"Move before I pour this juice on your head."

Lila gasped and spun around.

"Ethan!"

Her brother grinned and held the carton above her head.

"Then stop standing in front of the fridge," Ethan said.

"You are twenty-four years old."

"And you're annoying."

"You've said that every day since I was born."

"Because it's true."

Lila rolled her eyes and grabbed the bowl of fruit she had been preparing.

Saturday mornings were always loud whenever Ethan's friends came over.

The house felt even louder today.

Music drifted from the backyard.

Someone was laughing outside.

Another person was arguing about football.

The smell of grilled meat floated through the open kitchen window.

Most people would have found it chaotic.

Lila secretly loved it.

She balanced the bowl on one hand and nudged Ethan with her shoulder.

"Tell your friends to stop eating everything before lunch," she said.

"No."

"Ethan."

"No."

"They've already finished two packs of snacks."

"They're growing boys."

"They're grown men."

"Same thing."

Lila laughed despite herself.

She headed toward the back door.

The moment she stepped outside, several familiar faces greeted her.

"Look who finally came out."

"Morning, Lila."

"Did Ethan lock you in the kitchen again?"

Lila smiled.

The men gathered around the backyard had been around for most of her life.

They had spent years treating her like a little sister.

Some of them were already working full-time jobs.

Some had moved away and returned.

Others still acted exactly the same as they had in high school.

"Lila!"

She turned immediately.

Rebecca Carter hurried across the grass.

A smile spread across Lila's face.

Rebecca wrapped her arms around her.

"You're finally home," Rebecca said.

"I came back three days ago," Lila replied.

"And you didn't call me."

"I called you twice."

Rebecca paused.

"Oh."

"You ignored both."

"I was sleeping."

"You were posting pictures online."

"That doesn't mean I was awake."

Lila laughed.

Rebecca had always been like this.

Beautiful.

Dramatic.

Impossible to argue with.

The two girls had known each other for years because Rebecca was part of the same friend group as Ethan and the others.

Back when they were teenagers, everybody had assumed Rebecca and Ryder would eventually end up together.

Nothing had happened.

At least not officially.

But people still talked about it.

Before Lila could say another word, Ethan's voice echoed from across the backyard.

"Rebecca!"

Rebecca turned.

"What?"

"Come help us with the drinks."

Rebecca groaned dramatically.

"I regret being friends with all of you."

"You say that every weekend."

"And one day I'll mean it."

The men laughed.

Rebecca looked back at Lila.

"I'll be back."

"You won't."

"I probably won't."

Then she hurried away.

Lila shook her head.

Typical Rebecca.

Always in a hurry.

She placed the fruit bowl on the table and glanced around the backyard.

The conversation around her continued.

The music played.

The sun shone brightly overhead.

Everything looked normal.

Peaceful.

Familiar.

The kind of afternoon she had always enjoyed.

Then Ethan's phone rang.

Lila barely paid attention.

Her brother checked the screen.

A huge grin immediately spread across his face.

The kind of grin he rarely showed.

"What?" one of his friends asked.

Ethan looked up.

"He's here."

Several people immediately sat up straighter.

"Seriously?"

"No way."

"You're kidding."

Lila frowned.

She looked around the backyard.

What was happening?

Then she heard it.

A distant rumble.

Low.

Powerful.

Growing louder.

The sound of a motorcycle.

Something inside her chest tightened instantly.

The motorcycle turned into the driveway.

Closer.

Closer.

Closer.

Then it stopped.

The engine died.

For one brief moment, the entire backyard became quiet.

The rider removed his helmet.

Lila forgot how to breathe.

Ryder Black was home.

The backyard erupted.

Cheers.

Shouts.

Laughter.

Questions flew in every direction.

Everybody rushed toward him.

Everybody except Lila.

She remained exactly where she was.

Frozen.

Watching.

Two years.

Ryder had been gone for two years.

Yet somehow he still looked exactly the same.

And completely different.

His dark hair was slightly longer.

The leather jacket looked worn from use.

A tattoo peeked from beneath the sleeve of his black shirt.

He looked older.

Harder.

Like life had carved sharper edges into him.

Still Ryder.

Just more dangerous than before.

Ethan reached him first.

The two men pulled each other into a rough hug.

The sight made something warm ache inside Lila's chest.

And suddenly—

A memory surfaced.

She was eight years old again.

Sitting beneath the giant mango tree near the playground.

Crying so hard she could barely see.

Blood trickled from a small cut on her finger after she scraped it against an old fence.

To her eight-year-old self, it felt like the worst injury in history.

Then a shadow had appeared in front of her.

Ryder.

Fifteen years old.

Tall.

Careless.

Already getting into trouble every other day.

He crouched in front of her.

"What are you crying for?" he asked.

"My finger."

Ryder looked at the tiny cut.

Then at her tear-covered face.

"It's small."

"It hurts."

"No, it doesn't."

"It does."

He sighed dramatically.

Then before she could react, he took her hand.

The next thing she knew, he pressed her injured finger into his mouth.

Little Lila stared at him.

Completely shocked.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Fixing it."

"How?"

"I don't know."

"Then why are you doing it?"

Ryder shrugged.

"Because my grandma does it."

A few seconds later he released her hand.

"There."

She blinked.

"Is it fixed?"

"Yep."

"Really?"

"No."

Young Ryder burst out laughing.

The sound echoed through the playground.

A moment later, she started laughing too.

The tears disappeared.

The pain disappeared.

And somehow, from that day onward, Ryder Black became her favorite person in the world.

"Lila."

She blinked.

The memory vanished.

Rebecca stood beside her again.

"You okay?" Rebecca asked.

"Yeah."

"You looked like you left the planet."

"I'm fine."

Rebecca followed her gaze.

Straight toward Ryder.

Then a small smile touched her lips.

Before Lila could ask why, another friend called Rebecca away again.

A few minutes later, Ryder laughed at something Ethan said.

Then his gaze lifted.

Across the crowd.

Across the backyard.

Straight toward Lila.

For one second, surprise flashed across his face.

The little girl he remembered was gone.

Lila Hart had changed.

Her dark hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders.

Her skin glowed beneath the afternoon sun.

Her bright eyes looked older now.

Wiser.

More confident.

She had grown into a beautiful young woman.

Ryder started walking toward her.

Lila's pulse immediately quickened.

Not because of anything he had done.

Simply because he was Ryder.

The boy she had never managed to forget.

When he finally stopped in front of her, neither of them spoke for a moment.

Then Ryder tilted his head slightly.

A familiar smile appeared.

"Princess."

The nickname hit her exactly the same way it always had.

Lila smiled.

"Hi, Ryder."

He studied her for a second.

Not romantically.

Not intensely.

Just honestly.

Like someone noticing how much time had passed.

"You've changed."

Lila laughed softly.

"So have you."

"Yeah?"

"A lot."

Ryder glanced down at his jacket.

"The tattoos giving it away?"

"The smoking."

One eyebrow lifted.

"You saw that?"

"You weren't exactly hiding it."

The corner of his mouth twitched.

"No point hiding things everybody already knows."

Classic Ryder.

Never pretending to be anything other than himself.

Before either of them could say more, Ethan threw an arm around Ryder's shoulders.

"There you are."

"I was standing right here."

"Come on. Everybody wants to hear what you've been doing."

Ryder shook his head.

"That sounds exhausting."

"You don't have a choice."

"I hate all of you."

"No, you don't."

Ethan dragged him away anyway.

The group burst into laughter.

Within seconds, Ryder was surrounded again.

The center of attention.

Exactly where he always seemed to end up.

Lila watched him from across the yard.

Then she looked away.

Two years.

Two whole years.

And somehow, nothing had changed.

Which was probably the problem.

Because after all this time, she still wasn't over him.

And something told her that having Ryder Black back in town was about to make forgetting him impossible.

Lila woke up earlier than usual.

For several seconds, she simply stared at the ceiling.

Then she groaned and pulled a pillow over her face.

This was ridiculous.

Absolutely ridiculous.

Ryder had been back for less than twenty-four hours, and somehow he was already the first thing on her mind.

She buried her face deeper into the pillow.

"Pathetic," she muttered.

The pillow offered no argument.

Eventually, she forced herself out of bed.

The house was quiet.

Ethan was probably still asleep.

Most of his friends were definitely still asleep.

After yesterday's reunion, they had stayed up far too late talking and laughing in the backyard.

Lila slipped into a simple summer dress, tied her hair into a loose ponytail, and headed out.

A morning walk would help.

Fresh air solved everything.

At least, that was the plan.

Twenty minutes later, she found herself walking toward the small convenience store near the edge of town.

Then she froze.

A black motorcycle was parked outside.

Her heart immediately recognized it.

Ryder.

Of course.

Because apparently the universe enjoyed playing jokes on her.

Lila considered turning around.

Instead, she pushed open the door and walked inside.

The familiar bell above the entrance jingled softly.

Immediately, she heard voices coming from the counter.

"You still owe me five dollars."

"I was fourteen."

"Debt doesn't expire."

"That's not how debt works."

"It does in my store."

Lila looked toward the counter.

The elderly owner, Mr. Henderson, stood with his arms crossed.

Ryder stood opposite him.

Looking completely unbothered.

"You were trouble then," Mr. Henderson said.

"I'm still trouble."

"Exactly my point."

Ryder laughed.

A real laugh.

Easy.

Relaxed.

The sight surprised Lila.

Most people only talked about Ryder's tattoos, motorcycles, and reputation.

Nobody talked about moments like this.

Mr. Henderson shook his head, though there was obvious affection in his expression.

"You disappear for two years and come back acting like you never left."

"What can I say?" Ryder replied. "This place missed me."

Mr. Henderson snorted.

"Your ego is still too big."

"Good. I was worried it got smaller."

Mr. Henderson spotted her first.

"Lila!"

Both men turned.

Ryder's eyebrow lifted.

"Princess."

There was that nickname again.

Her heart betrayed her immediately.

"Hi."

Mr. Henderson pointed at Ryder.

"Tell this boy he owes me money."

"I was fourteen," Ryder said again.

"You keep saying that."

"Because it's important."

"It isn't."

"It feels important."

Mr. Henderson rolled his eyes.

Lila laughed despite herself.

The three of them talked for several minutes.

Nothing serious.

They chatted about old times, people around town, and the changes that had happened while Ryder was away.

Then Ryder's phone rang.

He glanced at the screen.

"Ethan."

Mr. Henderson chuckled.

"Hope there isn't a problem."

Ryder answered the phone.

"With Ethan? There's always a problem."

The old man laughed.

A few moments later, Ryder pulled the phone away from his ear.

"You know I can hear you without the shouting, right?"

Lila bit back a smile.

A short pause followed.

Then Ryder said, "Yeah. I'll be there."

He ended the call and slipped the phone into his pocket.

"What did my brother want?" Lila asked.

Ryder shook his head.

"He wants help moving furniture."

Lila groaned.

"That sounds exactly like Ethan. He loves changing things around. Every few months he suddenly decides the house needs a completely new look."

Mr. Henderson laughed.

"Your brother has too much energy."

"He really does," Lila agreed.

"You just got back," Mr. Henderson told Ryder.

Ryder shrugged.

"Try telling Ethan that."

"No point," Mr. Henderson said.

"None at all," Lila added.

As they left the store together, they continued talking casually.

The conversation flowed easily.

The weather.

The town.

The people they both knew.

Simple things.

Comfortable things.

Eventually, Lila glanced at him.

"So... how long are you staying this time?"

Ryder adjusted the keys in his hand.

"A while."

She nodded.

Trying very hard to sound casual.

"Good."

Ryder looked at her briefly.

Then a small smile appeared.

"Good?"

Lila immediately regretted saying it out loud.

"I mean... everyone was happy to see you yesterday."

"Hmm."

Thankfully, they reached Ethan's truck before he could say anything else.

By evening, Ethan's backyard was full again.

Music played softly from a speaker sitting on the patio table.

Someone was standing near the grill.

Someone else was arguing about football.

The air smelled of barbecue and smoke.

Lila was carrying a tray of drinks when Rebecca arrived.

Heads turned almost immediately.

Rebecca looked effortlessly beautiful in a fitted white sundress that moved gently in the evening breeze. Her blonde hair fell over her shoulders, and her smile was bright enough to draw attention without trying.

Rebecca waved at a few people.

Then, without hesitation, she walked straight toward Ryder.

Lila hated that she noticed.

She hated it even more when Ryder noticed too.

"Look who finally decided to show up," Ryder said.

Rebecca placed a hand dramatically against her chest.

"Wow. Is that your way of saying you missed me?"

"Not even close."

"Ouch."

"You'll survive."

Rebecca laughed and lightly slapped his arm.

The gesture was so natural that it immediately drew a few whistles from the group.

"Oh, here we go," one of the guys called out.

Rebecca pointed at him.

"Mind your business."

"No chance."

"Seriously," another friend added. "The town's favorite almost-couple is finally reunited."

Laughter broke out around them.

Rebecca rolled her eyes.

"You people are still talking about that?"

"Of course we are."

"You were supposed to get married."

Rebecca looked at Ryder.

"Remember that?"

Ryder chuckled.

"Unfortunately."

"Unfortunately?"

"I remember your mother trying to plan our future before either of us could drive."

The group burst out laughing.

Rebecca laughed too.

"She still asks about you, by the way."

"That's because she likes me."

"Everybody likes you."

"I know."

"Your ego is unbelievable."

"My best quality."

Rebecca shook her head, smiling.

"You haven't changed."

"Neither have you."

Lila stood near the drinks table.

Watching.

Listening.

Trying not to.

But every time she looked away, her eyes somehow found their way back.

Rebecca seemed completely comfortable beside him.

Comfortable enough to stand close.

Comfortable enough to tease him.

Comfortable enough to share memories that made everyone laugh.

And Ryder seemed completely at ease with it.

He laughed.

He joked back.

He didn't move away.

He didn't look uncomfortable.

At one point, Rebecca leaned closer and lowered her voice.

"Be honest."

"That's dangerous."

"Would we have survived marriage?"

Ryder pretended to think about it.

The entire group waited.

Then he nodded.

"For about three days."

The laughter that followed was loud enough to shake the backyard.

Rebecca nearly spilled her drink.

"Three days?"

"I'm being generous."

"You are unbelievable."

"And yet, here you are."

Lila looked down at the tray in her hands.

Something unpleasant twisted inside her chest.

Maybe Rebecca was just joking.

Maybe Ryder was just joking too.

But they looked good standing together.

Too good.

Like they belonged in the same picture.

A few moments later, Lila quietly slipped away from the backyard and headed into the house.

The noise faded behind her.

The cool air inside the kitchen felt like a relief.

She set the empty tray on the counter and reached for a glass.

The sound of running water filled the room.

"You're hiding."

Lila turned.

Ethan walked into the kitchen.

"I'm not hiding."

"You disappeared."

"I came to get water."

"Sure."

Lila pointed at him.

"Don't start."

Ethan laughed and opened the refrigerator.

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.

Then Ethan said casually,

"Oh, by the way."

Lila immediately became suspicious.

Whenever Ethan started a sentence with by the way, trouble usually followed.

"What?"

"Ryder's apartment isn't ready yet."

She frowned.

"What apartment?"

"The one he rented."

Lila blinked.

"He rented an apartment?"

"Yeah."

"When?"

"A while ago."

She stared at him.

Nobody had mentioned that.

Ethan grabbed a bottle of water.

"The renovations are taking longer than expected."

"Oh."

"So he'll need somewhere to stay for a little while."

Lila nodded slowly.

That seemed reasonable.

Ryder had plenty of friends.

He could stay with anyone.

Then Ethan said,

"So he's staying here."

The glass nearly slipped from her hand.

"What?"

Ethan looked confused.

"What?"

"Here?"

"Yeah."

"Here here?"

"How many versions of here do you know?"

Lila stared at him.

Ethan stared back.

Then a familiar voice spoke from the doorway.

"Don't look too excited, Princess."

Lila spun around.

Ryder stood leaning against the doorframe.

A lazy grin sat on his face.

The same grin that had caused trouble for years.

"I am not excited," she said immediately.

"That bad, huh?"

"I didn't say that."

"You kind of did."

Ethan laughed.

Lila grabbed a kitchen towel and threw it at him.

Unfortunately, Ryder caught it before it hit its target.

His grin widened.

And suddenly, the thought of spending the entire summer under the same roof as Ryder Black felt a lot more dangerous than it should have.

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.