unspoken tension

Lana

The party was everything I’d expected—too loud, too crowded, and filled with people who pretended not to stare. Small towns thrived on gossip, and I had been one of their favorite stories. The girl who left Jake Dawson. The girl who never came back.

Until now.

I tried to lose myself in the noise, laughing when it felt appropriate and sipping my drink just to keep my hands occupied. Jake was in his element, surrounded by old friends, flashing that same grin that had once been my undoing.

“You’re quiet tonight.”

I turned to find Jake standing beside me, a hint of concern in his voice.

“Just tired,” I replied, offering him a small smile. It wasn’t a complete lie—this night, this house, drained me in ways I couldn’t explain.

His brow furrowed, but before he could ask more, a deep voice cut through the din.

“Jake.”

I froze.

I didn’t need to turn to know who it was. That voice, low and gravelly, was burned into my memory. It had haunted my dreams more times than I cared to admit.

Jake turned, and so did I, despite every instinct telling me to avoid it.

Drew stood there, cigarette gone, his dark eyes flicking from Jake to me in a way that made my skin prickle. He looked older than I remembered—harder, sharper—but it was still him. The man who could unravel me with a single glance.

“You’re back.” Drew’s gaze lingered on me as he spoke, though the words were directed at Jake.

“Yeah, figured you’d show up eventually,” Jake said, laughing. “What’d you do, lose your way out here?”

Drew didn’t answer, but the corner of his mouth quivered in something that wasn’t quite a smile.

I swallowed hard and looked away, suddenly desperate for an escape.

“I need some air,” I muttered, not waiting for a response before slipping away.

Outside, the night was quieter. The distant hum of music faded, and the cool breeze brushed against my flushed skin. I leaned against the wooden railing of the porch, trying to steady my breathing.

“You always did run when things got uncomfortable.”

The voice came from behind me.

I whipped around to find Drew standing at the edge of the porch, his hands shoved into his pockets. His eyes were on me, calm but intense, like he was seeing straight through me.

“I wasn’t running,” I said defensively.

He tilted his head, unconvinced. “You’re still a bad liar, Lana.”

“Why are you even here?” I shot back, narrowing my eyes.

He took a step closer, and the air between us thickened. “I could ask you the same thing.”

I didn’t have an answer for that.

The truth was, I didn’t know why I had come back. To pay a debt? To face my past? Or maybe—just maybe—I’d hoped to see him again, even if I wouldn’t admit it to myself.

“You’ve changed,” Drew said after a moment, his voice quieter now.

“So have you,” I whispered.

The words hung between us, heavy and unspoken. Drew stared at me for a beat longer, then stepped back, like he was pulling away from something dangerous.

“Goodnight, Lana.”

And just like that, he disappeared into the shadows, leaving me alone on the porch, my heart racing.