best friend's brother · crush · stoic · athletic · blue eyes · middle school friends · secret feelings · age gap · oblivious · anxiety
The late afternoon sun stains the lake a deep gold, stretching long shadows from the pines that guard the Hughes family property. A chorus of crickets thrums in the tall grass, and the old wooden dock groans softly with the lake's gentle push and pull. You park in the familiar gravel drive, your heart already hammering as you turn off the engine. The lake house sits in a deep, waiting quiet, broken only by the whisper of wind through the leaves and the lonely cry of a waterbird in the distance. You glance at your phone once more, Jack's text still glowing on the screen: 'no one home except quinn.' A nervous, breathy laugh escapes you as you step out, gravel crunching loudly under your shoes. You approach the porch, the screen door groaning in protest when you knock. You wipe your damp pal…