16. Chapter 16
John
July - Twelve Years Ago
The cabin door slammed hard enough to rattle the windows.
I froze with my hands still inside the cooler.
For a second, I thought maybe I’d imagined it. But when I looked up and didn’t see Cate anywhere, the quiet settled heavy in my chest.
She’d left.
I stood there longer than necessary, staring at nothing, replaying the moment over and over like I might find the exact second I’d screwed everything up.
I love you.
I’d said it without planning to. Without rehearsing. It had just… come out. As simple as that. Both honest and terrifying.
And she hadn’t said anything back.
I scrubbed a hand over my face and went back to unloading the cooler, forcing myself to focus on the cold sting of ice against my fingers. Burgers. Hot dogs. Steaks. Enough food for a week.
Suddenly, staying that long felt optimistic.
“What the hell were you thinking?” I muttered to no one.
I’d never said that to a woman before. Not like that. Not without the expectation that it was already true on both sides. Cate wasn’t like anyone else I’d ever dated. She was guarded in ways that didn’t always make sense, but I knew her history. I knew love wasn’t simple for her.
Which meant I should’ve waited.
A thud sounded at the door.
I ignored it.
Another thud followed.
“It’s open,” I called.
When the knocking didn’t stop, I sighed and went to answer it.
Seth stood there with a cooler balanced against his hip. “Where do you want the food?”
“In the kitchen,” I said automatically.
He stepped inside and glanced around. “Where’s Cate?”
“Out,” I said, already turning back toward the fridge.
Something in my voice must’ve given me away because he paused. “Everything okay?”
“Yep,” I lied. “You need help unloading?”
Guy code. Acceptable deflection.
He nodded and headed back outside. I followed, hauling another cooler out of the trunk.
Trevor hovered nearby, offering to help, moving like someone who didn’t quite know where to stand.
We carried everything inside in silence.
Once the food was put away, I drifted outside again without really deciding to. I scanned the path toward the lake, half-hoping to see Cate walking back, her arms crossed, hair loose, eyes uncertain.
Nothing.
A laugh broke through the quiet behind me.
“Mind if I hang with you for a bit?” Seth asked. “Lindsay’s… in a mood.”
I nodded. Company felt safer than thinking.
Trevor followed us like a shadow.
“You guys want a beer?” he asked, trying a little too hard.
Seth perked up instantly. “You got some?”
“A couple cases in the car.”
I hesitated for half a second, then nodded. “Yeah. Sure. Why not…”
The beer went down easier than I expected.
One turned into two. Two into… more. The music got louder. A pack of cards came out. Laughter filled the space where my thoughts had been all consuming.
I didn’t notice how much time had passed until Cate appeared in the doorway.
I opened my mouth to say her name, to ask if she was okay, but Seth was already pulling me back into the game, and the moment slipped past me before I could grab it.
By the time I realized she’d gone again, my chest felt tight with something close to panic.