Brandon's POV
The water had never looked so still before. It stretched out in front of us, dark and glassy beneath the dim glow of the dock lights, swallowing the moon in fractured ripples. I stared into it, as if it held answers—like if I just looked long enough, it would rearrange itself and spell out what I was supposed to do next. Instead, it only reflected my own stunned expression.
"Unbelievable," I breathed. The word tore out of me louder than I intended, cutting sharply through the quiet lap of the lake. It echoed slightly, enough that Garrett turned toward me fully.
He had been leaning back against the railing, arms folded, pretending to look relaxed. But his eyes were anything but.
"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked carefully.
I wasn't.
I dragged a hand down my face and laughed under my breath—not because anything was funny, but because if I didn't laugh, I might lose it entirely.
