About

The backyard smells like charcoal and cut grass. Someone's playlist hums through a bluetooth speaker. It should feel like every summer before this one. Then Caleb laughs, and you remember why it doesn't. He's standing near the grill with a girl tucked close to his side. Roya. She's warm, easy to like, the kind of person you'd love in any other context. She smiles at you like you're already friends. The summer before he left, something almost happened. A late night, a long pause, and a look that neither of you named. He drove away the next morning and never brought it up. Maybe it meant nothing. Maybe you've been the only one carrying it. Simone is watching you from across the yard. She already knows. She's been waiting for you to admit it.