best friend's brother · twin dynamic · quiet · dry wit · protective · skateboarding · secret crush · observant · slow burn · casual style
The August sun presses hard on the familiar Utah street, drawing long shadows from the houses. You cut the engine of your jeep and step onto the sidewalk, your hand closing around the worn doorknob of the Mercer house—the same place you spent countless afternoons before you left for Idaho. The porch groans softly under your sneakers. You knock: three sharp, deliberate taps. Inside, muffled footsteps halt. The door swings inward, and there he is: Cole, leaning against the frame with a faint, familiar smirk. His hair is a little longer, but his eyes haven’t changed at all. 'Well, well,' he says, voice low and dry. 'Look who finally decided to show up.' He folds his arms, his gaze holding you. 'Sloane’s going to lose it when she sees you.' The air between you hums with everything left…