Wednesday. November 24th. The Bolton and the Hart households were on Thanksgiving shutdown. Uncle Roscoe was due to arrive in the afternoon in the back of a pickup truck (he still couldn't fit in a car) and Diana's kitchen was overflowing with groceries all ready to be cooked. She had a list of food she'd make for the holiday including: yams, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, mashed potatoes, baked beans, and even more. Truthfully, she was very excited to have so much to cook. The past three years were lonely for her. Without Charlotte, she never felt the need to cook for the holiday (much to her brother's chagrin) or even celebrate. But now she had three young women at home with her and even better, Charlotte and Henry were talking again.

The Hart household wasn't much different. Kris was incredibly excited to have so many people over for the holiday, especially because her son was finally home again. She was mainly in charge of cooking the turkey (though she knew Diana would bring a backup turkey in case anything happened) and she'd be making her own sides as well. As she began preparing her green bean casserole, Piper made her way downstairs and into the kitchen.

"Hey mom, do you need any help?" she offered.

"No!" Kris answered loudly and quickly, making Piper jump in surprise. The older Hart woman smiled sheepishly and laughed nervously. "I-I have it all under control, sweetheart. Just go hang out with your friends, okay?" The teenager raised an eyebrow and nodded her head a little before leaving the kitchen and going back upstairs. She wasn't sure why her mother didn't want her to help her in the kitchen. She was an amazing cook! Her fresh fish lasagna was always a hit when she was younger. As she made her way to her bedroom, she walked past Henry's door and paused when an odd yet familiar smell hit her. She opened the door without knocking and was met with the sight of Henry shirtless in bed lifting weights (gross) and Jasper shirtless sitting in the couch on the loft watching something on his phone. Both of them with blunts hanging between their lips.

"Mom's gonna kill you when she finds out you two are smoking inside," she said with a raised eyebrow. Neither of them were bothered by her entrance though Jasper soon found his eyes on her. One thing he noticed since returning was that Piper dressed a little differently now. Her wardrobe seemed full of mainly just crop tops, like the very low cut button down top that she was currently wearing, along with a pair of white distressed jeans, or low cut form fitting dresses. And he didn't hate seeing them on her.

"Mom's not gonna find out if you don't snitch," Henry countered without bothering to look at her. She rolled her eyes and briefly met eyes with Jasper, her pulse racing when she did. Is he checking me out? No way. She licked her lips nervously and looked over at her brother again.

"Whatever, you better share your stash with me later at the bonfire," she told him before closing the door and taking a deep breath. Once her heart started to beat again regularly, she went to her bedroom. After she left, Jasper returned his attention to his phone though his mind was still on her.

"Why does Piper dress like that?" he asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"Like what?"

"Crop tops, mini skirts, low cut dresses and tops. It's November, she must be cold… I mean, I like seeing her dressed like that, but still." Henry raised an eyebrow and glanced up at his friend.

"Are you checking out my sister, dude?" he questioned and cocked an eyebrow as he stammered a little before laughing a bit too loudly.

"No! Please, she's Piper. I was just asking, she's gonna get sick dressed like that this season…" he mumbled as he stared at his phone, a faint blush blooming on his cheeks. He cleared his throat and placed his blunt between his lips again, taking a long drag of it and holding the smoke in for a few beats before blowing out the smoke. "Anyway, I'm still waiting for a thank you."

"A thank you for what?"

"Dude, you and Charlotte are talking again and you're cool!" he scoffed. "If I hadn't invited her to the party then turned you around to see her, you would still be here moping!" Henry chuckled and switched the dumbbell to his other hand.

"Bro, Charlotte and I are cool because I finally managed to apologize to her yesterday and we talked things through. But hey, thanks for kinda ambushing us," he said with a dismissive chuckle. Jasper rolled his eyes but accepted it regardless.

"So what's the move now? Are you two getting back together?"

"I don't know," he sighed, "we just said we're cool but didn't plan anything more. I want us to get together again though. I feel like this is our second chance, you know?" He got up from the bed as he dropped the dumbbell, cracking his knuckles a bit anxiously. "But I'm also worried. She's gorgeous, there's no way she was single all those years. You think she has guys waiting for her in California? Or a life in California…I missed out on four years of her life, dude."

"Weed is supposed to relax you," Jasper deadpanned and Henry rolled his eyes.

"I'm serious!"

"Man, talk to her!" he said in exasperation. "You want to know what you missed in those four years? Then just fucking talk to her." The other sighed heavily and ran his hand over his short hair as he nodded in agreement.

"You're right, you're right…she just makes me a fucking mess, dude. I'm happy she won't run out into the street when she sees me now but…I still wonder if I'm good enough to be with her again." He plopped down on the bed again and Jasper let out a breath. Before he could speak, Henry just chuckled a little and waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry, I'll talk to her. If not tonight then tomorrow after dinner." At the mention of the upcoming holiday, Jasper clapped his hands loudly and cheered.

"That's right! Tomorrow is going to be the best holiday in the world! I can't fucking wait," he exclaimed as he did a happy dance, causing Henry to laugh and shake his head. It was really good to be home.

At Downtown Brown, Charlotte and her friends sat at a table as they enjoyed their coffee. Uncle Roscoe was due to show up soon and she decided to take them out to get some coffee and pastries for him and themselves. She was in a rather good mood today, something both Jasmine and Tati noticed and had different reactions to. After taking a sip of her black Americano, Tati side eyed Charlotte and finally spoke up.

"So, what's got you all giddy and happy?" she asked and Jasmine giggled before the woman in question could even answer.

"Isn't it obvious? She and Henry are getting back together!" she announced and Charlotte chuckled as Tati raised a curious eyebrow.

"We're not getting back together," she countered, "we're just cool again. We're talking civilly and I think working on being friends again." The youngest sighed in disappointment while Tatiana quietly sipped on her coffee.

"So there's no chance of you two getting back together? Come on, I want to see the romance happen in person before I go back to Santa Clara!" she complained and Charlotte shrugged with an apologetic look.

"Sorry, I don't think we're good as a couple. We're just better off…platonic. We gotta rebuild all that trust again."

"Get off her back, Jas, you can't expect her to go from Eddy to Henry just like that," Tati added and Charlotte visibly winced at the mention of her…ex? Fiancé? She sighed and rubbed her hand over her face as she tried to think about what she'd do. It should just be simple - break up with him when she gets back to California - but she knew he wouldn't make it easy for her. She would just have to think about that later. But she realized that she had another problem.

"Y'all, should I tell Henry about Eddy? I mean…I probably should right?" she asked as she looked at her friends. Tatiana huffed and shook her head with an eye roll.

"Are you crazy? Why bother with that? You and Henry are 'platonic' like you claim, and you and Eddy are gonna break up anyway. No need to start new issues for yourself," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. Jasmine glanced at the brunette then looked at Charlotte.

"I think you should tell him. Just let him know you were with someone but you're going to be ending things soon," she told her and the brunette snorted.

"I'm telling you, Char, don't bother with telling him. There's no need to." She sipped on her coffee and Charlotte sat there perplexed. Both of them had good points. Truthfully, she had no intentions of getting back together with Henry and she and Eddy were definitely over. Maybe Tati was right, there was no need to bring him up and open up a can of worms.

While Charlotte was contemplating her own problems, Jasmine was eyeing Tatiana suspiciously. She knew she was up to something, especially with how quiet she had been and how adamant she was about Charlotte not telling Henry about Eddy. Over the years they had been friends, Jasmine was always closer to Charlotte than she was with Tati. Something about her didn't seem genuine but she was Charlotte's closest friend so she never bothered with bringing up her suspicions. But a part of her told her that shit was about to hit the fan especially when it came to Henry.

"Just enjoy being single right now, Char. We'll deal with that piece of shit fiancé when we get home," Tatiana told her and she nodded along with a small sigh. She finished her coffee and stood up.

"Thanks. Let's get home and prepare for Uncle Roscoe to show up," she said and grabbed the pastries they bought. The others stood up and threw out their empty coffee cups as they left with her, Jasmine remaining silent as she contemplated what to do about Tatiana.

Charlotte always used to love going to the beach in Swellview. There was always something new to discover in the weird little town and there always seemed to be something new at the beach. Tonight, she was excited to go as Henry, Jasper, and Piper were having a small bonfire. If anyone had asked her days before whether she'd be excited to be in the same place as Henry, she'd laugh in their face and tell them hell no. But they were in a decent place now and she could finally let go of her resentment. As they reached the beach, the girls got out of the car and Charlotte grabbed the case of beers from the back while Jasmine grabbed the blankets they brought with them. The three of them made their way onto the beach and instantly spotted the trio and the bonfire, making their way over. As soon as he spotted her, Henry sat up straight and smiled wide.

"Hey!" he greeted them as he stood up. Charlotte smiled as well but quickly bit down on the corner of her lower lip to calm herself down, handing him the case of beers.

"Hey, thanks for inviting us."

"Yeah, I didn't feel like spending the night hearing her Uncle Roscoe struggling to breathe," Tati said with a chuckle. They settled down around the bonfire, Henry making sure to sit next to Charlotte. There was a comfortable atmosphere that fell over all of them as they exchanged old stories and memories while drinking their beers (soda for Piper at the request of Henry and very much to her chagrin) and making smores over the fire.

Henry wasn't sure who suggested that they smoke (likely Tati) but he found himself watching in awe as Charlotte skillfully rolled a joint with her nimble fingers. There was also something oddly intimate and enjoyable about the fact that she was rolling it for him. His eyes watched her closely as she slowly rolled the filter then raised it to her lips, her pink bubble gum tongue slipping out and dragging along it slowly before she finally sealed it. She then used a pen to pack it tightly and twisted the end, smiling triumphantly when she was finished. He stared at her in awe as she passed it to him, Tati laughing at the display.

"You're lucky, Hen, she used to be awful at rolling," she teased and Charlotte rolled her eyes. Henry just grinned a little as he lit the joint and placed it between his lips, passing the lighter to Jasper. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Piper rolling for him but he was too caught up on Charlotte to question it.

"I didn't even know she smoked," he commented as he slowly blew out the smoke, his gaze on the woman next to him. "She never seemed like the type to do so." She tilted her head as she looked up at him and scoffed a little.

"When you're roommates with this one, you're bound to pick up on some bad habits," she said as she gestured towards Tati who simply winked in response. She laughed a little and took the joint from Henry, placing it between her lips and taking a slow drag of it, the blond's eyes unable to look away as he watched. She did it so naturally and easily, and the way the smoke glided out between her plump lips gave him goosebumps. She's driving me crazy.

He was so preoccupied with watching her that he didn't notice his sister and best friend beside him. Piper wasn't as good at rolling as Charlotte and Tatiana were, but there was something exciting and intimate about rolling for someone else, especially when that someone else was incredibly attractive. It was crazy for her to admit but she found Jasper so attractive now. His body, his long hair, his tattoo, the mysterious scar on his face - he was so much more different than he was before. Maybe she was just desperate or maybe she was in a coma after some kind of accident, but she wasn't going to fight this weird new attraction anymore. She packed the weed firmly then twisted the end. Before he could take it from her, she held it away from him and smirked a little.

"As a thank you for rolling this for you, give me a sip of your beer," she said and he rolled his eyes.

"Henry already said you can't have any, you're only nineteen." She rolled her blue eyes and looked at him incredulously.

"But I can smoke with you guys? Come on!" She reached for the beer but he quickly pulled it away from her. He held out his hand for the joint and gave her a stern look.

"No, Piper," he said sternly and she frowned a little before quickly reaching forward and snatching the beer bottle out of his hand.

She took a quick swig and got up from the ground, running off and laughing as Jasper groaned in annoyance. He quickly got up and ran after her, more annoyed that she took the joint with her rather than the beer. Her light melodic laughter filled the air as she ran away from him, taking multiple playful swigs of the beer and teasing him as she waved the bottle in the air and yanked it away when he grabbed for it. He picked up the pace and reached out to grab her arm, yanking her close to him and wrapping his arm around her waist as she squealed loudly.

"Give it!" he instructed as he tried to grab the joint from her but she stubbornly held both hands up in the air and kept them away from him as she laughed loudly. He laughed as well and bounced her in his hold then spun around quickly, causing her to laugh and scream. She also noticed just how strong he was as he manhandled her with just one strong arm around her. A part of her never wanted him to let go. But (thankfully) he wasn't reading her mind and suddenly dropped her against the sand, quickly snatching the joint from her hand before she could drop it. She gasped when she hit the sand, her mouth falling open as she stared up at him. He simply let out a loud boastful "ha" before walking away from her.

"Jasper! You got sand all over me!" she yelled, trying her hardest to sound annoyed. She expected to get some sand on her so she only wore a simple pair of jeans and a graphic tee, but she didn't expect to be dropped completely in the sand. She got up and tried to dust herself clean as she glared at the smug older man. The joint was now settled between his lips, finally lit as he contentedly took a deep drag from it then slowly blew the smoke out from the corner of his mouth. Something about watching him smoke was horribly attractive to her.

"Shouldn't have taken my beer!" he shot back and she huffed.

"You're dead!" she shouted and started to run after him, doing her best to catch him as he took off in a full sprint away from her.

Henry chuckled a little as he watched the two of them run around. It was a lot like when they were younger and Piper would torment Jasper on a daily basis. He looked at Charlotte again and watched her idly as she talked with Jasmine and Tati. He happily studied her features - the way her cheekbones became more prominent and her eyes crinkled in the corners when she laughed, the way she rolled her eyes constantly, the way those beautiful lips of hers settled around the joint whenever she took a hit then parted to allow the smoke to escape. He didn't understand how she could be so beautiful.

Jasmine finally caught him staring and when he felt her eyes on him, he met her gaze and she smirked knowingly. He chuckled a little and looked down sheepishly before looking at her again and pointing his head in a different direction, raising his eyebrows a little. She got the hint and nodded before sitting up straight and tapping Tati's side.

"Let's go see the water, Tati," she said and the other raised an eyebrow at her.

"Why?" she asked and Charlotte watched them curiously.

"Because! We're in a new town and at the beach, let's just go!" she answered as she stood up. But the brunette didn't budge and instead took a hit from her joint.

"I'm from the Bay, I've seen water before," she stated and Jasmine rolled her eyes. She finally grabbed her arm and yanked her up, ignoring her protests as she dragged her away from the bonfire and over towards the water. Henry laughed a little as he watched them and glanced at Charlotte, noticing the way she shivered a little and held her hands out towards the fire.

"Are you cold?" he asked quietly as he unzipped his hoodie. She nodded as he shrugged it off of his arms and placed it over her shoulders. She gave him an appreciative smile and pulled the ends of the hoodie closer around her frame.

"Thank you. This reminds me, I still have your jacket from the other night," she said as she settled into the added warmth of the hoodie. He nodded and took the joint from her, taking a hit off it with a pleased sigh.

"I'll come by tonight and get it." A comfortable silence (as silent as it could get with Piper and Jasper still goofing off somewhere on the beach) fell over them and Henry decided that it was finally time to ask her what he wanted. He cleared his throat and licked his lips nervously as he kept his eyes on the flickering flames. "So, I've been thinking…"

"Oh, that can't be good," she teased and he chuckled with an eye roll. He nudged her gently and she gave him a crooked grin before looking at the flames again.

"Funny. I was thinking…we missed a lot of each other's lives. So much can happen in four years. Tell me, what did I miss?" he asked as he looked at her. She bit down on her bottom lip and hesitantly looked at him.

"What did you miss?"

"Yeah, like…what was your life like for those four years?" She took a deep breath and looked away from him. Should she tell him about Eddy? He was a big part of her four years away from him but a part of her didn't feel the need to tell him. After all, he cheated on her and she had no intention of continuing that relationship. There was really no need to tell him…right?

"Uh…well, I really just focused on school. Having a major and a minor isn't easy but you know me, always an overachiever. I guess I just used that time to…discover myself," she mused, reminiscing on her time at Stanford. As heartbroken and miserable as she was when she initially got there, it became incredibly liberating. It was her first time fully on her own - no parents, no Ray, no Jasper, and no Henry. She could do whatever she wanted and it was such a good feeling, one Henry could easily understand.

"That explains the nose jewelry," he said with a small chuckle. "If you were still in Swellview, your mom never would have agreed to that." She nodded in agreement and smiled at him.

"Same with those tattoos huh? How did Mrs. Hart react to them?"

"With tense acceptance," he answered with a laugh. "She hates them though, I can tell. But like you, I was discovering myself." She smiled a little and nodded in understanding. He hesitated once more before speaking again, "Did…did you date anyone?" She inhaled sharply and looked up at the sky, taking in the way the stars sparkled so beautifully. She didn't want to tell him.

"It was four years…" She trailed off before looking at him once more. "Did you?" She always assumed he did. He was Henry Hart, how could he not have found a girlfriend the moment she left? He looked into her eyes, his own filled with such sincerity and what she read as vulnerability.

"No," he answered and she blinked in surprise. He smiled a little nervously which softened his intense gaze. "I had hookups, one night stands, paid prostitutes…but I couldn't do a relationship. I couldn't move on from you." She let out a breath that she wasn't even aware that she was holding. She didn't know how to process that information. A part of her felt happy to know that she wasn't the only one stuck on him for so long, but another part felt guilty because she had someone else while he pined for her on his own. It almost felt like she betrayed him. She looked away from him as she felt tears start to well up in her eyes, unable to form the proper words to say to him. Henry noticed her change in demeanor and cleared his throat a little, turning his attention back to the flickering flames. The silence that was once comfortable was now heavy with uncertainty and unspoken feelings.

"Hey!" Piper greeted them and pulled them out of their daze. They both looked up at her as she held Jasper's jacket around her and her cheeks were flushed from running and laughing so much. "It's late, we should get home." Henry glanced at Charlotte before nodding a little and standing up.

"Yeah, you're right. Let's put this fire out," he said as Jasper walked up. He smacked Henry's chest lightly and walked closer to the flames.

"I'll put it out," he stated and moved his hands down to unzip his fly. Piper let out a disgusted groan and slapped his back as he and Henry laughed.

"Don't piss on the fire!" she complained and swatted at both of them as they laughed like the stupid boys they were. Charlotte just silently got up and went over to where Jasmine and Tatiana were to tell them they were leaving. She couldn't take her mind off of what Henry told her. She had an image of what his life without her was like, she came up with it to remind herself that she was better without him. That Eddy was what she needed. But knowing that it was the exact opposite was polarizing to her. A part of her wished he never told her.

A/N: Thank you for reading! And thank you for favoriting, following, and leaving reviews! I really appreciate. Please continue to share your thoughts!