“Um, it’s nice,” I said. I still hadn’t told them I was living with Jay.
“Nice? It’s unbelievable. If I could live in a place like this, I would never want for anything again,” Macey said, taking a bite of her burger.
“Yeah, speaking of houses… have you found a place yet?” Tyler nudged me with obvious concern in his brown eyes.
“Yeah, I did find a place,” I said, looking down at my food, unsure exactly how to explain.
“Where?” Macey asked innocently.
“Well,” I hesitated. “Jay’s apartment, actually.”
I told the truth, knowing immediately what was about to follow.
“Jay’s what?” Macey stopped chewing, her mouth falling open as a tiny piece of lettuce dropped onto her plate.
“You’re staying here?” Tyler’s eyebrows shot up as he looked over at the mansion again.
“Yeah, he has a place above his garage. He offered it to me after he found out I didn’t have a place.”
“Hope, you’re living with Jay?” Macey had the decency to keep her voice down, but the whisper was a whisper-yell, and her eyes were practically popping out of her head.
“It’s really not a big deal,” I said, not wanting it to feel like a big deal. But it sort of was. I was living with our boss.
“I can’t believe you get to live here. I would kill for a view like this,” she giggled. “Both the views, if you know what I mean.”
“You’re relentless,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“I’m joking. Sort of,” Macey said with a shrug.
“Well, I’m really glad you found a place to stay,” Tyler said.
I nodded. “Yeah. Me too.” I brushed a stray strand of hair back behind my ear.
“The private section of the lake out here is actually insane,” Macey said, shaking her head.
“It’s awesome,” Tyler said, looking out at the water. “Wanna go down to the edge with me, Hope?” he suddenly proposed.
I wasn’t expecting the invitation, but realized I’d be happy to wander away from the party for a bit.
“Sure, let’s go. Macey, do you want to come?”
Macey waved us off. “Nah, I’m good. I’m going to go talk to Erica and Jenn for a bit.”
I nodded, setting my plate off to the side and following Tyler.
We slipped away from the group, the laughter and chatter fading behind us as we made our way down the path toward the water. The lights from the cabin castle gradually disappeared, replaced by the silvery glow of the moon reflecting off the lake’s surface. The air was damp and crisp, carrying the faint scent of pine and lake seaweed.
We walked side by side, falling into a rhythm. The softcrunch of lake sand under our shoes was the only sound, accompanied by the gentle lapping of the water against the shore.
“This place really is beautiful,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper as if speaking too loudly might shatter the tranquility of the moment.
Tyler nodded. “Yeah, it really is. It’s a perfect escape from everything.”
We continued walking, the silence between us not at all awkward. It was easy to be around Tyler. I liked that he gave me a sense of calm. He wasn’t intense and didn’t make me anxious when I was around him.
“Speaking of Dr. Jay,” Tyler said, “I was wondering. I know Macey jokes about it a lot, but do you actually… like him?”
My eyes widened at the unexpected question. “Most definitely not,” I said, letting out a nervous laugh. “I could never be with a dentist.” My cheeks burned.
