The streets are empty save for an elderly couple tending to their garden. I keep my eyes fixed on the ground, fighting the urge to take in my surroundings. The last thing I need is an early morning panic attack.

At the beach, waves lap against the shore in gentle contradiction to my racing thoughts. I pause, breath ragged, staring at the horizon painted in dawn's watercolors. The question that's been eating at me surfaces again: What would I do if I saw Evan? Would I crumble, or finally stand my ground?

My mind drifts to Nate.

The way he knew exactly how to calm me down during my panic attack, breathing with me when I couldn't remember how. There was something familiar in his understanding, like he'd had to do that hundreds of times before himself. The thought tugs at something deep within me, making me wonder what else lies beneath his stoic exterior.

That late-night drive reminded me of simpler times, when Nate first got his license and drove straight to my house just so we could listen to the new Kings Of Leon album together. We barely spoke then, just let the music fill the space between us, but I felt untouchable with him there. Last night felt the same, yet different, charged with something new and unnamed.

Back home, the house is silent when I slip inside. With headphones still in, I head upstairs, my body humming from exertion but my mind clearer, the morning fog lifting just enough to breathe. I push open the bathroom door and my breath catches. My phone clatters to the floor as I collide with a wall of muscle. Nate stands there, fresh from the shower, with only a towel slung low on his hips. Steam curls around him like something out of mythology. Water trails down his face, catching in dark strands of hair. His skin glistens, each muscle and contour sharply defined as if carved from marble. The scars mapping his skin tell stories of battles fought and won, only adding to his allure. My heart aches with a mixture of awe and something deeper, more dangerous.

I'm staring, and we both know it.

The pull between us is magnetic, impossible to resist. My breath hitches as my gaze drops to his chest, then snaps back to his eyes. My heart pounds so hard I swear he can hear it.

He catches my eye and grins. "Hi."

Words jam in my throat. He laughs, stepping closer, and the air between us crackles with electricity.

"You're naked," I blurt out.

The laugh sends shivers down my spine. I'm speechless, still unable to look away. He leans in close enough that his breath fans warm across my cheek, the scent of mint toothpaste teasing my senses.