"He's ridiculous," she said.

"You're just figuring that out now?"

The conversation lasted another twenty minutes before they finally headed inside.

For the first time in days, Lila fell asleep smiling.

---

The next morning began with shouting.

Lila walked downstairs to find Ethan standing in the kitchen.

"I need help."

"No," Ryder said immediately.

"You don't even know what I need."

"I know enough."

Ethan ignored him and looked at Lila.

"You too."

Lila groaned.

"Why?"

"Because I asked nicely."

"You didn't."

"I was about to."

Ryder grabbed a piece of toast.

"This should be interesting."

Half an hour later, the three of them were heading into town.

Lila still wasn't entirely sure why she had agreed.

Something about picking up supplies.

Something about helping load things.

Most of Ethan's explanations stopped making sense after the first five minutes.

The afternoon passed surprisingly quickly.

They visited several stores.

Ethan complained constantly.

Ryder mocked him constantly.

And somehow, Lila found herself laughing more than she had in weeks.

For the first time, she wasn't watching Ryder from across a room.

She was actually spending time with him.

Getting to know him.

Not the bad boy everyone talked about.

The real person underneath.

As the sun began to set, they started walking back toward the truck.

Ethan had gone ahead to return a cart.

Lila followed a few steps behind.

Distracted.

Not paying attention.

Her sandal caught on a crack in the pavement.

The world tilted.

A startled gasp escaped her.

Then a hand closed around her arm.

Firm.

Steady.

Stopping her before she could fall.

Lila froze.

So did Ryder.

For one brief second, neither moved.

His hand remained around her arm.

Her heartbeat stumbled.

Then Ryder released her immediately.

"You okay?"

His voice sounded normal.

Completely normal.

As if nothing had happened.

"Yeah."

"You sure?"

She nodded.

Ryder studied her for a moment.

Then stepped back.

The little girl he remembered would have been crying by now.

The thought appeared unexpectedly.

And for some reason, it made him pause.

Because somewhere along the way, Ethan's little sister had grown up.

And he was only just beginning to notice.

The thought stayed with him all the way home.

Chapter 5

Lila woke up smiling.

The moment she realized it, she buried her face in her pillow.

"This is embarrassing," she muttered.

Unfortunately, it was true.

Ever since the trip into town yesterday, she had been replaying certain moments in her head.

Not because anything special had happened.

Nothing special had happened.

At least, that was what she kept telling herself.

Ryder had caught her when she almost fell.

That was it.

A normal thing.

A decent thing.

The kind of thing anyone would have done.

So why did she keep thinking about it?

With a groan, she sat up.

The answer was obvious.

Because it was Ryder.

And that was exactly the problem.

Half an hour later, she made her way downstairs.

The smell of coffee greeted her immediately.

The kitchen was already occupied.

Of course it was.

Ryder sat at the counter eating cereal.

Her cereal.

Lila stopped in the doorway.

"Are you serious?"

Ryder glanced up.

"Morning, Princess."

"That's my cereal."

"No, it's my cereal now."

She walked over and grabbed the box.

"You didn't buy this."

"You didn't label it."

"Who labels cereal?"

"People who live with thieves."

Ryder laughed.

The sound was annoyingly attractive.

Lila hated that.

Ethan entered the kitchen at that exact moment.

One look at the cereal box between them and he sighed.

"You're fighting over breakfast?"

"He's stealing."

"I'm surviving."

"You're impossible."

"So I've been told."

Ethan poured himself coffee.

"You two sound like an old married couple."

Lila nearly dropped the cereal.

Ryder choked on his coffee.

Ethan immediately looked pleased with himself.

"Oh, that's funny."

"Shut up, Ethan."

"Didn't say anything."

"You literally just said something."

"I regret nothing."

The rest of breakfast passed in the usual chaos.

By the end of it, Lila found herself laughing despite her best efforts.

Which was becoming a dangerous habit.

Because every day Ryder spent in the house felt easier than the day before.

And that was not good.

Not for her heart.

---

The afternoon sun hung high in the sky.

Most of Ethan's friends had wandered over again.

Apparently their backyard had become the unofficial meeting place for half the town.

Lila sat beneath the shade of the large oak tree near the fence.

A book rested in her lap.

Unfortunately, she had been staring at the same page for ten minutes.

Her eyes kept drifting toward the patio.

Toward Ryder.

He was sitting with Ethan and a few others.

Laughing.

Talking.

Looking completely at home.

The strange thing was how natural it felt.

As though he had never left.

As though the last two years had never happened.

A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

"You're staring."

Lila jumped.

Rebecca dropped into the empty chair beside her.

"I am not."

"You absolutely are."

"I was reading."

Rebecca looked at the unopened page.

"Sure."

Lila narrowed her eyes.

Rebecca laughed.

Today, Rebecca looked stunning.

A fitted yellow sundress hugged her figure perfectly.

Her blonde hair was pulled into a loose ponytail.

As always, she carried herself with effortless confidence.

People noticed Rebecca when she entered a room.

They always had.

Lila glanced away.

"Why are you here?"

Rebecca gasped dramatically.

"Wow."

"I wasn't trying to be rude, i just asked."

"I came to see my friends."

Lila followed Rebecca's gaze.

Straight toward Ryder.

"Right."

Rebecca smiled.

"What was that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

"Alright."

Before Lila could answer, Ethan called Rebecca's name.

Rebecca stood.

"That's my cue."

Then she headed directly toward Ryder.

Lila watched her go.

Watched Rebecca slide effortlessly into the conversation.

Watched everyone make room for her.

Watched Ryder smile when she said something.

The uncomfortable feeling in Lila's chest returned.

It wasn't fair.

Rebecca hadn't done anything wrong.

Neither had Ryder.

But every time they stood beside each other, they looked like they belonged.

And Lila hated herself for noticing.

---

The evening passed quickly.

Music played.

People came and went.

Food disappeared.

Laughter filled the backyard.

For everyone else, it was a normal summer evening.

For Lila, it felt strangely exhausting.

By the time the last guests started leaving, she was relieved.

Rebecca was one of the last people still there.

She and Ryder stood near the gate talking quietly.

Lila looked away before she could hear what they were saying.

It wasn't her business.

She repeated that several times.

It still didn't help.

Eventually, she escaped upstairs.

A shower helped.

A movie helped.

For a little while, she managed not to think about Ryder at all.

That lasted approximately twenty minutes.

By ten o'clock, the house had finally fallen silent.

Ethan had gone to bed.

The lights downstairs were mostly off.

Everything felt peaceful.

Lila curled beneath her blanket and opened her book.

A chapter later, she realized she was thirsty.

With a sigh, she climbed out of bed.

The hallway was quiet.

The stairs creaked softly beneath her feet.

She headed toward the kitchen.

The closer she got, the more she realized she wasn't alone.

Voices drifted through the darkness.

One of them belonged to Rebecca.

Lila slowed.

Confused.

She thought Rebecca had gone home.

The second voice belonged to Ryder.

Her stomach tightened slightly.

They were probably saying goodbye.

That was all.

Nothing unusual.

Nothing important.

Lila stepped into the kitchen.

And froze.

Rebecca was standing very close to Ryder.

Much closer than before.

For a second, Lila couldn't understand what she was seeing.

Then Rebecca lifted her hand.

Touched Ryder's jaw.

And kissed him.

Lila's breath caught.

The world seemed to stop.

Everything became strangely quiet.

Strangely distant.

Rebecca was kissing Ryder.

And Ryder wasn't pulling away.

He wasn't stopping her.

He wasn't stepping back.

He was kissing her back.

The glass slipped from Lila's fingers.

The sharp sound shattered the silence.

Ryder's head snapped up.

Their eyes met.

And in that single horrible second, Lila knew.

Her heart had just broken right in front of him.