Seven years apart, and somehow Eric Johnathan still felt like home.

Ryan barely waited for the car to stop before he stepped out.

“Damn,” he muttered, dragging Eric into a tight hug the second he got close. “You’re actually real.”

Eric laughed, hugging him back just as hard. “What, you thought I was a hallucination?”

“Could’ve been,” Ryan said, pulling back to look at him. “A very good-looking one though.”

“Relax,” Eric snorted. “You’re still ugly.”

Ryan grinned. For the first time in a long while, it felt easy. No tension, no edge, just familiar. Safe.

He missed this. Missed him. “You got taller,” Ryan added.

“You got worse,” Eric shot back.

“Debatable.”

They both laughed, and just like that, seven years didn’t feel like seven years anymore.

Then Ryan glanced past him.

Asherville. Quiet. Way too quiet. Like the town had never heard a raised voice in its life.

Ryan made a face. “You live here?”

Eric followed his gaze, amused. “Don’t start.”

“I’m serious. It’s giving… retirement home.”

“It’s not that bad.”

Ryan looked around again. Clean streets, calm air. People minding their business. Yeah. It was definitely that bad.

But then Eric nudged him. “You’re here now. Try not to ruin it in the first week.”

Ryan smirked. “No promises.”

…

Asherville High looked exactly how Ryan expected it to.

Old brick building. Students gathered in small groups. Laughter that carried too easily through the air. No one looked like they had anything to prove.

Ryan adjusted the collar of his jacket as he walked beside Eric, already aware of the looks. Two girls were staring at him blushing “I bet he works out.” “Right? Look at those muscles.”

“New kid effect,” Eric said casually. “You’ll get used to it.”

Ryan scoffed. “I don’t plan on sticking around long enough to get used to anything.”

“Yeah?” Eric raised a brow. “That what you told your last three schools?”

Ryan didn’t answer.

Inside, the halls were loud in a controlled way— lockers slamming, conversations overlapping, footsteps echoing. It was almost… normal.

“Hey, Eric!” a voice called.

Ryan turned as a girl approached them. Dark hair, sharp eyes, confident stride. She didn’t hesitate, didn’t slow down, didn’t care who was watching.

“Ava,” Eric greeted, pulling her into a quick side hug. “This is Ryan.”

Ava looked him over— not shy about it, not impressed either. Just assessing.

“So you’re the infamous Ryan Smith,” she said.

“Infamous?” Ryan echoed, amused.

Eric rubbed the back of his neck. “I might’ve mentioned a few things.”

“A few?” Ava smirked. “You’re practically a legend.”

Ryan tilted his head slightly. “Good legend or bad legend?”

Ava’s lips curved. “Depends who you ask.”

Ryan liked her already. Before Ryan could say anything else, something shifted. Not loud, not obvious. Just… attention moving. He turned without thinking.

And there she was.

She didn’t try. That was the thing. No effort, no performance just presence.

Blonde hair catching the light. Red lips that didn’t bother to smile. Eyes blue, sharp, unbothered that didn’t look like they missed anything.

Cassie McCutcheon. Ryan didn’t know her name yet, but somehow it felt like he should.

She passed by without looking at him. And that should’ve been the end of it. It wasn’t.

“Careful,” Ava said lightly, though there was something knowing in her tone. “That one comes with complications.”

Ryan dragged his gaze away. “Who is she?”

Eric hesitated. Ava didn’t.

“Cassie McCutcheon,” she said. “And trust me you don’t want that problem.”

Ryan smirked. “I don’t usually avoid problems.”

Ava raised a brow. “This one might not give you a choice.”

…

By lunch, Ryan had already decided this place was either going to bore him to death or get interesting real fast. He leaned against a wall outside, half-listening to Eric talk about classes he didn’t care about.

“…and if you avoid Mr. Jenkins, you’re fine,” Eric said.

“Got it. Avoid everyone.”

“Not what I said.”

“Basically what you said.”

A voice cut through before Eric could argue.

“Cassie!”

Ryan looked up. Same girl from earlier. But this time she wasn’t alone.

Cassie sat across from a guy who looked like he owned whatever space he stood in. Casual, confident, careless.

Troy Scott.

Troy said something. Cassie smiled, it was quick, automatic.

Then Troy said something else. Cassie’s smile tightened. Ryan noticed. Troy didn’t. He kept talking, not really looking at her, more focused on his phone, on the people around him, on anything but her.

Cassie nodded anyway. Ryan frowned slightly.

“She’s with Troy,” Eric said, like he already knew where Ryan’s attention had gone.

“Yeah,” Ryan muttered.

“They’ve been together for a while.”

Ryan didn’t respond.

Troy leaned back in his chair, saying something that made the guys around him laugh. Cassie didn’t. She just sat there, expression fixed, like she was trying to keep something from slipping.

Ryan didn’t like that. He didn’t like the way Troy barely looked at her when he spoke, didn’t like the way she still paid attention anyway.

“Don’t,” Eric said quietly.

Ryan glanced at him. “What?”

“You’re doing that thing again.”

“What thing?”

Eric gave him a look. “The ‘I’m about to involve myself in something that’s not my business’ thing.”

Ryan scoffed. “I’m just watching.”

“Yeah. That’s how it starts.”

Ryan leaned back, dragging his gaze away. But not for long.

Cassie knew Troy wasn’t listening, he never really did. She sat there, nodding at the right times, smiling when she was supposed to, pretending everything was fine. It wasn’t, but it would be.

“Stop overthinking,” Troy said, like he could read her mind. “It’s not that deep.”

Cassie forced a laugh. “I’m not overthinking.”

“You always do.”

That stung more than it should have.

“I’m just saying—” she started.

“Cassie,” Troy cut in, already distracted. “Drop it, yeah?”

She went quiet. Because arguing meant pushing him away, and pushing him away wasn’t an option.

“Come on,” Troy added, softer now. “Don’t make it weird.”

Cassie nodded. Right, anything but weird.

Later, in the hallway, it happened again.

Ryan was leaning against a locker, talking to Eric, when Cassie walked past. This time, she didn’t look as untouchable. Still composed but not as effortless.

Ryan didn’t think. “Hey.”

Cassie stopped. Turned. Her eyes met his, sharp as ever but there was something underneath now. Something tired.

“Yeah?” she said.

Ryan shrugged slightly. “He always talk to you like that?”

Cassie blinked. Then her expression hardened. “Excuse me?”

Ryan didn’t back off. “Just asking.”

“Mind your business.”

He huffed a quiet laugh. “Fair.”

Cassie held his gaze for a second longer, like she was deciding whether to say more. She didn’t. Just turned and walked away but not as quickly as before.

Ryan watched her go, something unsettled sitting in his chest.

Eric stepped beside him. “You couldn’t help yourself, could you?”

Ryan exhaled. “He’s a dick.”

“Still not your problem.”

Ryan didn’t respond. Because for some reason, It felt like it might become one.

Across the courtyard, Cassie stood alone, staring at her phone. No new messages, of course.

She locked the screen, jaw tight. Then, without meaning to, she glanced back.

Ryan was still there. Watching, not judging, not looking away. Just… watching.

Cassie frowned slightly. That was new. Most people either ignored her problems or pretended not to see them. But him? He saw. And worse, he said something.

Cassie looked away first but the thought stayed. And for the first time that day, she felt something shift. Not in Troy, not in her. In something else.

Something she didn’t understand yet. Something she probably should’ve ignored. But didn’t.