The signal dropped the moment they passed the trailhead.
One second, Celeste's phone still had a flickering bar. The next?
"No service."
She sighed dramatically from the backseat.
"Are we entering a portal or something?"
"Welcome to offline paradise," Rowan grinned, rolling down the window. "No distractions. Just trees, stars, and fresh air."
"Gross," Celeste muttered.
Ash chuckled softly beside Isadora.
The Lakehouse came into view a minute later, nestled between thick pines and sunlight-drenched cliffs. It was rustic, beautiful, and somehow… already lonely.
Celeste stepped out of the car last, stretching her legs, her phone useless in her hand.
No internet meant no memes, no late-night TikTok binges, and worst of all—no excuses to get out of group time.
She glanced toward the others.
Ash was already helping Isadora with her suitcase, the two of them laughing quietly about some old memory from their college days.
Rowan was unloading groceries from the back.
Celeste smiled faintly.
Fine. If she couldn't compete, she could contribute.
She wouldn't be petty. She wouldn't ruin the mood. Not for Ash. Not for her brother.
Instead, she'd do what she did best: play the role no one expected.
The naughty, chaotic little sister.
The one who made things fun.
Even if she was crumbling inside.
⸻
That Afternoon
The sun filtered through the trees, golden and warm. The lake glittered in the distance.
"Okay!" Celeste called out, holding up her phone. "You three—line up. Say cheese!"
Rowan slung an arm around Ash's shoulder. Isadora tucked herself against Ash's other side.
Celeste snapped the photo and glanced down.
Perfect.
Ash in the middle. Celeste behind the camera.
Again.
She took another one. This time Rowan and Isadora stood beside each other, while Ash crouched slightly in front.
Celeste sat on the steps, flipping through the shots.
She was always at the edge of the frame—or not in it at all.
And yet… she kept smiling.
Isadora handed her a water bottle as thanks. "You've got an eye for angles. Rowan said you do digital stuff?"
"Yup," Celeste replied, raising a brow. "Photography, editing, thirst-traps, morally questionable memes. I'm a woman of many talents."
Ash laughed softly from nearby. "Don't forget chaos."
"I'm chaos with style," she replied smoothly, flipping her hair.
He glanced at her, smiling.
⸻
Later, on the dock
They were taking more photos now, this time by the water.
"Let's get one with all four of us," Rowan said, balancing his phone against a rock for a timer shot.
They posed. Then again. Then again.
Every time, the pattern stayed the same:
Rowan… Isadora… Ash… and her.
Never her and Ash beside each other.
Not once.
It wasn't intentional.
But it was clear.
They didn't belong side by side.
Not yet.
Celeste smiled through it all.
Laughed at Rowan's stupid jokes. Complimented Isadora's outfit. Let Ash stay at a distance, even when every part of her wanted to yank him closer by his pretty sweater.
She'd been bold before. Obvious. Teasing.
But now?
She played it cool.
Let them laugh together.
Let them take the spotlight.
Because if she couldn't have his attention, she'd at least keep her pride.
She wasn't going to be the jealous girl moping in the corner.
She would stay radiant.
Unbothered.
Untouchable.
Even if her heart twisted every time Isadora touched him.
____
The fire crackled softly under the night sky, throwing gold across the faces gathered around it. The lake shimmered nearby, quiet and dark.
Rowan was in high spirits, flipping grilled skewers on a portable grill while music played from his old speaker. The wine had made its rounds already, and everyone had a slight glow to their cheeks.
Celeste curled up in one of the deck chairs, glass in hand, watching the way the flames danced in Ash's eyes.
He sat next to Isadora, laughing softly at something she'd said. It wasn't forced—it was that honest, gentle kind of laugh that warmed the air around him.
And instead of letting it eat her alive…
Celeste smiled.
Because he looked happy.
Even if she wasn't the one making him smile in that moment.
Ash deserved that. He deserved ease, comfort. Something that didn't come with tension and games.
So for tonight, she would let herself be just part of the group. The fun sister. The teasing friend. The chaotic presence that kept everyone on their toes.
Her heart would wait.
⸻
Rowan raised his wine glass. "To surviving deadlines, horrible bosses, and the same group chat since college!"
"Cheers!" Isadora laughed, clinking her glass against his.
"To memories," Ash said softly.
Celeste raised hers last. "To unspoken desires and the patience it takes to sit on them."
Rowan blinked. "What?"
Ash's ears turned red
"Nothing Hihi " Celeste sipped. "Drink your wine."
⸻
Later That Night
Rowan was the first to knock out, blanket half-draped across him and phone still unlocked in his hand.
Isadora eventually excused herself to shower, leaving Ash and Celeste alone by the fire.
They sat in the silence between songs, the flames crackling low.
Celeste turned slightly toward him, voice light.
"You know… I'm really glad you're having fun."
Ash looked at her, surprised.
"I mean it," she added. "It's nice seeing you laugh like that."
He blinked, a little thrown. "Thanks…"
"I mean, you barely smile at me these days," she teased. "Maybe I should take notes from Isa."
Ash blushed. "It's not like that. I… I just…"
Celeste leaned in a little, not too close, just enough that her voice dropped.
"I'm teasing, Ash."
A beat passed.
"But I wasn't lying. I really like seeing you relaxed."
Ash's eyes softened. For a moment, he looked like he might say something—
But the bathroom door opened in the cabin.
Celeste stood, brushing her hands on her shorts.
"Sleep well." she said, flashing a grin before walking inside.
Ash watched her go, heart confused.
⸻
Inside the Cabin
Isadora, fresh from her shower, caught Celeste in the hallway.
"You're always so good at bringing people together," she said. "You've got a natural charm."
Celeste smiled. "Dangerous, right?"
They both laughed.
But when Isadora went into her room.
Then she whispered to herself, "Not dangerous enough."
⸻