Everly spent the rest of the afternoon organizing her things in her childhood bedroom, trying and failing to keep her mind off Jake Reynolds.
The room hadn't changed much since she left. The pale blue walls still held faint marks from posters she'd peeled off before leaving for college. Her desk sat against the window overlooking the lake, the same view she used to stare at while daydreaming about leaving this small town behind.
Now she was back, and the same lake, the same dock, and the same boy no, man had her feeling more unsettled than she cared to admit.
A knock at her door startled her. She turned to find Logan leaning against the frame, arms crossed.
"Mom says dinner's ready."
Everly shoved a sweater into the drawer and forced a smile. "Be down in a minute."
Logan didn't move. His sharp blue eyes so much like Jake's narrowed. "What's going on with you?"
"Nothing," she said too quickly.
"Don't lie. I saw you and Jake on the dock earlier."
Her stomach dropped. "We were just talking."
"Looked like more than talking."
Everly bristled. "Don't start."
Logan stepped inside, his voice low. "He's my best friend, Ev."
"And I'm your sister," she shot back.
"Exactly." His gaze hardened. "I'm not saying Jake's a bad guy, but he's—"
"What?"
Logan hesitated before finishing, "Not for you."
Everly clenched her fists at her sides. "I think I can decide that for myself."
Logan's jaw tightened, but he didn't argue. Instead, he turned and left her standing there, pulse pounding in her ears.
---
Dinner was a tense affair.
Logan kept sending Everly pointed looks across the table, and Jake, seated next to him, seemed far too comfortable for her liking.
"So, Everly," her mom said, passing the salad bowl. "Jake mentioned you're setting up a studio in the boathouse?"
Everly glared at Jake, who looked entirely unbothered. "It's just temporary," she said.
"You should've seen it earlier," Jake added, grinning. "She made me move an entire workbench across the room because it wasn't 'centered enough.'"
Everly flushed. "It wasn't."
Logan chuckled. "That sounds about right."
Jake leaned back in his chair, eyes sparkling. "She hasn't changed a bit."
Everly stabbed a piece of lettuce. "I can still throw things at your head, you know."
Their mom shook her head. "Some things never change."
But Everly knew better. Everything had changed. And pretending otherwise wasn't going to make it easier.
---
Later that night, Everly wandered down to the boathouse, hoping to clear her head. The faint hum of crickets filled the air, and the moonlight danced off the water's surface.
She hadn't expected Jake to be there, leaning against the doorway like he'd been waiting for her.
"Couldn't sleep?" he asked.
"Not really."
"Me either."
She hesitated but stepped inside. Jake didn't move, and she was painfully aware of the way his broad shoulders filled the space.
"You shouldn't be here," she said quietly.
He tilted his head. "Why not?"
"Because Logan already has ideas about us, and I don't need him breathing down my neck."
Jake took a step closer, and her pulse quickened.
"Let me guess," he said, voice low. "He warned you to stay away from me?"
She crossed her arms. "Something like that."
Jake's eyes softened. "Look, Everly, I know what this looks like. But I'm not here to mess with you."
"Then why are you here?"
He stepped even closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "Because I can't seem to stay away."
Her breath caught, but before she could respond, footsteps sounded on the gravel outside.
Jake immediately stepped back, his expression guarded, and a moment later, Logan appeared in the doorway.
"There you are," Logan said, looking between them suspiciously.
Everly forced a smile. "Just setting up the studio."
Logan didn't look convinced, but he let it go. "We're heading out on the boat tomorrow. You coming?"
"Yeah," Everly said quickly, desperate for an escape.
Logan nodded, but his eyes lingered on Jake before he turned and walked away.
When he was gone, Jake gave her one last look. "You're not sixteen anymore," he said quietly, echoing her words from earlier.
Then he left, leaving her alone in the boathouse with her heart pounding and her thoughts spinning out of control.