She rolled her eyes affectionately, but she was already gathering herself up. He slipped out of the Grand Cherokee and came around to her side just as she was stepping down, shoes back on, her dress brushing against her legs. She tucked her hair behind one ear, fingers catching on a knot from the wind.
They rounded the corner past the concession stand and dim porch light, where the restrooms sat quietly, a few couples milling nearby with sodas and candy.
“I didn’t want to miss the poem,” she added softly, slowing as they reached the wall.
Dylan leaned against the stucco, hands in his pockets. “You’ve got time. Movie magic’s on our side.”
She glanced at him, eyes soft. “Wait here?”
“Always.”
She gave him one of those crooked little smiles—the kind that made his chest tighten—and disappeared through the bathroom door, leaving him with the echo of her steps and the scent of coconut.
He let his head fall back against the wall and blew out a breath. Something about this night felt like closure and beginnings allat once. The kind of night he’d once dreamed about when everything had gone to hell. And now?
He was here. She was here. And it was better than he ever imagined.
The quiet buzz of the drive-in faded beneath the soft music from the movie and the occasional rustle of popcorn bags. Dylan leaned against the stucco wall just outside the women’s restroom, scrolling his phone aimlessly—Ali had been inside for less than two minutes.
That’s when he heard it.
“Mac?Mac McKenzie, is that you?!”
His head jerked up.
Fuck.
Walking toward him, stilettos clacking across the concrete like some kind of omen, was Jenna Hawthorne—one of Daisy’s old sorority sisters. Bleach blonde, way too tan, and still wearing that same glossy-lipped smile he remembered from Magnolia Bluff.
He hadn’t seen her in a decade. And he could’ve gone another ten without fixing that.
“Jenna,” he said, straightening up, trying to keep his voice even. Calm. Not draw attention.
But she was already closing the gap, squealing as she threw her arms around his neck in a full-body launch that left him stunned and stumbling half a step back.
“Ohmy God, itisyou! You lookexactlythe same,” she purred, still hanging off him like she had a claim.
Dylan stiffened, jaw clenched. “Hey, uh…yeah. Hi.”
She pulled back, eyes raking him with open appreciation. “God, Daisy used tobragabout you all the time. I haven’t seen you since the Tau Delt formal—remember that night? I still have the pics.”
Before he could reply, she spun toward the guy waiting nearby—some dude in boat shoes and a neon polo. “Babe!Thisis Mac McKenzie. Daisy’s brother. Played at Bluff, now he’s in the NFL!”
The guy blinked, eyes widening with immediate recognition. “Noway. The Tritons, right?”
Dylan gave him a tight nod, trying not to look like a cornered animal. “Yeah. That’s me.”
And then his stomach dropped.
Ali.
Any second now, she was going to walk out that door and see this. This sorority reunion clinging to him like it was 2013 again. And there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell he was letting Jenna’s presence ruin their night. Not when Ali had come so far. Not when hefinallyhad her back.
He shifted slightly, forcing a smile. “Hey, it’s great seeing you guys. Really. But I’m here with someone and—”
“Oh comeon, just one selfie?” Jenna was already digging in her purse, gloss catching the light. “Daisy willdiewhen she sees this.”
His jaw ticked. “Not a good time, Jenna.”
