Emma's POV
It was the weekend before finals.
Even the streets felt quieter.
Everyone was buried in their future
I was buried in history notes.
The words blurred together on my desk.
French revolution. Industrial reform. Colonial policies.
I read the same paragraph three times and couldn't remember a single sentence.
My phone buzzed beside my notebook.
I glanced at it instinctively.
Just a reminder notification.
I exhaled slowly and rubbed my temples.
The silence had begun to feel like a question with no answer.
I was trying not to dwell on it.
"Emma!" Mom's voice came from downstairs.
"Yeah?"
"Your dad forgot his documents at Aunt Amy's place again. Could you pass by and pick them up?"
Of course he had. He'd been helping Tray's dad settle some bank issues, so it wasn't unusual for him to leave things there.
"Okay!" I called back.
I grabbed my hoodie and stepped outside.
Contemplating on whether to use my bike, but settled on walking instead.
The evening air carried the early summer warmth that made the sky glow softly before sunset.
The town looked exactly the same as it always had.
Did I want to be here forever?
Sometimes I wonder if that was what went through Merv's mind when he was leaving.
I pushed the thought away and started walking.
I had barely reached the corner store when I saw someone leaning across the vending machine.
Cy.
He was flipping a coin between his fingers, his attention fixed somewhere far away.
I tried to walk past him without being noticed.
But he turned at the sound of footsteps.
I had unintentionally avoided him after the night at the lake.
Things kind of felt, well…not the same between us now.
The image of him looking into my eyes began to form in my mind-
"Emma!"
"Oh. Hey."
I could sense the awkwardness in my tone.
"Where you off to?" he asked
"Trayton's. My dad forgot some stuff."
The moment I said Trayton's name something shifted in his expression.
I couldn't quite catch what it was.
"You look like you're planning a heist," I joked.
He huffed a quiet laugh.
"I guess we can walk together?" I asked, trying to dim the awkwardness.
His house was in the same direction as Tray's.
He hesitated. He never did when I asked him to walk with me.
"You good?" I studied him for a moment
"Yeah," he muttered. "Something like that."
The tension in his voice didn't make sense.
Was it because of that night
But before I could press further, he sighed and pushed himself off the vending machine.
"Fine," he said. "Let's go"
We started down the road together.
For a few minutes, neither of us spoke.
He kicked a small stone along the pavement, watching it bounce ahead of us before nudging it again.
He seemed unusually quiet.
"How have you been?" he asked eventually.
I knew what he meant. What he really wanted to ask.
"Just okay. I mean… it doesn't get any easier" I admitted
"Did you guys quarrel?"
I frowned.
"No."
Cy raised an eyebrow but didn't push it.
We walked a few more steps in silence.
In truth, I hadn't told anyone how strange things started to feel since Merv left.
The calls that ended too quickly. The pauses in his voice.
Cy kicked the stone again.
"So, he calls?" he asked casually.
"Sometimes.
Cy didn't say anything to that. He rubbed the back of his neck like something was bothering him.
I glanced at him. Something felt strange about his reaction.
Like he was trying to connect pieces to a puzzle that didn't quite fit.
"Why are you asking these questions?"
"Just checking on you."
"That's not what it sounds like."
He hesitated. Then shrugged.
"I mean… long distance is rough."
"You sound like you're speaking from experience."
He let out a quiet laugh.
I studied him for a moment.
"Cy…"
"Yeah?"
"You're being weird today."
He didn't respond immediately.
He looked ahead at the road without answering.
For a brief moment something flickered across his face- confusing maybe, or concern...
What he didn't say was this:
Two nights ago, Merv had texted him.
"Send me Emma's number."
No explanation. Nothing.
Just the request
Cy had stared at the message for a long time before sending the number.
He assumed Mervin had lost it.
Or maybe gotten a new phone.
But now, walking beside Emma and hearing how little they'd been speaking, something didn't sit right.
If Merv needed the number…
Why wasn't he calling her?
A muscle jaw tightened.
After he sent her number, Merv called.
His voice had sounded different. Lower. Tense.
Like someone trying not to panic.
He said he'd been getting messages.
He didn't know who from.
Stay away from her
Merv hadn't said Trayton's name.
He didn't have to.
Cy knew the history
Knew the anger. And how ugly things had got that night junior year.
And now-
Now Emma was walking right beside him, completely unaware.
"Cy?"
Her voice pulled him back to the present.
"Yeah?"
"You're definitely hiding something."
He forced a small smile.
"Relax, Em"
But his eyes drifted ahead again.
Towards Trayton's house.
Toward the place he suddenly wasn't sure he should be going.
Because if the messages Merv received really came from Trayton…
Then this visit was about to become a very bad idea.