Chapter One

What a beautiful day.

I stand in my room, my suitcase by my side, staring out the window as sunlight pours onto the road and birds chirp in the trees.

A sudden knock at the door makes me flinch. I turn, and my stomach flips when I see Noah standing there. He smiles — that bright, straight-toothed smile, dimples showing, his blue eyes shining with excitement.

"You ready?" he asks, his deep voice soft.

I nod slowly, smiling back.

My hand wraps around the suitcase handle, just about to pull it, when he steps beside me.

"I'll bring it down," he says, smiling again. As he grabs the handle, his hand brushes mine. That familiar spark runs through me — the one I feel every time we touch.

But I can't let myself go there.

I glance up at him. He's watching me with a curious expression.

"You okay?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

I force a smile and nod. "Yeah, I'm great."

He sees through it. He always does — he's the only one who can.

I sigh and shrug. "Don't worry about it. It's nothing."

I bite my lip, and I catch his eyes flick down to them before he nods. Without another word, we head downstairs.

I've had feelings for Noah since day one. But I never told Sandra — my best friend — and recently, she told me she likes him. So now I'm stuck. If I go after him, I lose her. If I don't, I lose him. Either way, something has to give.

Still, I've never felt this way about anyone else. The five of us — Sandra, Noah, Luke, Harry, and I — have been living together in our rented house for six months now. I even dated Luke for a while, but I never felt for him what I feel for Noah.

Noah and I just click. We talk, laugh, sometimes flirt. There's always this connection, and I can't ignore it — even if I try. It hurts watching Sandra try to win him over when deep down, I know he's the one for me.

Nothing will ever happen between us, though. The more I think about it, the more it eats away at me. I don't think I'll ever find that kind of spark with someone else.

Noah knows Sandra likes him. He wants to stay friends, but that won't stop her from trying to change his mind.

---

"You alright?" Luke asks when I reach the bottom of the stairs. He raises a brow, and I nod again, smiling as we all head out to the car Harry's driving.

"I called shotgun," Luke announces, grinning.

"Of course you did," I laugh, rolling my eyes. "None of us even had the chance."

"Dibs on a window seat," Sandra chimes in as Noah loads my suitcase into the trunk.

"Dibs on window seat... sorry Sierra, you're stuck in the middle," Noah teases with a smile.

I roll my eyes. "At least let me process it first."

"No, it's fine," Sandra offers. "I'll take the middle."

But Noah shakes his head. "Nope, she's got middle. That's the rule."

He grins down at me, and I frown at him, catching the glint of mischief in his eyes.

Sandra's expression flashes briefly — a flicker of jealousy. I don't understand why, and I try not to dwell on it.

Inside the car, thankfully there's enough space that we're not squished together. I end up sitting with my legs brushing Noah's, and the energy between us makes me sigh, overwhelmed. I lean my head back against the seat.

"I wanna smoke some weed," Luke announces.

"No way," Harry replies. "If we get pulled over with that in the car? You're out of your mind."

We all laugh at Luke's total lack of concern.

Harry turns up the music, connecting his phone to the car speakers. The bass pulses as we drive.

"Is that your perfume?" Noah asks suddenly, glancing at me.

"I don't know," I say with a small laugh, holding up my wrist so he can smell it.

He leans in and nods. "Yeah, that's it. It smells amazing."

Butterflies erupt in my stomach, but I play it cool and roll my eyes.

"Don't be weird," I tease. "But thanks."

He smiles, and for a second, his eyes lock with mine — a look I could live in forever. His eyes are so blue, so full of something unspoken. I'm in love with Noah. I just wish he felt the same.

I look down at my hands and bite my lip. Sandra's already asleep beside me. I guess we've been driving for over an hour.

"Why are you wearing shorts? It's not even warm," I say, glancing back at Noah.

He raises an eyebrow. "Because I look great in shorts."

I snort. "You sure about that?"

"Absolutely. And you can't look me in the eyes and tell me otherwise without smiling."

I meet his eyes. "You look good in shorts."

He grins. "Really?"

I shrug. "Seems like you never skip leg day."

He gasps in mock surprise. "I'm so glad you noticed."

He flicks his hair like he's in a shampoo commercial, and I nudge him with my shoulder, laughing.

"Stop flirting back there!" Harry yells through the rearview mirror. "I'm not cleaning cum stains off the backseat."

My face turns bright red. Luke glances back with narrowed eyes, half amused, half grossed out.

---

An hour later, we finally pull up to the cabin we've been planning to visit for weeks.

"I love your family," I laugh as I hug Sandra. Her grandparents own the place.

It's perfect — tucked in the woods, right next to a lake with a pier, kayaks, and a boathouse. We're going to have the best time here.

The cabin is two stories with a big, open foyer, all wood-paneled walls and warm light. It's honestly nicer than our house back home. A grand chandelier hangs from the high ceiling, and a balcony looks down over the main room.

To the left is an open-concept kitchen and living area. The kitchen is sleek but cozy, with a wooden island and dark countertops. A dining table sits nearby with six chairs neatly arranged.

The lounge area has brown leather couches, a bear-skin rug, and a huge 60-inch TV. A big window lets in light and gives a view of the front garden.

Behind the kitchen, there's a storage room with floats, a washer, and a dryer. On the other side of the house, there's a bathroom and a small study with a cozy library.

Upstairs, there are eight bedrooms — all with double beds. Some are smaller than others, but I manage to call dibs on one of the master bedrooms with a big en suite.

I can already tell this trip is going to be unforgettable — whether I'm ready for it or not.