The doorbell rang at seven sharp. I opened it to find Kaleb standing there, that easy grin I remembered from college spreading across his face. He looked good—leaner than I recalled, his blonde hair cropped short, wearing a dark button-down that fit his athletic frame perfectly.

"Eric, man, it's been too long," he said, pulling me into a quick hug. His hand clapped my back firmly.

"Come in, come in," I said, stepping aside. "Shelby's just finishing up in the kitchen."

He stepped past me into the living room, his eyes scanning the space. When they landed on Shelby walking in from the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel, something shifted in his expression. A flicker of recognition, maybe, or something more. She was wearing a simple sundress, her dirty blonde hair falling in waves past her shoulders, her thick curves filling it out in ways that always made my mouth dry.

"Shelby," Kaleb said, his voice dropping an octave. "God, you look incredible."

She blushed, something I hadn't seen in years. "Kaleb. It's so good to see you again."

They shook hands, but his grip lingered a moment too long. I felt a prickle at the back of my neck.

"I was just telling Eric how much I've been looking forward to this," he said, settling onto the couch across from us. "Catching up. It's been what, fifteen years?"

"Since that party at your place," Shelby said, and something in her voice made me glance at her. Her cheeks were still flushed.

Kaleb's smile widened. "That's right. You two had just started dating, if I remember correctly."

"We met that night," I said, settling beside Shelby. She shifted closer to me, but her eyes stayed on him.

"Fate," Kaleb said, and the word hung in the air, loaded with something I couldn't name.