I don’t remember falling asleep.
One second I was watching the road blur past the window, sunlight flickering through trees, the low hum of the engine steady and warm—and the next, everything was quiet.
Safe.
Still.
I wake up when the car slows.
The shift is subtle at first—the gentle deceleration, the sound of gravel crunching beneath the tires—but it’s enough to pull me out of sleep.
For a second, I forget where I am.
Then I see it.
The lake.
Bright blue water stretching endlessly beneath the sun. Trees lining the shore. The familiar wooden dock. The cabin just beyond it, sitting quietly like it’s been waiting for us.
My parents’ lake house.
Unfortunately Liam invited Ricky.
I had tried not to let it ruin the mood.
“I get to bring you,” I told Sam, forcing a smile. “So I’m not too worried.”
At the time, I almost believed that.
Now, as we pull up and I see Ricky’s car already parked outside my stomach tightens.
We step out.
The air smells like lake water and warm wood.
Everything should feel perfect.
But it doesn’t.
“Hi Sam! Hi Scarlett!” my mom calls out immediately, walking toward us with a bright smile.
“Go drop off your stuff and come back out here, okay?”
“Okay, Mom.”
Sam grabs our bags and we head inside.
The cabin feels exactly the same as it always has. Comfortable, familiar, safe… until we check the bedrooms.
My parents’ room, Liam’s room, and Ricky’s already claimed the last one.
Which leaves one.
I feel heat rush to my cheeks instantly.
Sam notices.
Of course he does.
“Rather than create an awkward situation,” he says calmly, like it’s no big deal, “we can just sleep together.”
He pauses slightly.
“I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself.”
I look at him.
Really look at him.
He means it.
There’s no pressure.
No expectation.
Just… consideration.
Relief settles into my chest.
“Okay,” I say softly. “Thank you, Sam.”
We drop our bags and head back outside.
“All right guys!” my Mom calls out excitedly.
“Your dad and I rented sea doos for all of us! We’re going down to the cove… they’re shooting fireworks tonight!”
“Nice, Mom!” Liam says. “I’ll go pack a cooler.”
I glance around and freeze. Ricky is staring at me. It’s not subtle. It’s not casual. It’s direct.
Intentional.
And the second our eyes meet he looks away. Like nothing happened. Like he wasn’t just watching me. He turns and heads inside. A chill runs through me. I wonder if he is plotting some horrible way to humiliate me
“I’ll go pack a cooler for us, okay?” Sam says.
“Thanks,” I reply. “I’m going to go change.”
He nods and walks inside.
Ricky appears again walking straight toward me. Too close. Too confident. Too familiar.
“So… we’re just pretending that’s normal now?” he says casually, like we’re having a normal conversation.
“What are you talking about?” I shoot back at Ricky.
“Sharing a room with your boyfriend at your parents’ lake house.” (he pauses, slight smirk) “Bold move.”
“You took the last bedroom” I’m practically spitting venom at his insinuations.
“Yeah.” Ricky steps closer, voice quieter “I didn’t think you’d fold that fast though.”
“What the hell is your problem?”
Ricky tilts his head, studying me “You act like I’m the problem every time you make a bad decision.”
“What choice did I have?” I snarl at him.
“You always have a choice… you just don’t like what yours say about you.”
Ricky walks away. I almost punched him. I almost punched him.
Not because I couldn’t handle what he said but because part of me knew he meant it. It’s like he goes out of his way to make my blood boil. I storm inside and change into my swimsuit.
I sit outside waiting for Sam. When he walks out and sees my face he immediately asks, “What’s the matter?”
“Ricky… as always…” I roll my eyes.
Sam is silent for a while like he is thinking hard….he stares at me for a minute.
“You know Scarlett… there is a very fine line between love and hate”
I look at Sam confused.
“What are you talking about?”
Just as Sam is about to speak Liam and Ricky come out. They both run down to the lake to get on the sea doos. Mom and Dad come out right after them.
“Come on you 2 let’s go” Mom says.
We all get on and follow Mom and Dad. Liam and Ricky race one another and Sam trails me.Eventually we come to a cove and park. There are a lot of people around just having a good time, drinking, swimming.
As soon as Ricky walks on the beach most of the women there take notice. He has always been popular with women. If only they knew him….
“Here Scarlett I brought your favorite drinks.” Sam says.
“Thanks” I smile at him.
The music gets louder.
Someone hands me another drink.
The sun starts to dip and I realize I haven’t seen Sam in a while. I decide to go look for him and notice he is nowhere near so I venture out a little further to the more deserted part of the beach. I see someone behind me. Ricky…
My eyes narrow.
“Need a babysitter?” Ricky smirks.
“Were you following me?”
Ricky shrugs, casual“I saw you walk off alone like you’ve got zero self-preservation. So yeah… I followed. You don’t pay attention to your surroundings.”
“Wow. Thank you, Ricky. I appreciate it.”
Ricky says flatly“Don’t. I didn’t do it for you.”
There it is.
The jab.
Always.
“You can’t resist, can you?” I snap. “You always have to make a snide remark to me.”
Ricky steps closer, voice lower“No. I just don’t like watching you do stupid things.”
My jaw tightens.
“Looking for my boyfriend who disappeared more than half an hour ago is stupid?,” I say sharply.
I cross my arms.
“I feel sorry for any girl you decide to date.”
His expression shifts.
Just slightly.
Ricky looks at me hard, no smiles “Yeah?” He watches me, “Funny… I wouldn’t disappear on someone I actually cared about.”
The words hit harder than they should.
“Are you saying Sam doesn’t truly care about me?”
Ricky shrugs like he doesn’t care. Like he didn’t just drop something heavy between us.
At first… it doesn’t register.
It’s just movement.
A figure in the distance.
A guy.
Standing near the edge of the water.
There’s a girl with him.
Close.
Too close.
My eyes narrow slightly, trying to focus.
Something about him feels familiar.
The way he stands.
The way his shoulders move.
My stomach tightens.
No.
That’s not him.
It just looks like him.
It has to.
He leans down.
And kisses her.
Not quick.
Not accidental.
Slow.
Intentional.
My heart stutters.
Stops.
Then slams hard against my ribs.
“No…” I whisper under my breath.
It’s not him.
It can’t be.
I take a step forward.
Then another.
Like if I get closer, the image will change.
Like my brain just hasn’t caught up yet.
Like I’m wrong.
I have to be wrong.
Then he turns.
And I see his face.
Everything inside me drops.
It’s Sam.
Beside me, Ricky goes completely still.
I don’t even remember turning.
I don’t remember walking.
I just know suddenly I’m closer.
Close enough.
Close enough to see the way his hand is still on her waist.
Close enough to see the way her fingers are still curled into his shirt.
Close enough to know this is real.
“Sam?!”
My voice cracks.
Sharp. Loud. Wrong.
He jerks back instantly like he’s been burned.
His eyes snap to me.
Wide.
Panicked.
“Scarlett—”
The girl steps back.
Confused.
I can’t hear anything.
Not the water.
Not the people.
Not even my own breathing.
Just that one moment.
Repeating.
Him.
Kissing her.
“This is not what it looks like—”
And something in me snaps.
My hand moves before I think.
Before I decide.
Before I even process.
The sound of it echoes.
Sharp.
Violent.
My palm stings.
I don’t even remember deciding to hit him.
His head jerks to the side.
Silence.
For one split second—
it looks like he might hit me back.
His body shifts.
His arm tenses.
And then—
Ricky grabs him.
Hard.
Fast.
Like he was already ready.
“You definitely don’t wanna do that,” Ricky says, voice low and dangerous.
Not joking.
Not mocking.
Dead serious.
My chest is heaving.
My hands are shaking.
I can’t even feel my fingers.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I snap.
My voice sounds like someone else’s.
“You are such a piece of shit.”
Sam looks desperate now.
Frantic.
Like he’s trying to grab something slipping away.
“Scarlett, please—just let me explain—”
“No.”
The word comes out instantly.
Cold.
Final.
Sharp enough to cut.
I take a step back.
Like I need distance just to breathe.
“Take the sea doo back,” I say.
My voice steadier now.
That’s worse.
That means I’m done.
“Go back to the house. Grab your shit.”
His face changes.
He knows.
“Scarlett—”
“Get. Out.”
Silence crashes down around us.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
“I’m serious,” I add quietly.
“You will never see me again.”
And this time… I mean it.
Something breaks in his expression.
He knows this isn’t a fight.
This isn’t something he can fix.
This is over.
For good.
He doesn’t argue again.
He doesn’t try.
He just turns.
Walks.
Gets on the sea doo.
And leaves.
The sound of the engine fades into the distance.
And everything feels…
wrong.
The lake.
The air.
The sunlight.
None of it feels the same anymore.
I don’t move.
I can’t.
I just stand there.
Staring at the water.
Trying to understand how everything changed so fast.
Ricky doesn’t say anything.
Not right away.
But I feel him there.
Next to me.
Still.
Watching.
And somehow…
that’s worse.
Because for the first time—
he didn’t start it.
He didn’t push.
He didn’t say anything to make this happen.
He just saw it.
Same as me.
And he stayed.
Like he always does when everything else falls apart.
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