LOVER || DREW S.

001 | Back Where It All Began

Evelyn Sinclair hated being back in her hometown. The tree-lined streets and pastel-painted houses felt smaller than they had when she was a kid. The warm summer air smelled of freshly cut grass and nostalgia, but she couldn't bring herself to enjoy it. Instead, her gaze fixed on the cracked pavement of Maple Street as she hauled another box from the trunk of her car.

"Just temporary," she muttered under her breath, the words a mantra she'd repeated ever since she'd left her last job interview empty-handed. "I'll be out of here in no time."

Her mom's voice called from the front porch. "Evelyn! Don't forget the bag with the kitchen supplies. It's in the back seat."

Evelyn gave a strained smile. "Got it, Mom." She didn't have the heart to explain that she wouldn't be needing kitchen supplies in her old childhood bedroom, where the only cooking she planned to do was microwaving leftover takeout.

As she reached for the last box, the distant hum of an engine grew louder, followed by the unmistakable squeal of tires. Evelyn's stomach sank. She didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. Only one person in town drove like that—Drew Starkey.

Sure enough, a beat-up red pickup truck came barreling around the corner, pulling up to the curb with a sharp screech. The driver's door flew open, and out stepped Drew, looking every bit as infuriating as she remembered. His messy blonde hair was pushed back like he'd just rolled out of bed, and his easy grin was already in place. He had a basketball tucked under one arm and wore his usual uniform: a plain white T-shirt and jeans that were worn at the knees.

"Evelyn Sinclair," he called, leaning casually against the truck. "Back from the big city, huh? What happened? Did they finally figure out you're impossible to work with?"

Evelyn's jaw clenched. "Nice to see you, Drew. Still driving that deathtrap, I see. I'm surprised it's still running."

"Runs better than your career, apparently," he shot back, the smirk widening.

She set the box down harder than necessary and turned to glare at him. "What do you want?"

"Relax, Sinclair. I was just passing by." He spun the basketball lazily on one finger. "Thought I'd say hello to my favorite rival."

"We're not rivals," she said through gritted teeth. "We're..." She searched for the right word. "...nothing."

"Ouch." Drew clutched his chest in mock offense. "You wound me."

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" she snapped, crossing her arms.

"Not really. But hey, since you're back in town, maybe you'll finally have time to lose to me in something."

Evelyn rolled her eyes. "I'm busy."

"Doing what? Unpacking your childhood trophies?" Drew's grin was infuriatingly smug.

"For your information," she shot back, "I'm here to figure out my next career move."

"Ah, so you're unemployed," he teased, leaning closer. "Guess we have something in common now."

"I'm not unemployed," she snapped. "I'm between opportunities."

"Right. And I'm between NBA contracts," Drew quipped, spinning the basketball again.

Before Evelyn could come up with a retort, her mom stepped onto the porch, smiling brightly. "Drew! It's been ages. How's your mom doing?"

"She's good, Mrs. Sinclair," Drew said, his tone softening slightly. "She's been busy with her garden, as usual."

Evelyn groaned internally. Of course her mom was thrilled to see him. Drew had always been a favorite in the neighborhood, the golden boy who could do no wrong. She, on the other hand, seemed destined to be compared to him for the rest of her life.

"Well, it's nice to see you two catching up," her mom said, oblivious to the tension. "Maybe you can convince Evelyn to get out of the house while she's here."

"Oh, don't worry," Drew said with a wink. "I'll make sure she doesn't stay cooped up too long."

Evelyn groaned aloud this time. "I'm fine, Mom. And Drew, don't you have a basketball game to lose or something?"

"Not today," he said cheerfully. "But hey, let me know if you want to join. I'll even let you have a head start."

With that, he tossed the basketball into the air, caught it with one hand, and sauntered back to his truck. Evelyn watched him drive off, her fists clenched at her sides.

"It's going to be a long summer," she muttered.

———

Later that evening, Evelyn sat cross-legged on her bed, surrounded by unpacked boxes. Her old room hadn't changed much since high school. The same lavender walls, the same creaky bookshelf stuffed with novels and old trophies. It was a shrine to her teenage years, a time when she'd been so sure of what her future would look like.

Now, at twenty-five, she felt like she was stuck in limbo. No job, no plan, and no idea how to move forward. The rejection emails from her dream companies were piling up, each one a blow to her confidence.

She sighed and opened her laptop, determined to apply for at least three more positions before calling it a night. As she typed, a notification pinged on her phone. She picked it up and frowned at the text from an unknown number.

Unknown : Heard you're back in town. Up for a challenge?

Her fingers hovered over the screen. Only one person could have sent that.

Evelyn Sinclair : How did you get my number, Drew?

Drew Starkey : Small town. Secrets don't last long.

She rolled her eyes.

Evelyn Sinclair : What do you want?

Drew Starkey : There's a community event tomorrow. Three-on-three basketball tournament. You, me, and some friends. Unless you're scared?

Evelyn's jaw tightened. She wasn't about to let Drew Starkey get the last word. Not now, not ever.

Evelyn Sinclair : You're on.

Luna speaks !

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Byeee beautiful people