For a while, I let myself get lost in it. The savory scent of grilled meat mingled with the sweet tang of summer air. Bright peals of laughter from the kids playing tag between the adults' legs. The lazy thump of music floated from someone's Bluetooth speaker.
I leaned back in my chair, face tipped up to the fading sun. For a few stolen hours, I let myself believe that this could be my new normal. That after all the loss and loneliness, I might have finally found a place to belong. A family.
The delicious scent of seared meat wafted through the air as Nathan flipped the steaks with expert precision. I sneaked another glance his way, admiring the fluid grace of his movements.
Suddenly, Elle raced by, dragging Bryce toward the food table. "If you don't hurry, I'm taking the last hot dog," she hollered over her shoulder.
Tavi appeared at my side, pressing a cold beer into my hand with a knowing smirk. "You're watching him again," she accused.
I shot her a sharp look. "I am not."
"Uh-huh, sure." She rolled her eyes. "Just go talk to him already. Put us all out of our misery."
I took a long swig of my drink, using it as an excuse not to answer. As much as I liked Tavi, I wasn't ready to admit just how deep my feelings for Nathan ran. Not even to myself.
Across the yard, Kendrick and another pack member bickered playfully over the last burger. Their laughter floated on the warm breeze, mingling with the excited squeals of the younger kids playing tag.
As the sun began its slow descent, painting the sky in vibrant oranges and pinks, people naturally settled into smaller groups. Couples cuddled close, fingers intertwined. Friends huddled in clusters, swapping stories and inside jokes.
Someone had brought a guitar. It’d been ages since I played, but I walked over. Jenna came and joined me. “You play?” she asked.
“I dabble. Is it yours?”
She nodded. “Feel free.”
With a muttered thanks, I slipped away from the crowd, guitar in hand, and found a quiet spot near the glowing embers of the firepit. Tuning it was second nature, the strings rough and familiarbeneath my fingertips.
Closing my eyes, I let my hands drift into an old melody, something my dad used to hum under his breath when I was little. The notes wrapped around me like a well-worn blanket, soothing the ragged edges of my soul.
For a moment, I was that little girl again, perched on my daddy's knee as he plucked out lullabies before the world got too big and realized that not all monsters could be slain by a father's steadfast love.
I let the music say what I couldn't put into words, that despite the scars on my heart, I wanted to try again. To trust. To love.
The shadows shifted as Nathan stepped closer, but I didn't startle. Some part of me had sensed his presence, or maybe I'd just been hoping he'd find me.
"Are you seriously lurking?" I asked, one eyebrow raised, my fingers never faltering on the strings. “Back to being a stalker?”
He shrugged, the hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Didn't want to interrupt."
I hesitated for a beat, then nodded to the empty spot beside me. "You can sit."
He lowered himself to the ground, close enough that I could feel the heat of his body, the brush of his knee against mine. I kept playing, the melody swelling to fill the comfortable silence between us.
"You're good," he murmured after a minute.
"You don't have to sound so surprised," I teased, sneaking a glance at him.
Nathan smirked, but a softness in his eyes made my breath catch. His gaze locked with mine, and suddenly the air charged with a tension that had been building since the moment I'd stepped back into Stock Creek.
Slowly, carefully, he lifted a hand and brushed his fingers along my jaw. I shivered, my heart stuttering.
He leaned in, his breath mingling with mine, the firelight dancing across his face. It would be so easy to close the distance between us, to press my lips to his and let the rest of the world fade away.
"Rissa..." Nathan murmured with longing but also uncertainty.
At that moment, something inside me snapped. To hell with it. Gavin already knew about us, about this unspoken thing between Nathan and me. There wasno reason to hide anymore. I was done pretending I didn't feel the pull, the undeniable connection that had sparked to life the second I'd laid eyes on him again.
I grabbed the front of his shirt, fingers twisting in the soft fabric, and yanked him toward me. Our lips crashed together over the guitar, the kiss searing and desperate, a release of all the pent-up tension and desire that had been simmering under the surface for weeks.
