Zayd was the first to arrive after me. The moment I saw him step through the door, I almost didn't recognize him. He had gotten taller, much taller than the last time I'd seen him, and he looked like he had been spending a lot of time at the gym. His shoulders were broader, his posture more confident, and somehow the quiet boy I remembered had grown into someone far more composed.
He had his laptop bag slung over one shoulder, explaining that he'd be working on and off from here for the next two months.
Despite the changes, he greeted me with the same warmth he always had. Zayd had always been the quietest among us, reserved, thoughtful, but never distant. There was always a quiet kindness about him that made being around him easy.
He had also always been incredibly private about his personal life, which was probably why it took a while before he casually mentioned, almost as an afterthought, that he had recently gotten engaged to a woman named Nyla.
I was genuinely happy for him...truly. But at the same time, I felt a small, strange pang in my chest. First, Jared had a girlfriend, the same Jared who could barely stay interested in someone for more than a week, and now our shy, secretive Zayd was engaged.
If I had thought Jared and Zayd were the only ones who had moved so far ahead in their lives, I was very wrong.
Kendrick was the next to arrive.
Ken had always been the king of our high school. Even now, the moment he walked in, it was easy to see why. He had always been good-looking, the kind of guy people naturally gravitated toward. Back in school, girls were constantly hovering around him, hoping for even a second of his attention. But our so-called golden boy had always had eyes for just one person, Faith, his middle school sweetheart.
I wasn't sure if they were still together... but apparently, they were more than that now. They were living together in New York.
Kendrick was working in finance and had recently landed an even better job he'd be starting in a couple of months. At the same time, he had enrolled at NYU for his master's program, which would begin in September. Faith, meanwhile, was training to become a nurse.
"Aww, you should've brought Faith with you!" Jared said, nudging him as he dropped his bag near the couch.
Ken chuckled and shook his head. "I tried, man. She's just too busy right now." He ran a hand through his hair before adding, "But I did ask her to come whenever she can. Maybe in a few weeks, after her exams."
Until that night, it was just the four of us: Jared, Ken, Zayd, and me.
We also met Emma earlier that evening. She seemed sweet, though a little reserved, which was almost the complete opposite of Jared. Where he was loud and effortlessly social, she spoke softly and kept mostly to herself. We invited her to join us for drinks after sunset, but she smiled politely and declined, saying she had some work to finish.
So it ended up being just the four of us on the patio, beers in hand, the sound of the ocean somewhere in the background as we laughed over old memories and stupid stories from high school.
That's when Liam finally arrived.
And, of course, he didn't arrive quietly.
"HELLO, MOTHERFUCKERS!" he shouted the second he stepped through the door.
Before any of us could react, he launched himself straight at us, laughing loudly as he pulled us into chaotic hugs, planting exaggerated kisses on the tops of our heads and cheeks. Liam had always been ridiculously physical like that... zero sense of personal space.
"Jesus, Liam!" Jared groaned, trying to shove him away while laughing.
I stepped back for a moment and really looked at him.
He looked... different. Not unfamiliar... just more polished somehow. He truly looked like the model he was. I had seen him on magazine covers, on runways, and lately even in commercials. His social media following was insane now, and technically, he was a star.
But standing there in the middle of our messy group hug, laughing as if nothing had changed, he still felt like the same Liam we had grown up with. Fame, Hollywood, millions of followers... none of it had turned him into someone else.
He was still our loud, chaotic Liam who hadn't forgotten his old friends.
Ivory wasn't arriving until the next day, so for the night it was just the five of us, plus Emma, technically. Though she didn't seem very interested in joining us. Maybe she didn't want to intrude on our reunion, or maybe the chaos of our group simply wasn't her scene. Honestly, we wouldn't have minded her being there, but I could understand why she kept her distance. The way Liam and Jared were already carrying on, joking and shouting like they hadn't grown up at all, could be a little overwhelming.
We were gathered outside near the pool, the ocean stretching endlessly in front of us. The sea breeze brushed against our skin, cool and salty, carrying the distant sound of waves. The sky above was heavy with clouds, dimming the last light of the evening.
Liam took a long swing of his beer while we waited for the food we'd ordered. He tilted his head back and squinted at the sky.
"The weather's awful," he said. "They're saying it might rain."
I glanced up as well. The clouds were thick and gray, and there was that faint, unmistakable smell in the air... the quiet promise of rain.
"Yeah," Jared said, leaning back in his chair. "It rained all night yesterday."
"Hm." Zayd adjusted his glasses slightly. "I checked the forecast before getting on the road. They said it'll probably rain for the next couple of nights."
Of course, he had. Zayd had always been the most organized one out of all of us.
The conversation drifted from one random topic to another, old teachers, embarrassing memories, stupid high school rumors, until suddenly Ken turned toward me.
"Jerry," he said casually, though the question that followed made my stomach tighten. "What have you been up to lately?"
He raised an eyebrow. "You're barely active on social media, and you hardly ever show up in our group chats."
I hesitated for a moment, suddenly aware that everyone had gone quiet. When I looked up, all eyes were on me.
Jared caught my gaze and winked, his silent way of telling me to relax.
I glanced around at them again. These were my best friends, the people I grew up with. I didn't have to pretend to be with them. I didn't have to hide.
So I let out a slow sigh and shrugged.
"Nothing much," I said. "My life's not exactly... happening right now." I forced a small laugh. "I'm basically failing as a painter, my parents are still disappointed in me, and until recently, I was working as a waiter." I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. "I actually quit that job to come here and hang out with you guys."
I gave a crooked smile. "How stupid is that?"
Silence followed.
For a second, all I could hear was the faint rush of the ocean, and my own heartbeat pounding in my ears.
Then Ken spoke.
"You're still a fucker, aren't you?"
"Huh?" I blinked at him, confused. He didn't look amused at all.
"Yeah," Liam chimed in, shaking his head. "Still the same little idiot who loves beating himself up."
Before I could react, Ken suddenly stood and wrapped his muscular arm around my neck, pulling me into a rough chokehold.
"Ken...!" I laughed, half-strangled.
Jared burst out laughing while Zayd just shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Motherfucker," Ken grumbled, tightening his grip just enough to make his point. "Didn't we teach you to stop talking about yourself like that?" He gave my head a rough shake. "I swear to God, sometimes I feel like choking you to death for being so damn pessimistic."
I was laughing now, trying to pry his arm off while gasping for air.
"Careful..." I croaked dramatically, still half-trapped in his arm. "I might actually like it."
That did it. Everyone burst out laughing, Ken included, as he finally let go of me.
I bent forward, coughing and rubbing my neck while catching my breath. Ken gave the back of my head a quick slap before dropping back into the seat beside me.
"I'm not beating myself up," I said, shrugging as if the whole thing had been blown out of proportion. "You asked a question. I just answered honestly."
Ken snorted and leaned back in his chair.
"Yeah? Well, fuck your honesty."
We were never very good at comforting each other. None of us really knew how to say the right things, so instead we did stupid stuff like this, shoving, joking, choking each other out, and then we simply moved on, pretending the moment had never happened.
Soon our food arrived. We had ordered a ridiculous number of Chinese takeout, and the table quickly filled with cartons and plates. We ate, drank, and kept talking about everything and nothing at the same time. Everyone drank, except for Zayd. While the rest of us slowly grew a little tipsy, he stayed completely sober, calmly watching the night unfold around him.
Eventually, though, the exhaustion from traveling started catching up with us. One by one, our energy faded, and we all agreed to call it a night.
We said our goodnights and headed to our rooms.
Just as I closed my door, the rain began.
At first, it was a soft patter against the windows, but within minutes it turned into a heavy downpour. Rain slammed against the roof and the glass, the wind carrying the sound of it across the house. It wasn't just rain... it was pouring relentlessly, the kind that made the entire world outside feel distant and blurred.
The rain hadn't let up. I changed into fresh shorts and a plain white t-shirt, hoping to get some sleep. The moment I slipped under the covers, I was out cold.
I woke in the middle of the night, my throat parched and dry. The rain still poured relentlessly outside, drumming against the roof and windows. There was no water in my room, so I decided to head downstairs.
The beach house was dark and silent, the kind of silence that makes every sound, like the rain, seem louder. I padded slowly into the kitchen, barefoot on the cold floor, and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. A few sips eased my thirst, and I intended to take the bottle back to my room.
But then my eyes caught the huge window above the kitchen sink, the one that faced the driveway. Something out there made me pause. The rain blurred everything, but I could just make out the shape of a car. Curiosity pried me from my path, and I set the bottle down on the counter before stepping outside.
The cold, wet night air hit me instantly. I froze, letting out a quiet gasp. There, right in front of me, gleaming under the streaked rain, was a very familiar car. A sleek, black Aston Martin... impossible to mistake.
It was the same car the handsome stranger had.
The memory hit me instantly... our brief, awkward encounter, the way he carried himself, that intimidating, almost magnetic presence about him.
Is it his?
My mind raced. Is that beautiful stranger here? But why would he be here?
I glanced around the driveway, but the place was empty. The rain blurred everything beyond a few feet, the darkness swallowing the rest. Maybe it wasn't his car. Maybe it belonged to someone else. But how many people owned the exact same black Aston Martin?
Then again... this was Malibu. Half the people here probably had cars like this sitting in their garages. Rich people and their beach houses. I licked my dry lips, suddenly aware of how fast my heart was beating. I didn't know why I felt the need to check. I could have easily gone back inside, ignored it, and gone back to sleep. But curiosity had already taken hold of me.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I stepped out from the shelter of the porch and into the pouring rain. Cold water drenched me instantly. Within seconds, I was soaked through. My white shirt clung to my skin, the thin fabric pressing against my chest and stomach, revealing far more than it hid. I swallowed nervously and continued toward the car.
When I reached it, I paused and looked around again, just in case someone was watching. In the far corner of the driveway, I could see the familiar shapes of the other cars... mine, Jared's, and Zayd's.
No one else seemed to be around. Curiosity pushed me forward. I bent slightly, pressing closer to the window, trying to peer inside the car through the rain-streaked glass.
Then it happened... so fast I barely had time to react. A sharp gasp tore from my throat as I was shoved forward, my stomach slamming against the glass of the car. Another gasp escaped me when strong hands grabbed both my arms, twisting them until a sharp shriek left me. The push that followed slammed me harder against the metal.
I groaned, trying desperately to see my attacker, but before I could, a fist tangled in my hair and yanked my head back, smashing it against the roof of the car. Pain flared through my skull, and I groaned again. I struggled, but the grip was impossibly strong, my body trapped under unrelenting force.
"W... hey!" I stammered, trying to protest, but the person only pressed me harder against the car.
I felt his tall body looming over me, pressing down. Then a low hiss cut into my ear from behind: "Who the fuck are you?" His voice was harsh and commanding, and the pain in my twisted arms shot through me like fire.
I groaned, panic washing over me. My mind went blank, and for a moment, I couldn't even form words.
"Jerry! Jerry!" I blurted out, panic and pain choking my voice.
Then, just as suddenly as it had started, the weight pressing down on me lifted. The man behind me released my arms and my head, stepping back. Relief rushed through me, sharp and immediate. I gasped and pushed myself against the car, turning around, trying to steady the pain shooting through my shoulder and skull.
My vision was blurry... water, rain, and tears mingling as I blinked furiously to clear it. Panting, I finally managed to focus, and there he stood.
The same beautiful man from earlier. Barely a couple of feet away, dripping from the rain, his black clothes clinging to his muscular frame. Strands of wet hair plastered his forehead, water trickling down. His jaw was tight, eyes narrowed, hands clenched into fists. Confusion and anger radiated off him, raw and dangerous.
His eyes widened when he realized it was me.
"The fuck are you doing here?" he muttered, voice low, dangerous, each word sharp as knives.
Before I could answer, he lunged forward, grabbing the collar of my shirt with such force that I felt it might tear. "Are you fucking stalking me?!" he growled. His face was so close to mine that I could feel the heat of his breath. This wasn't intimate... it was terrifying. My eyes went wide, and I tried to push him back, shaking my head frantically.
Then a voice shattered the moment, echoing from the beach house: "WHAT THE FUCK, ATLAS?! LET MY FRIEND GO!"
Both of us froze, turning toward the porch to see Jared, his face a mixture of anger and worry.
Our eyes met again, just inches apart. I could feel his breath on my face. Close. Too close.
Atlas?
The beautiful, intimidating stranger... was Jared's uncle.
What the actual fuck.