A jarring noise yanked me from sleep. I groaned, turning over and burying my face in the pillow.
"Madison!" Olivia’s voice sliced through my half-sleep, and a second later, my shoulder was being shaken – hard.
I cracked one eye open to find her standing over me, grinning like she’d just committed a pre-dawn assault.
"What," I mumbled, voice thick with sleep.
"You need to *get* up," she said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "The others are going to be here soon."
I frowned, still groggy. "What others?"
She rolled her eyes. "The people I’m moving in with? Remember? I told you yesterday."
I blinked at her, my brain slowly booting up. Right. Her new housemates. The ones coming to help her move.
*The ones that included… no. We weren’t letting ourselves think about that yet.*
I groaned, dragging a hand across my face. "What time is it?"
"Noon," she said, infuriatingly casually.
That jolted me awake. "What?!" I bolted upright.
Olivia just grinned. "Yeah, so hurry up."
I sighed, knowing resistance was futile. She was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Alright, alright. I’m up."
Dragging myself out of bed, I grabbed my bag and shuffled toward the bathroom. A quick shower helped shake off the last vestiges of sleep, and by the time I stepped out, I felt marginally human. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a fitted long-sleeve, something casual but presentable enough to meet new people. My hair fell into place with a few quick fixes, and I swiped on just enough makeup to look put together.
*Not that I cared who saw me. Not that it mattered at all.*
By the time I made it downstairs, Olivia was already buzzing around the kitchen, sipping on an iced coffee.
"Finally," she said, giving me an exaggerated look.
"You woke me up twenty minutes ago," I pointed out, grabbing a glass of water.
"Yeah, and they’re going to be here in—" The doorbell rang. Olivia’s eyes lit up. "Now."
She set her drink down and practically skipped to the door. I followed behind, not sure what to expect.
When Olivia swung the door open, a group of people stood outside, a chaotic mix of boxes and duffle bags in their hands.
"Hey, you made it!" Olivia said, stepping aside to let them in.
The first one through was a guy with short, dark hair and an easy grin. "Took us long enough," he joked. "Traffic was brutal."
"Excuses," Olivia teased before turning to me. "Madi, this is Nate."
"Hey," I said with a small smile.
"Nice to meet you," he said, setting a bag down. "You’re helping with the move?"
"Apparently," I said, shooting Olivia a look.
She just shrugged. "You love me."
Before I could argue, a girl with long dark hair came in next, balancing a box on her hip. "Is this where we just dump our stuff, or…?"
"Uh, just put it in the living room for now," Olivia said. "Madi, this is Aisha."
"Hey," I said, stepping aside so she could pass.
"Nice to meet you," she said, offering a quick smile before heading in.
More introductions followed. Markell, who was already cracking jokes before he even stepped inside. Cody, who immediately started scanning the house like he was assessing its structural integrity. Azra, Aisha’s twin, who looked almost exactly like her except for the way she carried herself—more reserved, a little quieter.
And then there was Kelianne, who gave me a small smile.
"So, you’re Madi," she said, adjusting the bag on her shoulder.
I nodded. "Yeah, nice to meet you."
"You too," she said. "Olivia mentioned you were helping her pack. Brave of you."
I smirked. "Yeah, I’m starting to regret it."
She laughed, setting her bag down. The group fell into an easy rhythm, everyone unpacking or moving things around, talking like they’d known each other forever. They all seemed… manageable, which made me feel a little more comfortable.
*Until—*
The doorbell rang again.
The conversation died down slightly. Olivia glanced at me before turning toward the door, her movements just a little slower this time.
*I stiffened. There was only one person who made Olivia hesitate like that.*
I already knew who it was before she even opened it.
Still, when the door swung open and I saw him standing there, something twisted in my stomach.
Tayler.
He looked the same. Maybe his hair was a little shorter, maybe his jawline a little sharper, but everything else—the way he stood, the way he looked at me—felt exactly the way it had before.
*His eyes locked onto mine, and for a heartbeat, it was like no time had passed at all. Like we were back in his car that night, screaming until our voices cracked. Then he blinked, and the moment shattered.*
For a second, neither of us moved.
Then he blinked, and something flickered across his face—something unreadable.
"Hey," Olivia said, filling the silence.
"Hey," he answered, his voice calm. Too calm.
The others shuffled around, pretending to be focused on something else, but I could feel them listening. *They had to know. The way the air went stiff, the way Olivia wouldn’t meet my eyes—this was the unwritten rule in action. Nobody talked about it. Nobody asked.*
Tayler adjusted the strap of his duffle bag and stepped inside. His gaze flickered to me for the briefest second before he looked away.
I stayed where I was, gripping the edge of the counter, my pulse hammering in my ears.
I wasn’t going to be the one to break the silence.
Not this time.