As We Fall

Chapter 2

Colton woke the next morning feeling more at ease than he had expected. The basement was cool and quiet, and after a night of gaming and hanging out with Tyler, Austin, and April, he was finally starting to feel like he could settle into this summer. But as he lay there, staring up at the ceiling, a part of him still felt out of place.

He couldn't shake the sensation that he was under constant observation, especially from April's dad. The whole ID-checking thing had been weird, and while Mr. Bradshaw had reluctantly allowed him to stay, Colton knew the man didn't fully trust him. It wasn't surprising—he'd been around enough protective fathers to understand the drill—but it still left a lingering tension that gnawed at the back of his mind.

But April... she was different. She had made him feel welcome from the moment he arrived, her smiles and light-hearted teasing easing some of the awkwardness he'd felt. There was something about her that made him feel comfortable, like she genuinely cared about making sure everyone was okay. And Colton appreciated that more than he could say, especially in a house that still felt foreign to him.

As he sat up and stretched, the sound of voices from upstairs filtered down through the open basement door. He recognized April's voice—bright and friendly—and another girl's, unfamiliar but loud and full of energy. Curiosity piqued, he threw on a T-shirt and headed upstairs.

When he reached the kitchen, he found April standing at the counter, laughing at something the other girl had said. The girl—who Colton assumed must be April's best friend—was stunning in a bold, attention-grabbing way. Her blonde hair was piled high in a messy bun, and she wore a skimpy tank top with cut-off shorts, looking every bit like she was ready for a summer party. She caught sight of him first, her eyes scanning him up and down in a way that made him feel like he was being evaluated.

"Well, well, well," the girl said with a sly grin. "You must be Colton. I've heard a lot about you."

Colton blinked, caught off guard. "Oh, uh... yeah. You must be Gabby?"

Gabby winked. "The one and only." She turned to April with a smirk. "You didn't tell me he was cute."

April blushed, waving her hand dismissively. "Gabby, stop. You're going to scare him off."

Colton chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm still here, so I guess I'm not that scared."

Gabby grinned, clearly amused. "Good to know. We need more fun around here. You're going to help with that, right?"

Before Colton could answer, Austin appeared, stepping into the kitchen with an air of confidence that bordered on cockiness. He wrapped an arm around April's waist, pulling her close and pressing a kiss to her temple. Colton caught the brief flash of something in Austin's eyes as he glanced at Gabby and Colton—something sharp and calculating—but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

"Morning," Austin said, his voice casual but with an edge that Colton hadn't noticed the night before. "What's the plan for today?"

April beamed up at him, her excitement contagious. "We were thinking of spending the day by the pool. Gabby's got the music, and it's way too nice out to stay inside."

Austin shrugged, his arm still draped over April. "Sounds good to me."

Colton couldn't help but feel a little tension settle into his chest. There was something about the way Austin held April, the possessive grip around her waist, that made Colton uncomfortable. It wasn't just the protective boyfriend thing—he got that—but there was a subtle shift in Austin's demeanor that seemed... territorial. Like he wanted to make sure Colton knew his place.

But Colton pushed the thought away. He was just overthinking things. Austin and April had been together for a while, and they seemed happy enough. Maybe Austin was just being... Austin. He was trying not to let it get to him.