diving in

A sudden breeze blew by, sending her dark locks tumbling and crashing around her face, the wet tendrils hitting her weakly. She tugged at the damp towel around her shoulders and hunched into it further, focusing on breathing in the night's cool air.

                Grace sighed in content. Something about the night just calmed her, the fresh outdoors soothing her worries—or trying their best. She lived primarily in one of two states: quiet peace, or subtle anxiety. She absolutely adored Sam's lake house—her lake house? Her mom's?—and it could act all it wanted that she was in the peace stage, but it couldn't successfully hide the truth from her. Summer was coming to a close.

                Which, normally, would stir up excitement for what the new school year held. But things were different this year. After summer ended, she wouldn't be coming home to Grey House every day to do her homework and help Cassie with chores and whatever guest's lives they had magically become a part of. She wouldn't be happily swamped with extracurricular activities and bursting to arrange a date with Noah. None of that would be happening, because she wasn't going to Middleton High anymore.

                Graduating had been bittersweet. Every molecule of her being was psyched to continue with life and see what she would find, but her brain just wouldn't let up on all she was leaving behind. It constantly nagged at her that choosing a university out of state had been a huge mistake, and that maybe she should just take a gap year and stay in town. Whether staying in town would strictly be for the year off or if it would end up being long-term to further her education, she didn't know.

                But she didn't want to—no no, she wasn't going to let up on her decision. Someone had once told her she would never leave Middleton, and if this not only proved him wrong but also took her away from him, then she wasn't going back. Not to say her pick of universities had been entirely shaped because of him, but it was just a tad influenced—

                Grace's back stiffened as her breath caught, simultaneously thankful for and cursing her 'feelings.' Speak of the Devil... She considered calling out his name like she used to, but that was reserved for her friends, and she doubted he'd appreciate it now anyway. But still—what was he doing here?

                She knew the simple answer. He was Sam's son, her step-brother, and he'd been at the lake house with their new family all summer long. As to why he had come out onto the back porch at eleven at night when it was clear she was the only one out there, she didn't know.

                They hadn't had a real conversation in over a year.

                She felt rather than heard his footsteps move closer, wondering if she should say something first.

                "I was going to shower." His voice was empty, almost monotone, and she couldn't tell if he was irritated or just stating a fact.

                She started to clear her throat then stopped. Grace straightened her spine and spoke into the open air, "Sorry if I used up all the water." It figured he'd come out to complain to her about her late-night shower. It wasn't her fault he hadn't planned better around her schedule, having known she and her mom were going kayaking and then thrift and antique shopping all day and that she wouldn't be back until late. Of course she was going to shower when she got home. He could have accommodated to her needs just once.

                "You didn't," he replied, granting her a little emotion in his words. His bare feet made a dull sound as they moved forward, stopping when he dropped into the lawn chair a few feet adjacent her. He tossed two large t-shirts onto the porch floor, a squelching noise sounding as soon as they hit the wood. She caught his raised eyebrow. "Just took the last towel."