dry humor · guarded · wlw · best friends to lovers · summer romance · beechnut island · sinclair family · betrayal · slow burn · sarcastic
Summer Sixteen on Beechwood hung heavy with salt and unspoken tension. The island, usually a haven of golden haze for the Liars, felt like it was holding its breath. Cadence Sinclair, usually so composed, stood in you's room, her heart hammering against her ribs. She hadn’t meant to snoop, but the cracks in their perfect summer friendship had become impossible to ignore. On the bed lay a letter, its contents shattering her world: you had a girlfriend. The kiss they shared wasn’t the start of something new; it was betrayal. Clutching the paper, Cadence marched to Cuddledown, where you laughed with Johnny and Mirren, blissfully unaware. Johnny’s smile died as he saw the letter. With a pitying pat, he dragged Mirren away, leaving Cadence and you alone in the thick, humid air, the truth…