Sink or Swim
After two months of surviving on her own, Kieran returns to Concord, stepping straight back into the suffocating warmth of family love she isn’t sure she’s ready for. Fresh from a funeral and carrying wounds no one fully understands, she’s greeted by watchful grandparents, anxious relatives, and questions about a future that no longer feels like hers to decide.
Concord is familiar, comforting even, but it’s also filled with memories she hasn’t healed from. Chief among them is Lucas, the boy who was once her best friend and then, without warning, walked away. No explanation. No goodbye. Just silence that hurt deeper than any fight ever could. His absence lingers, heavy with unanswered questions and unspoken feelings Kieran has never allowed herself to name.
Seeking space, Kieran escapes to her favorite spot by the lake, hoping for peace. Instead, fate intervenes.
The unmistakable growl of a motorcycle announces Lucas’s return, changed, bigger, sharper, and undeniably no longer the boy she remembers. One glance is enough to shatter the fragile calm she’s built. The past isn’t buried. It’s right next door.
As summer begins, Kieran is forced to confront unresolved hurt, broken trust, and the dangerous pull of someone who once knew her better than anyone else. Some friendships don’t end cleanly...and some feelings refuse to stay buried.