Under The Texas Stars

the cold front

Phoebe

The water of the Quarry was freezing, but the air around me was electric. I could feel the weight of a hundred stares pressing into my skin, and for the first time in my life, it didn't make me want to hide in the back of a library. It felt like fuel.

I was sitting on the edge of a flat limestone rock, dangling my legs in the turquoise water, while Matt sat beside me, splashing my ankles.

"Don't look now," Matt whispered, leaning in close so his breath tickled my ear. "But your brother looks like he's about to have a literal heart attack, and Ryker looks like he just watched his Harley get crushed by a monster truck."

I didn't look. I just reached for my bottle of water and took a slow sip. "Let them look, Matt. I spent four years looking at them. It's their turn."

"Phoebe Grace Miller!"

The roar came from my left. I didn't even have to turn around to know Nate was charging toward me. I heard his boots thudding against the rock before he practically skidded to a halt in front of us.

"What in the name of Texas is this?" Nate sputtered, gesturing wildly at my hair, my face, and... well, all of me. "Where are your glasses? Why is your hair black? And why are you wearing... that?"

I looked up at my brother, blinking slowly. "It's a bikini, Nate. We're at a lake. And I got contacts. Do you like the hair? Lizzie says it brings out my eyes."

"I—I—" Nate looked like he was short-circuiting. He turned his glare to Matt. "You! Did you let her do this? You were supposed to be watching her!"

"She's eighteen, Nate," Matt said, not looking even a little bit intimidated. "She doesn't need a babysitter. She needs a tan."

Before Nate could start a full-blown sibling brawl, I saw the secondary wave approaching. Beck and Liam were trailing behind Ryker, who was walking toward us with a look on his face I couldn't quite describe. He looked haunted.

"Whoa, Nate, take it easy," Beck said, pushing past my brother to get a better look at me. He gave me a grin that made my skin crawl—the same guy who, two nights ago, called me a 'total dork.' "Phoebe? Is that really you? Man, I think I need to get my eyes checked, because you are looking... wow."

I gave Beck a look of pure, polite boredom. "Thanks, Beck. I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were still in town. I figured you'd be off at some frat house by now."

Beck blinked, his smirk faltering. I hadn't just insulted him; I'd treated him like he was irrelevant.

Then there was Ryker.

He stopped a few feet away, his arms crossed over his chest, his blue eyes burning into mine. He wasn't smiling. He looked like he was trying to solve a puzzle that was missing half the pieces.

"Phoebe," he said. Just my name. It sounded different coming from his mouth today—less like a dismissal and more like a question.

"Ryker," I replied, my voice as smooth as the surface of the lake. "I thought you'd be at the cliffs already. You're usually the first one in the water."

"I was waiting for you," he said, his voice dropping an octave. "You said you didn't feel good yesterday. You look... better."

"I feel great," I said, standing up. I made sure to move with the confidence Lizzie had coached into me—shoulders back, chin up. I reached for my sunglasses and slid them onto my face, hiding the gold flecks in my eyes that he used to love. "The 'headache' cleared up the second I decided to stop worrying about things that don't matter."

I saw Ryker's jaw tighten. He stepped closer, his shadow falling over me. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means it's summer, Ryker," I said, giving him a small, empty smile. "I've got three months before I leave for university. I don't want to waste a single second of it being the person everyone expects me to be."

"You don't have to change everything, Pheebs," he muttered, his eyes darting to the blonde highlights in my dark hair. "I liked the way you looked before."

A sharp, jagged laugh almost escaped my throat. He liked the way I looked before? The 'charity case' look? The 'annoying nerd' look? I kept my expression perfectly calm. He didn't get to know that his words had gutted me. He didn't get the satisfaction of my pain.

"That's funny," I said, tilting my head. "Because I don't remember asking for your opinion on my look. Ever."

The silence that followed was heavy. Beck and Liam shared a look. Nate looked like he wanted to wrap me in a tarp and haul me back to the farm. But Ryker...
Ryker looked like I'd just slapped him in the middle of the town square.

"Anyway," I said, turning back to Matt. "Ready to jump, Matt? I think I want to try the high ledge today."

"Phoebe, you are NOT jumping off the high ledge!"
Nate yelled, findng his voice again.

"Watch me," I said.

I started walking toward the path that led up the cliffs, weaving through the crowd. I didn't look back to see if Ryker was following. I didn't need to. I could feel his gaze on the back of my neck like a brand.

I wasn't the 'little sister' today. I wasn't the 'project.' I was the girl he couldn't stop looking at, and the best part was, I was the one walking away.