“That night was so magical,” I finish. “I wore that ring for a long time. I would take it off when I was mad and yell at it for promising things you didn’t follow through on, but I always put it back on. For a long time. Too long. It meant something to me. That ring, that night.”

“It did to me too,” Aubrey says, still stroking my arm. “How many times did we go back up there in the weeks before prom?”

“Had to be at least half a dozen,” I reply. “Each time was better than the last.”

“It was,” Aubrey says, definitely remembering the visits we’d made in those weeks. We’d talked about the future, shared our bodies, our dreams, our fears. Everything, I’d thought.

I look away, breaking the force field that surrounds us every time we’re close to each other. Letting my eyes scan the lake, I hear a yell off to the left. “That’s Trey and Brad. Looks like our picnic is over.”

We watch as Trey and Brad paddle their kayaks over to us, Ana waving them in the whole time. “Whoo, that was fun! I haven’t been shaken around that much since Trey took me to a honkytonk with a mechanical bull!” Brad says as they come ashore.

Trey shakes his head, mouthing, “Never happened.”

But Brad continues, loud and excited, “And the lake! It’s totally crystal clear! I swear I looked down and saw the Cockness Monster!”

“That wasn’t the lake you were looking at,” Aubrey deadpans. “Just admit it.”

“Ooh, guilty as charged!” Brad says sassily, obviously pleased that Aubrey joked back with him. “Speaking of my monster, Trey and I had a little chat and he agreed with me.”

“Agreed to what?” I ask worriedly, decidedly concerned about how this conversation is going, considering the start.

“Well, since your sleeping arrangements are obviously covered,” he says, wagging a finger between Aubrey and me, “Trey and I are staying in the other cabin. And you’re not invited.”

Aubrey huffs a laugh, telling Brad, “Well, I guess she can stay with me.”

I growl, “Uhm . . . she is standing right here and doesn’t appreciate your talking about her like she’s not.”

Aubrey laughs, kissing me quickly. “It’s so hot when you talk about yourself in the third person.”

I laugh, his ridiculousness contagious.

I meet Trey’s eyes and can tell he wants to talk with me brother-sister, so I step to the side, motioning for him to follow me. “Hey, guys? Can you two load up the kayaks and picnic? I need to talk to Trey . . . or rather, my sister’s intuition tells me that he needs to talk to me.”

Aubrey looks at me, checking in to make sure I’m okay, and I wave him off with a smile. Trey watches the whole exchange, but I catch the look of appreciation he shoots Brad when he pulls Aubrey off, putting him to work on getting the SUV loaded.

We walk along the shoreline, silent for the minute it takes us to get out of earshot. “Hey, Sis, I just wanted to check—you okay with all this?”

I think, then nod. “If you guys are here for fun, I don’t mind. But if you’re here to check on me, I’m a big girl. I don’t need a babysitter, Trey.”

He nods. “Fair enough. I’ll admit that I mostly came up here to check on you, but I can respect that you’re grown. For the most part,” he says with a boyish smile that reminds me of when we were kids. “So, what’s the deal between you two?” he asks with concern. “You two . . . make up?”

“Sort of. But we haven’t really addressed it, to be honest. I don’t really know what’s going on.”

“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Trey presses. “It looks like you two are pretty cozy together. Hell, looked like you’ve been staying in his cabin . . . not yours.”

“Temporarily,” I point out. “It’s only until his ankle’s good enough that he isn’t going to become fodder for the wolves or something.”

“Are you saying you’re just here playing nurse when you’re supposed to be having some me time?”

Damn. He’s grilling me hard. I don’t really know what to say to that. The fact is, I wasn’t expecting to end up in this situation, and I can’t say I’m not somewhat pleased with how things have turned out, but I’m just not comfortable talking about it when I’m not exactly sure what’s going on myself.

It’s too new and could be over as soon as I leave.

Trey is watching me closely. “Thought so. You’re not just playing nurse. There’s more. And judging by how we found you this morning, a lot more.”

“Has he told you why he left yet?” Trey asks when I don’t say anything. “I mean, I figure if there’s one thing to talk about, it’s that.”

“Not yet,” I admit, thinking about our meandering trips down memory lane over the past few days. “But we’re getting there. We were about to twice . . . when we were interrupted.”

As if almost on cue, Brad hollers from the SUV. “Come on, use them biceps! I want to get back and have some snuggle time with my favorite wild animal!”

Aubrey grumbles something back that we miss, and Trey laughs. “I think Brad’s growing on him. I’ve noticed with Brad, you either love him or you want to kick his ass. Although, I’ll admit that sometimes, I fall into both categories at the same time.”

I laugh, shoving his shoulder. “That’s scarily true,” I reply. “But he makes you happy, and that’s what counts. I’m glad you found your person, Trey. Brad is crazy, admittedly, and not what I would’ve expected for you, but I can’t see you with anyone else now. He’s it for you.”

Trey looks at me, his head tilted a bit. “Not what you expected. What did you expect? A girl? Some sweet little thing I could take home to Mom and Dad?”

It’s my turn to look at him with my head tilted, knowing we’ve talked about this a little over the years. “Trey, you told Mom and Dad ages ago, but I knew in high school for sure. You’re my brother, and we were best friends for a long time. What I meant was that I guess I expected you to end up with someone more staid and serious, a suit-and-tie kinda guy. But Brad’s irreverence has made you different, happier and more confident in your own skin. And for that, I will always love him. And you.”

“Thanks, Sis. He does make me happy, even when I want to stuff a sock in his mouth so he’ll shut up.”

I laugh. “What you two do in private is your business. I don’t need to know,” I say, covering my ears and shaking my head like I’m five.

“You’re such a brat, Ana.” Trey laughs at me. “Seriously, though, speaking of who you thought I’d end up with, I always thought you’d end up with Aubrey. I don’t know what happened back then, and maybe it’s not something you can forgive. Hell, maybe he doesn’t even deserve it. But it killed me seeing you like that back then. So the least you deserve is an answer about what the hell happened. Maybe it’ll lead to forgiveness, maybe it’ll just be closure, but you’ve earned that.”

He pulls me in for a hug, patting my back and laying a light kiss to the top of my head. “Thanks, Trey. I don’t know what I’m doing if I’m honest, but you’re right. I need to know.”

“Okay, then I’ll keep Brad on our side of the clearing tonight. A quiet dinner by the fire sounds nice, and that’ll give you and Aubrey a chance to talk. Just be careful, little sis.”

“I will, and I’m a bit overgrown to be ‘little’,” I remind him with a punch in the arm. “But I love you.”

“You’ll always be my little sister. Love you, too.”

We walk back to the SUV where Brad is looking like the cat who got the cream and Aubrey looks like he might explode any second. I whisper to Trey, “Looks like Aubrey’s falling in the ‘ready to kill Brad’ camp right now.”

Trey winks at me. “That’s okay. That’s step one of his process. Aubrey will be in love with him before he knows what hit him. That’s what happened to me. That’s what Brad does to everyone.” Trey looks at Brad, and I can see the light in his eyes. It makes me happy that my brother is so in love.

We drive back to the cabin, Brad and Trey giving me hugs as Aubrey stands by, waiting comfortably even as Trey eyes him down.

We walk toward our cabin, and I look back over my shoulder. “You boys be good, or else I’ll send Rex after you.”

Brad chuckles, and I catch up with Aubrey, who’s nearly at his porch. “So they’re okay? Trey isn’t freaking out?”

I laugh, reminding myself again just how smart Aubrey is. “He just wants to make sure I’m okay. He did ask what we’re doing. I didn’t have an answer.”

“What are we doing?”

I bite my lip, feeling that strange swing of emotions that seems to happen around Aubrey a lot, the sweetness and pain of the past swirling with the desire and connection of the present. “I don’t know. Trying to get to know one another again, I guess?”

Aubrey nods. “More than trying. Doing pretty well, all things considered.”

“But Aubrey,” I add, taking his hand, “I think it’s time that we have that talk. No interruptions this time. It’s the elephant in the cabin we’ve been dancing around for a little too long now. I tried to avoid it, but I think I need to know almost as much as you need to tell me.”

Aubrey nods and sighs. “It’s been hard, and I’ve been afraid, Ana. Afraid of talking about it with anyone. I’d gotten to the point I thought I’d gotten over it a little. And my running off, it feels so stupid now, considering what I lost. Years, my family, my future . . . you.”

“What made you leave?” I ask. “Aubrey, if there’s going to be any chance of what I think is happening between us surviving, I have to know.”

“Okay,” he says finally. “Just tell me what you remember of that night, and I’ll fill you in on the rest.”

That night. How could I forget it? It’s been etched in my memory forever.

“Okay, I remember it like it was yesterday.”