Off Limits

Callie

The car slowed as we pulled into the quiet cul-de-sac, and I stared out the window, feeling like the past was rushing back to punch me in the face. The street hadn't changed. Same neat lawns and mailboxes. Time hadn't changed and yet, I was no longer the girl I used to be.

Mia's place was at the end, a cream two-story with blue shutters and a wraparound porch. Her mom had taken off years ago, leaving the house and Mia behind.

I remembered the sleepovers on that porch, watching fireflies and sharing secrets we thought the world would never touch. Back when we believed in forever.

I opened the car door and stretched, my joints aching from the six-hour drive. The summer heat clung to my skin like a second layer. I grabbed my duffel bag from the back seat just as the front door swung open.

"Callie!" Mia squealed, barreling down the steps.

I barely had time to drop my bag before she wrapped me in a tight hug.

"God, it's been forever!"

I laughed against her shoulder. "Ten months. Not forever but yeah, I missed you."

She pulled back, giving me a once-over. "You look different. Hotter."

I rolled my eyes. "College will do that to a girl."

She grabbed my bag and started dragging it up the porch steps. "Come on. You've got the guest room. You'll love it. I added fairy lights."

As we stepped into the cool hallway, nostalgia sucker-punched me again. The smell of lemon wood polish. The sound of a ticking clock in the kitchen. The framed photos lining the hallway, most of them of Mia and her dad.

Grayson Carter.

Mr. Carter.

He used to be "Grayson" to my mom when they flirted shamelessly during pickup times, but to me, he was always Mr. Carter who is intimidating and off-limits. A single dad who didn't smile much and always looked like he was carrying the weight of the world.

I hadn't seen him in years. Not since I left for college.

"Are you hungry?" Mia asked, pulling me into the kitchen. "We've got pasta, or leftovers, or we could have DoorDash..."

"I'm good. Maybe just water for now."

She tossed me a bottle from the fridge. "Dad's around somewhere, probably in the garage or on a call. He's been working nonstop since a new contract came in."

Right, of course he was.

My stomach twisted a little at the mention of him. I hadn't expected that. He was just Mia's dad but still, something about seeing him again made my heart kick in my chest.

"I'm sure he'll be thrilled to see you," she added, grinning.

"Not likely. He probably forgot I even existed."

Mia snorted. "Yeah, okay. You were practically his third kid. He taught you how to drive."

I shrugged, trying to play it off. "He also grounded me when we crashed the golf cart into the fence."

We both burst out laughing, and for a moment, it felt like nothing had changed.

Then the door to the garage creaked open.

And in walked Grayson Carter.

I froze. My mouth went dry.

He was... not how I remembered.

Gone was the overworked, clean-shaven man in button-downs and too many ties. Standing in the doorway was a broader, rougher version. Faded black T-shirt clinging to his torso, grease on his forearm, beard dusting his jaw. His hair was longer, pushed back. He looked... raw. Like the years had stripped the polish off him.

"Callie?" he said, voice low and rough.

I swallowed. "Hi, Mr. Carter."

His eyes flicked over me quickly. "Wow. It's been a while."

"Yeah," I breathed. "I just got in."

He nodded, then looked at Mia. "Will you help her get settled?"

"Of course."

"Good."

His gaze sent heat through my spine

"Well," he said, running a hand through his hair, "I'll let you two catch up."

He disappeared down the hall without another word.

Mia rolled her eyes. "Still a grump."

But I wasn't listening. My pulse hadn't slowed down.

I felt different and I had no idea what the hell to do about it.

The guest room had fairy lights strung along the ceiling and a window that faced the backyard. I set my things down and sat on the edge of the bed, exhaling.

Why did seeing him mess with me like that?

Maybe it was just the surprise.

Maybe it was the fact that I'd been away for so long and I'd changed, and he had too.

Or maybe it was the way he looked at me. Like he was trying to piece together the girl he used to know and the woman standing in his kitchen.

I didn't even know what I wanted from this summer. To breathe. To escape school. To avoid thinking about my ex and the absolute mess I'd left behind.

But what I hadn't expected... was him.

Later that night, I came downstairs for a glass of water. The house was quiet, lights dimmed, the kind of stillness that felt sacred.

As I stepped into the kitchen, I froze.

Grayson was there. Alone and shirtless. A towel slung over his shoulder, chest still damp from a shower. He was pouring himself a drink, the muscles in his back moving like waves.

I should've turned around. I should've said something.

Instead, I watched him.

Until he turned.

Our eyes met.

For a second, neither of us spoke.

Then he said, voice gravel-deep, "Couldn't sleep?"

I cleared my throat. "Just thirsty."

He stepped aside, letting me pass. I grabbed a glass, trying not to stare.

"You've grown up,"