CHAPTER 3- COLLISIONS

I didn’t want to come. That should’ve been enough. But Dad doesn’t ask twice. So I’m here, standing outside a house that’s too bright for evening, voices spilling out through the open door like they’re trying to prove something.

“Stay close,” Sebastian says, already stepping inside. I nod without meaning it. My eyes move over the place out of habit. Lights. People. Laughter. Nothing important. Then, something feels familiar. I don’t like that. Inside, it’s louder. Too many voices. Too many strangers pretending they’re not strangers.

Someone greets Dad. He nods politely, already slipping into that version of himself that fits places like this. I drift. Not really looking for anything. Just… moving. And then I see it. A frame on the wall.

A photo. Her. Ashlyn. Smiling like she belongs here.

My chest tightens before the thought even forms. No. I look around again. Properly this time.

The house. The people. The details. And it clicks. This isn’t just a house.

It’s her house.

“… You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mutter under my breath.

I turn away immediately. Too fast. Like I got caught doing something I wasn’t supposed to. This is fine. It doesn’t matter. I can stay near the wall, say nothing, leave early. I keep my gaze low. Floor tiles. Table edges. Anything but faces.

Anything but—

“Martinez?” I freeze. Of course. I don’t turn right away. Maybe if I don’t move, it didn’t happen.

“Hey,” she says again, closer now. No escape left. I turn slowly. Ashlyn stands there. Not school Ashlyn. Not memory Ashlyn. This version,

warmer, softer and real.

“You came,” she says, like it matters. I shrug lightly. “Didn’t know it was your place.” Her eyes study me.

“That explains it.”

“Explains what?”

She smiles faintly. “Why you look like you’re planning your escape.”

“I’m not.”

“You always were bad at pretending.”

That line, too close. I look away for a second. Bad move. She steps closer. Not obvious. Just enough.

“You could’ve said hi properly,” she says.

“I did.”

“That wasn’t a ‘hi’. That was survival.”

I almost smile. Almost. “I’m doing fine,” I say. She tilts her head. “Are you?”

I don’t answer. Because that’s not something I say out loud. “I didn’t think you’d come,” she adds, softer.

“For this?” I ask. “No,” she says. “For anything.” That lands.

I look away again. Because if I don’t, I might stay.

“I knew it.”

I close my eyes.

Not now.

Leo Carter appears like he owns the house, holding a drink he definitely didn’t ask for.

“This—” he gestures between us, “this is exactly what I expected to walk into.”

“Leo,” I mutter.

“No, no,” he waves it off. “I leave you alone for five minutes and suddenly we have emotional tension at a housewarming party.” Ashlyn laughs softly. “You planned this?”

“Of course,” he says. “I heard ‘neighbour’ and ‘childhood friend’ and I thought—this will be chaotic.”

“You weren’t invited.” “Details.”

He turns to Ashlyn. “Good to see you again, by the way. You’ve caused a lot of internal damage already.”

“I have?” she asks, amused.

“He’s been staring at your house like it offended him personally.”

“I was not.”

“You absolutely were.”

Ashlyn glances at me. I look away. Again. Of course.

“Why is he here?” Marcus. He stands a few steps away, unimpressed.

“I go where the story takes me,” Leo replies.

“No one invited you.”

“No one invited you either.”

Marcus doesn’t respond. Noah joins them, calm as ever. “You found them quickly.”

“I follow emotional tension,” Leo says proudly. Iris lingers behind, watching. She says nothing. She doesn’t need to.

Ashlyn looks at all of them now.

“So this is your group,” she says quietly.

Leo answers immediately.“Unfortunately, yes. We’re very dysfunctional but emotionally compelling.”

“That’s not a good thing,” Noah says.

“I disagree.”

Ashlyn smiles again. More natural this time. And that, that does something I don’t want to think about.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Leo suddenly says. No one believes him.

“I mean it,” he adds. “This is a moment.”

“Leo,” I warn.

He grins and actually steps back. Marcus follows. Noah too. Iris lingers a second longer. Then turns away. And just like that. It’s quiet again. Not the same quiet. Because now it feels intentional.

Ashlyn looks at me. I don’t look away this time.

“You really were going to leave, weren’t you?” she asks.

“Yeah.”

“Wow. You didn’t even try to pretend this time.”

“I said hi.”

“That was not a hi.”

“It counts.”

“It doesn’t.”

I exhale quietly. “You’re still arguing over small things.”

“You’re still avoiding everything.”

That hits a little too directly. “So what do you want me to do?” I ask.

“Nothing dramatic,” she says. “Just… don’t act like I’m a stranger.”

I don’t answer immediately. Because I don’t know how not to. She turns slightly, picking up a drink from the table beside us.

Then, without looking— she hands one to me. I take it without thinking.

Bad decision.

“Careful,” she says casually.

“What?”

“That’s not water.”

I pause. “…What is it?”

She finally looks at me. Too calm.

“Something strong.”

I stare at the glass. Then at her.

“You gave me alcohol?”

“I said careful.”

“I didn’t even—”

“You took it.”

“That’s not the point.”

She laughs. Actually laughs. And something about that throws me off more than anything else tonight

I set the glass down immediately. “I’m not drinking that.”

“Relax, it’s just a sip.”

“I don’t drink.”

“You used to try everything once.”

“I was ten.”

“Still counts.”

“It doesn’t.”

She leans slightly closer, lowering her voice. “You’ve changed.” I meet her gaze. “So have you.” A pause. Not awkward. Not easy either. Just… there. Someone bumps into me from behind. I shift slightly. Too close. Now she’s closer too. Neither of us moves immediately.

“See?” she says softly. “Not that hard to stand still.”

“I wasn’t moving.”

“You were about to.”

“…Maybe.”

She smiles. And for a second, I forget to look away. Then I do. Of course I do. But it’s too late. Something already shifted.

And I don’t know how to put it back.

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