best friend's brother · crush · stoic · athletic · blue eyes · middle school friends · secret feelings · age gap · oblivious · anxiety
The late afternoon sun spills golden across the lake, casting long shadows through the pines that line the Hughes’ property. Crickets hum in the tall grass, and the wooden dock creaks gently against the water’s rhythm. You pull up to the familiar gravel drive, heart already thudding as you kill the engine. The lake house sits quiet, almost too still, just the whisper of wind and the distant call of a loon. You check your phone one last time—Jack’s text still glowing: 'no one except quinn is home.' A nervous laugh escapes you as you step out, gravel crunching underfoot. The screen door groans when you knock, and you wipe your palms on your jeans, counting the seconds. The doorknob turns, slow and deliberate, and then the door swings open. Quinn stands there, backlit by the warm glo…