I’m not surprised to find Paige and Maddie sprawled on the lakehouse’s living room couch as I leave the bathroom. They’re munching on cereals, watching cartoons, still in their PJs. 

“Going for a run?” Paige asks as soon as she notices my clothes. She barely finishes the sentence before half-chewed Cheerios escape her mouth. She claps a hand over her lips, eyes wide, and then bursts into laughter.

“Yup,” I smirk and head for the door, but at the last second, I remember that I’m supposed to be a good brother. Damn it. 

“You guys wanna tag along?”

“I’ll go get my stuff,” Maddie exclaims, already halfway up the stairs.

“I thought her knee still hurt?” My sister says, watching her best friend disappear in their shared bedroom.

Crap. I manage to suppress the urge to slap my own forehead. Of course, Maddie has already forgotten the excuse she’s used to stay home and fuck me behind my family’s back just yesterday.

“Exercise is the best remedy,” I mumble, hoping that’s a good enough save. Even I don’t sound convinced. “You’re not coming?”

Paige half-winces, then slaps the slight paunch she’s started putting on in her first year of college. “Not much of a runner. But thanks for asking.”

Maddie returns, practically tumbling down the stairs in a rush of movement. She’s thrown on a black sports bra and tight running shorts. Her blonde hair is swept into a high ponytail, still messy from sleep. No shower, no makeup. Just her, glowing in that effortless way that makes it impossible to look anywhere else.

She bounces next to me, wearing a wide, goofy grin.

“Alright then, let’s go,” I say.

We walk out of the house and cross the backyard, taking the steep steps to the beach. The lake stretches out before us. I start running as soon as I find the sand under my feet.

Maddie trails behind me, silent and focused, and we maintain a steady pace. The sun is up, but the air still has the pleasant sharpness of the early morning hours. 

I had hoped the calm nature would help me forget some of the week's craziness. It’s a little harder to do when the source of most of that chaos is running beside me.

I try to take in the rhythmic sounds of the lake’s water, the rustling of the leaves, or the pitter-patter of unseen wildlife fleeing as we trample the beach. But my mind keeps wandering back to Maddie, unable to escape the lingering expectation that is there any time we find ourselves alone.

A thin sheen of sweat glistens on her face, catching the light.

“You okay?” I ask, between two breaths. “Not too fast?”

“I’m almost falling asleep,” she manages to say.

I snort and pick up the pace, but she keeps up. I don’t remember her being this competitive. Then again, the last time we spent this much time together was more than half a decade ago.

When I judge we’ve been running for about twenty minutes, I slow to a stop. 

The day is shaping up to be the best one we’ve had at the lake. The sky is an endless stretch of blue, undisturbed by even a wisp of cloud. The breeze is just cool enough to be refreshing without biting my skin. I don’t want to spend the rest of it recovering from an overzealous jog.

Maddie glances at me, her expression questioning.

“Ready to head back? We can walk if you want.”

She scoffs. “Speak for yourself, old man.” 

She spins on her heels and darts away. 

“Race you there,” she shouts over her shoulder before sticking her tongue out. Okay, maybe some things don’t change.

I chuckle at first, watching her sprint ahead. Then I realize just how fast the distance between us is growing.

There’s no way I’m letting her win.

I leap forward, and for a while, all that matters in the world is catching up to the girl in front of me and the blonde tress swaying wildly behind her.

The sand shifts under my feet, and my breath comes in sharper with every stride. Maddie, on the other hand, looks like she was built for this. But I’ve got at least a head on her. Pretty soon, I’m at her level. 

A few more paces, and I’ve passed her.

I can hear her grumble something unintelligible, probably a curse, her voice full of frustration. I don’t look back and just keep going.

My lungs are burning, and my legs want to give in, but I reach the beach beneath my parents' house in no time. I slip my shoes off and take a few steps into the lake.

The water is a godsend, helping me cool off. My exhaustion already dissolves in its embrace. I sit down on the sand, letting my legs rest in the small waves. 

I hear Maddie before I see her. The uneven rhythm of her footsteps against the sand. Her sharp, panting breaths.

Then she appears from behind the bend in the shore, flushed and glistening with sweat, her ponytail half undone. I barely catch the shoe she throws at me before it hits my face.

I toss it aside and chuckle as she dramatically wades into the water and dives in, not caring even for a second about the gym clothes she still has on.

She doesn’t stay under the surface too long, and soon, she crawls out and collapses right next to me. Her head is on my shoulder, with the wet strands of her hair sloshing around my neck. A hand comes to rest on my chest, holding on to me as she catches her breath.

“Couldn’t let me win?” she asks, exaggerating a pout.

“I respect you too much to do that,” I snicker, now drenched from the water dripping off her.

“Whatever,” she tucks her head in a little more and lets out a long sigh. “I need to get better. We’re going running when we get back to the city.”

I look down at her with a slight pinch in my heart. My fun summer fling theory is sinking a little more every day.

Maddie catches my gaze, and a bright, mischievous smile tugs at her lips. To my surprise, she pulls back before unceremoniously plopping her feet on my lap.

“Would you mind?” she simpers, lifting a leg to stretch her calf before my face. “Because of you, my legs are killing me.”

I arch a brow. She’s getting some bad habits. I shouldn’t indulge her.

But I’m just a weak man, and the delight on her face as my hands wrap around her strained muscles is too genuine for me to resist. I exhale in defeat as she hums, satisfied, pressing more of her weight into my hand.

“You should consider switching careers. You’d make a killing as a masseur,” she says after a while.

I snort. “What would the world do without me plugging numbers into spreadsheets for the senior analysts?” I try to keep the bitterness from my voice.

Maddie tilts her head. “That can’t be all you do, right? I thought you worked for a big-time financial firm?”

“Yeah, it’s not all bad. I don’t have to bring coffee anymore. Pay’s not too shabby, either.” Am I bragging? Please tell me I’m not bragging.

“I have no idea what I’ll do when I’m done with college. Marketing should be a little more creative than your finance stuff, right?”

I open my mouth to answer, but my fingers hit a knot in her calf. Without thinking, I press into it, working it loose.

Maddie moans. “Fuck,” she says in a breath, finally recovering under my mesmerized gaze. “You found the spot. This is better than sex.”

She pauses, then smirks.

“Okay, maybe not better than sex with you.”

===

The front doorbell rings, and I open it to find the neighbors’ grandkids.

Well not exactly kids. Diane is right around my age, while Kevin is closer to Paige and Maddie.

They both dressed up for the nearby village’s festival. Kevin actually cleans up nicely in his dark shirt and pants, which don’t clash with his sister’s fitted sage dress.

He pulls me into a quick, friendly hug before stepping inside. Diane just nods, her expression unreadable. Things have been a bit tense between us ever since she caught me fucking Maddie on my parents’ outdoor table.

“The girls should be down in a minute. They’ve been getting ready for hours.”

They must have been listening, because right as I say that, they step out from their shared bedroom and walk down the stairs, overdoing the princess bit.

Paige opted for a white blouse tucked loosely into a blue midi skirt with low wedge sandals. She looks effortlessly pretty.

Maddie, for her part, is out to steal everyone’s breath away.

She revels in our attention as we take in her flowy, knee-length dress. The light teal fabric perfectly complements her blue eyes and new tan, and the V-neck dips just enough to stay on the right side of classy. Her strappy heels clack softly against the stairs as she descends, pausing at the bottom for a twirl.

“What do you guys think?” Maddie asks, clearly enjoying the moment.

“You girls look great,” Kevin answers, and I nod in agreement.

“That’s it? That’s all we get?” Paige huffs. “We put in I’m-getting-laid-tonight level effort.”

“Paige!” Mom’s exasperated voice calls from the kitchen.

My sister’s face goes bright red. “Sorry, Mom!” she yells back as the rest of us dissolve into laughter.

“Alright, let’s get to the car,” I cut in. “If we get there too late, we’ll have to park on the other side of town, and I don’t feel like carrying anyone on the way back.”

I shoot Paige a pointed look, remembering the last time we went. I hope Maddie is taking the hint, too. Because, if I’m being honest, I don’t think I could say no to anything she asks tonight.

The others start toward the door, but Maddie lingers, stepping into my space.

“So?” she asks, clearly fishing for compliments. “What do you think?”

“The local guys are going to lose their minds,” I whisper. “They’re not ready for you.”

She smiles, almost shyly, before getting up on the tip of her toes. I catch a note of jasmine, but can’t tell if it comes from her skin or the blonde hair left flowing over her bare shoulders.

Delicately, she undoes one more button of my blue linen shirt, paired with light cream pants.

Her lips brush my ear, sending tingles down the back of my head. 

“Too bad for them,” she murmurs. “I’m taken.”

I only come back to my senses as I pull the car down the driveway.

In the passenger seat, Kevin rummages through the old collection of CDs in my glove box, flipping through them with mild curiosity.

The girls are packed in the backseat. Their familiar chatter, the easy kind that comes from a lifetime of knowing each other, fills the car during the somewhat lengthy drive.

The village we’re headed to is a small harbor tucked on the shore of a neighboring lake. Each summer, the inhabitants put on a fair for the many tourists, which turns into a ball at nightfall.

I manage to find us a parking spot only a few streets away from the port. As we step out, the warm evening air hums with distant music, mingling with the scent of grilled food and lake water.

“I’m not drinking tonight,” Diane offers as she pulls herself out of the backseat. “I’ll drive on the way back if you want.”

I glance at her, surprised. A peace offering.

“Thanks,” I say, keeping my tone even. I wasn’t planning on getting plastered with my little sister here, but if Diane wants to smooth things over, I’ll take it. She’s one of my longest-standing friends.

We follow the flow of people toward the harbor, reaching it in a few minutes.

The main square has been cleared to make space for the fair. Stalls offering food and drinks line the waterfront, forming a lively barrier before the lake. Small tables sit off to the sides, their surface illuminated by candles.

Strings of light hang over the improvised dancefloor, casting the entire square in a dim golden glow. Some are even woven around the masts of boats bobbing lazily at the quay.

A local band plays familiar covers, as older couples are already dancing. Young people linger at the edges of the square, glancing at one another but not yet brave enough to make an approach.

Kids, on the other hand, are zipping happily through the small crowds, excited at the idea of escaping bedtime even though the sun is setting over the glimmering waters of the lake.

“Let’s go grab a table!” Paige decides. Slowly, she turns toward me, putting on her best little sister's face. 

“Rom,” she draws out my name, “do you think you could score us some beers?”

I should have seen underage drinking coming a mile away. Still, this isn’t just every other day.

“Sure,” I relent.

Paige lets out a triumphant cheer, throwing her arms around me.

“I’ll help you carry them,” Maddie offers, ever helpful.

“No, I’m good. Let’s not turn this into a felony.”

She pouts as I separate from the group and head toward the stall with the most reasonable pricing.

At the counter, a nervous-looking barman fumbles to pull our pints. I watch him struggle, half-amused, before letting my gaze wander over the fair.

I take in the warm and familiar scene.

Nostalgia hits me hard. There’s nothing like this in the city.

Carefully, I stumble back to the table our little group has settled around with four beers and a Coke in my arms.

I can see Paige and Kevin engrossed in a conversation, pointing out different things, while Maddie and Diane seem to be arguing in hushed tones.

My heart tightens. What could they be talking about?

Before I can reach them, Diane stomps toward me and snatches the soda from my hand.

“Thanks,” she says, curt and clipped. “I’ll go get some food.”

Crap, crap, crap.

I hurry the last few steps, nearly dropping the beers as I slide them onto the table. 

Maddie flashes me a grateful smile just as the clinking glass pulls the others from their conversation. Kevin takes one look at the pints, and his entire face lights up.

In this very moment, I am his hero.

I wait for Paige and Kevin to turn back the other way before I lean into Maddie.

“What was that?” I whisper anxiously.

Maddie doesn’t even flinch. “Nothing, Diane was just telling me that I should stay away from you. That you’re being a creep.”

Fuck me. I thought things were getting better.

“What did you say?”

She shrugs. “I told her she was just being a jealous old hag.”

I wince. Hard.

“Thanks a lot, Maddie,” I mutter in a sarcastic tone. “You’re really helping me out.”

She tilts her chin up at me, something burning in her eyes.

“Not everything is about you. I’m an adult. I get to make my own choices,” Maddie delivers every single word with conviction. 

Her following sentence undermines the sentiment a bit.

“Diane’s not my mom.”

“Yeah, well, now I need to patch things up with her before she rats us out to Paige,” I whisper, nodding toward my sister, just a few feet away.

Maddie tries to get me to stay, but I’m already moving toward Diane, who’s waiting in line at a pizza truck.

“Hey,” I offer, sliding in awkwardly next to her. “Sorry about that.”

Diane doesn’t look at me right away. “You’ve come to make sure I’m not going to blow up your little vacation hookup?”

“I mean… yeah. Kind of?”

She finally turns to me.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to blackmail you.” There’s no malice in her voice. If anything, she sounds tired. “She’s head over heels for you. You have to see that, right?”

The weight that’s been crushing me for days only gets heavier.

Diane waits. I swallow hard, but the words don’t come. So she continues.

“You’re not a bad guy, Rom. You had your heart broken, and then a hot girl threw some attention your way. It happens. But you need to be an adult now. Otherwise, you’re really going to hurt her.”

I finally meet her eyes—and for the first time, there’s no coldness. Only concern.

I swallow. “I know. You’re right.”

Diane doesn’t rub it in. She just nods and squeezes my elbow.

She grabs her order, and I wordlessly take half, following her back to the table.

Paige and Kevin are still here. Maddie is nowhere to be seen. My beer is empty, and so is hers. Great.

I sip from Paige’s abandoned glass as she heads off to dance with Kevin. The alcohol is settling in. I can feel I almost have something to discuss with Diane to cover the awkward silence when my eyes finally stumble on Maddie.

She’s talking to some guy. Smiling. Tilting her head just enough to make him think he has a chance.

Just like that, everything Diane just told me evaporates. Sure, I’ll have to break things with Maddie before the end of the vacation.

That doesn’t mean I have to watch her have fun with someone else tonight.

I make a beeline for Maddie and her companion. She startles as I wrap my arm around her waist, then lets out a happy giggle and melts into me.

The other guy has probably never hated someone as much as he hates me right now. But we both know this is over, so he walks away.

“Hey, you,” Maddie chirps eagerly. “Decided to be fun again?”

“Something like that,” I grunt, my grip tightening around her. “Dance?”

“Took you long enough.”

We join Paige and Kevin on the dancefloor. The four of us cheer as Diane boogies her way to us. 

For the next hour or so, we alternate dancing as a group and pairing up. I have a blast with both Paige and Diane. I even share a song with Kevin, to the girls’ absolute delight. The worries of the world fade in the hazy background. 

But things feel more intense every time Maddie slips into my grasp. I notice her eyes on me. The way her dress catches on the swell of her hips when she sways. Her breathy laugh when I try a ridiculous move. 

As time goes on, families filter out, and the music slows. 

I realize Maddie’s led me away from the others. Our chests...