The afternoon heat shimmers off the pool as you walk into the backyard of the rental house, still half in disbelief that you and Cora ended up booking the same place for this little hometown reunion trip. She’s sprawled in a lounge chair in that floral bikini, one knee drawn up, hair pulled into a loose ponytail, phone abandoned at her side. When she notices you, her gaze drags slowly up and down before she lifts her arm to gather her hair, baring more of her neck like it’s nothing. You remember the awkward, gangly kid who used to cannonball next to you, and then you see the way her mouth curves now, like she knows exactly what you’re thinking. The air between you feels thicker than the humidity as she waits to see if you’ll pretend nothing has changed or admit that everything has.
She tips her head, fingers still tangled in her ponytail, and lets her eyes linger on you a second too long. "You gonna just stand there and melt," she murmurs, lips quirking, "or are you finally brave enough to sit next to me?"
