I stood next to my mom, shifting my weight from one foot to the other as we waited outside the Sinclair house. She looked excited—almost nervous—as if she were about to meet a long-lost sister instead of a childhood best friend. It had been nineteen years since she'd last seen Julia Sinclair. Nineteen years since she and my dad had packed up and moved away, unintentionally creating a gap in their friendship.
Back then, Julia had already been a mom to a one-year-old boy—Nathaniel. Now, all these years later, life had brought us back to Willow Creek. My mom was reconnecting with her past, and I was about to start my first year of university here. The same university where, apparently, Nathaniel was already a second-year law student.
Before I could dwell on that, the front door swung open.
One second, my mom was standing beside me. The next, she and Julia were in a tight hug, talking over each other like they hadn't lost a single day apart.
"I missed you so much!" Julia gushed, squeezing Mom's arms.
"You have no idea!" Mom laughed.
I followed them inside, taking in the house—warm, elegant, and filled with memories that didn't include me. It felt strange, like stepping into a story that had started long before I was born.
Julia ushered us into the living room, setting down coffee and a plate of cookies. The two of them dove straight into reminiscing, their words a blur of childhood memories and inside jokes. I smiled politely, sipping my coffee, letting them have their moment.
And then, Julia mentioned Nathaniel.
That was when disaster struck.
My hand slipped.
Scalding coffee spilled all over my white dress.
"Oh no its a new dress !" I gasped, jumping up as the heat seeped through the fabric.
"Do you need a towel?" Julia asked, already standing.
"I—uh—can I use the bathroom?" I asked, my voice slightly panicked.
"Of course, sweetheart, down the hall on the left."
I didn't wait for further directions. I bolted.
Muttering under my breath, I rushed into the bathroom, already mortified. First day meeting my mom's best friend after almost twenty years, and I'd already managed to make a fool of myself. Fantastic.
I grabbed the first blue piece of fabric I saw and started rubbing at the stain, praying it would come out.
Except… something felt off.
The fabric was soft. Stretchy. Not at all like a towel.
The realization hit me half a second before the bathroom door creaked open.
I froze.
A deep voice, horrified and accusing, filled the small space.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"
Slowly—so slowly—I turned.
Nathaniel Sinclair stood in the doorway, his dark eyes locked onto the object in my hand. His expression was a mix of shock and absolute offense.
I followed his gaze.
And then I realized.
I wasn't holding a towel.
I was rubbing my chest with a pair of blue underwear.
His blue underwear.
For one painfully long second, neither of us moved.
Then—
"YOU'RE A PERVERT a Stalker ?!" Nathaniel blurted, eyes wide.
"WHAT? NO! THIS IS A MISUNDERSTANDING i Was Cleaning My Dress !" I practically screamed, flinging the underwear away as if it had burned me.
" Cleaning With My Underwear ? " Nathaniel Respond In Shock .
But the way he was looking at me? Yeah. He definitely wasn't convinced.
Oh. My. God. Tell me i'm dreaming !
I wanted the earth to open up and swallow me whole.