The summer heat clings to the air, making the truck feel like a sauna no matter how long the windows stay down. I tap the steering wheel impatiently, watching a group of kids pile out of the camp bus in a disorganized clump. Their backpacks are overstuffed, and their arms are full of whatever crafts or science experiments they designed at camp. A small smirk tugs at my lips as I spot Dustin stumbling down the steps of the bus, his bag slung over his shoulder and pulling him slightly off balance.

It's been a month since I've seen him, but even from the driver's seat, I can tell he's changed in subtle ways. His build is a little sturdier, his hair is grown out, and I'd swear he's added a few inches of height, but then he starts waving his arms wildly, laughing louder than anyone else in his group, and I roll my eyes. Same Dustin.

I lean out the window and press on the horn, grinning when he jumps and whips his head around in surprise. "Let's go, nerd!"

Dustin frowns, dramatically adjusting his bag on his shoulder before waving goodbye to his camp friends. He tries to keep his annoyed act going as he approaches the truck, but the corners of his mouth curl up into an unmistakable smile the closer he gets. I climb out to meet him, grabbing his bag and tossing it into the bed before pulling him into a quick hug.

"How was camp?" I ask, brushing some dirt off his shirt as he climbs into the passenger seat.

"Fine," he says, already distracted. He grabs his radio from the dashboard and flips the switch, fiddling with the dials.

I groan, sliding back into my seat. "Dustin, you've been gone four weeks. Maybe save the radio routine for later?"

"Lacy, we live in the same house," he says without looking up, twisting the frequency knob.

"Yeah, but it's not the same as actually talking to me," I counter, reaching to take the radio out of his hands. Dustin pulls it away, clutching it like it's made of gold.

"Fine," he huffs, leaning against the door to keep the radio out of my reach. "Camp was great. I made new friends, built cool stuff, and ate s'mores. Happy now?"

Dustin goes back to fiddling with the radio, plugging in his headphones. I pull them off, flicking at his ear, "Isn't there anything you want to ask me?"

Dustin rolls his eyes, but I catch the small grin that presses at the corner of his mouth. He sighs, dropping the radio into his lap before turning to look at me. "How was tennis camp?"

"It was fine," I shrug, "same as it always is. We wake up at dawn, run laps, run drills, but no one let us make s'mores."

"Sounds shitty," he snorts. "What time did you get home yesterday?" he continues, but I catch his hand fiddling with the dial on his radio again.

"Late," I shrug, "the bus had some issues. I thought Mom was going to have to drive out and get me."

"Wow," Dustin sighs with fake exasperation. "And now you're here getting me instead of seeing Billy? I do mean something to you."

I smirk, shaking my head as I pull the truck out of the lot. "Don't think too highly of yourself," I tease. "I'm ditching you for the pool as soon as we get home."

"That's fine," Dustin laughs, adjusting his hat before glancing at me. "I have plans to meet with my girlfriend anyways."

It takes a moment for me to process what he's said before I look at him, watching him fiddle with the dials on the radio, the static weaving in and out with the radio. "Girlfriend?"

"Don't sound so surprised," he scoffs, as the color in his cheeks rises.

"We're talking about a real girl, right?" I question, feeling my own grin growing, "Not just something you built at nerd camp?"

"Ha-ha," he rolls his eyes. "Yes, a real girl. Her name is Suzie."

"And Suzie went to nerd camp?" I ask, still skeptical, but noticing the growing annoyance in Dustin's posture.

"I don't know why I tell you anything," he snaps, lifting the headphones for his radio back to his ears.

I sigh, reaching over and pulling them off again. "I'm sorry," I smile, fixing his baseball cap. "You said you had plans, does Suzie live in Hawkins?"

Dustin shakes his head, nodding towards his bag in the bed of the truck. "She lives in Utah. I'm going to use the Ham Radio I built to talk to her."

"Why not just use the phone?" I ask, but Dustin rolls his eyes, throwing his head back dramatically.

"What would have been the point of building a long distance radio, then?" he asks, clearly exasperated with me.

"Good point," I agree, although I still don't understand.

We settle into silence as we drive into Hawkins. Dustin throws his headphones back over his ears, attempting to reach his friends. As we drive deeper into town, my brother's frustration begins to heighten and the earlier pink flush of his cheeks begins to deepen into an angry red flare.

"This is Gold Leader returning to base, do you copy?" he calls, adjusting the dial carefully. "This is Gold Leader returning to base, do you copy?"

"Dustin!" I call, grabbing his headphones again, "Shut-up."

"I'm enraged!" he yells, face twisting in frustration. "They should be answering me!"

"Maybe they're embarrassed because you refer to yourself as 'Gold Leader'," I laugh and Dustin's hands twist around his radio with a glare.

Dustin glares at me, his lips twitching in frustration. "You don't understand. This is serious. They always answer me."

I raise an eyebrow, glancing at him as we turn onto our street. "Maybe they're busy," I shrug, turning the truck off in the driveway. "Four weeks is a long time to be away."

Dustin slumps in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. "Is that how you feel about Billy?"

The question makes me flinch, but I try to play it off with a laugh. "Come on," I say, nudging him with my elbow, "let's get you unpacked and I'll drive you to the Wheeler's on the way to the pool."

He groans but finally swings his door open, muttering something under his breath. I grab his bag from the truck bed, tossing it onto the couch as we step inside the house. It's blissfully cool compared to the stifling heat outside, but my relief is short-lived as Dustin's radio crackles to life again, but there's still no response from his friends.

"I'm going to lose my mind," he grumbles, stomping past me towards his room.

I sigh, waiting for his door to slam shut before moving towards the side door to wave his friends in. Mike leads the charge, with Lucas and Will following close behind, and Max and Eleven bringing up the rear.

"He's freaking out," I whisper, nodding towards the hallway, "thinks you guys abandoned him."

Mike grins, nodding for them to line up against the wall. "Phase one, complete. Thanks, Lacy."

I nod, checking the clock on the wall. "I have to leave soon, try not to make a mess."

Max smirks, passing me with raised brows. "What's the rush? Billy's shift doesn't start for another forty-minutes."

I shoot her a warning look, but it's too late – Lucas is now raising an eyebrow and Mike is snickering under his breath. "Just don't mess up the house," I warn before disappearing behind the door to my room.

I do my best to get ready, ignoring the sounds of Dustin's friends as they shuffle around the living room. Whatever they have planned for Dustin, sounds like it's going to be a mess for me later. I sigh, fixing my hair in the mirror and comparing two swimsuits side by side. I hold up a black one-piece, simple and classic, against the brighter floral bikini Tori let me borrow. My fingers hesitate, brushing over the softer fabric of the floral suit, but my mind is elsewhere.

Three weeks. Three weeks is almost a lifetime.

I check my reflection one last time, grabbing my bag and heading out. The house is oddly quiet – no screams, no crashes, no bickering. I peek around the corner into the living room, finding my brother's friends pressed against the wall, covering their mouths to keep themselves from laughing too loudly and catching Mike's eye first. I lift an eyebrow, gesturing to the small mess already scattered around, but Mike presses a finger to his lips, begging me to stay quiet.

"Clean up," I whisper, and Mike nods, crossing his fingers over his heart as I slip out the front door.

I pull into the pool's crowded parking lot, glancing at the clock. I'm only a few minutes late to meet Tori and Emily. Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I scan the line of lounge chairs for them, fighting the urge to look towards the lifeguard tower, suddenly unsure as to how I want to approach Billy at all.

"You're late," Tori calls as I approach, shifting her sunglasses onto her head.

"Dustin," I say simply, dropping my bag onto the chair beside her.

Emily grins, leaning forward. I eye her deep golden tan, admiring her perfect tan lines from her bikini, instead of the bold lines that Tori and I shared from our tennis uniforms. "You almost missed the show, Lace."

I lift a brow, tucking my towel into the lounge chair, "What do you mean?"

"It's the Billy Hargrove special," Emily laughs, "starring Billy Hargrove and every mom in Hawkins."

I snort, sinking into my chair. "You sound like you've been enjoying it?"

"Are you kidding?" Emily says. "It's hilarious. One mom spilled her iced tea trying to get a better angle. They're going to flip once they realize he has a girlfriend."

My cheeks flush and I adjust my sunglasses, but it's a weak attempt to hide my blush. I glance around the pool, noticing that most of the chairs near the lifeguard tower are occupied by Hawkin's moms and try not to think too much about Mrs. Wheeler being front and center.

I open my mouth to ask Emily about them, but notice how the row of moms shift as Heather climbs down from the tower and suddenly, Billy appears from the doors to the building. I sink into my towel, trying to blend in. His tan is deeper, his hair longer, and there's a hint of scruff on his upper lip.

Tori smirks. "You gonna go over there or just watch from a distance?"

He's talking to Heather, his body language casual, but his smirk is unmistakable. I can't help but wonder if they'd been sharing inside jokes all summer, their connection easy and effortless. The thought sends a flicker of irritation through me and I drop my gaze quickly.

"He's working," I say, shrugging as I reach for my water.

Tori raises an eyebrow, "Chicken."

"Am not," I mutter, spraying some water at her.

"All you could do was talk about him for three weeks and now you won't even go say hi?" Tori asks, shaking her head, "If I were you, Lace. I'd walk over and remind all the wandering eyes that he was my boyfriend."

I roll my eyes, ignoring the pressing weight in my chest. I want to talk to him, but the words feel out of reach.

The conversation shifts to tennis camp, and I do my best to stay engaged, laughing along as Tori recounts the girls from the private schools we had to share a cabin with.

"They were awful," Tori grimaces, "they all had matching diamond bracelets like a little cult."

"At least you didn't have to share a bunk with one of them," I sigh, picturing the redhead who slept in the bed above mine. "She talked non-stop."

"At least you got her back," Tori laughs and I shift awkwardly, already knowing what she's going to say. "You kept her up all night talking in your sleep the night before the tournament. I've never seen her play so bad."

Emily laughs and I brush the comment off. For most of camp, I was fine, but the harder I pushed myself, the less I could shake the feeling that something was off. Maybe it was just exhaustion, but the unease I tried to escape in sleep clung to me, and my nightmares felt more real than ever.

I flinch when Tori nudges me, forcing the image from my mind. "Let's get in the pool."

The cool water glistens and the heat of the day fades from my skin. Leaning against the edge, I let out a long breath, my gaze drifting toward the lifeguard tower again. Billy is leaning lazily against his chair, whistle hanging from his lips, but even with his sunglasses on I can tell he's looking right at me. I blush, glancing away before meeting his curious and expectant gaze again. His eyebrows lift from behind his glasses and he subtly tilts his head, like he's questioning why I haven't come to see him.

"I could drown, right now," Tori says as she wades past me, "and I don't think he'd notice."

I sink lower into the water, trying to hide the redness creeping up my neck. I glance back toward the lifeguard tower and sure enough, Billy is still watching me. It's subtle, but the weight of his gaze is there – the tilt of his head, the way his smirk softens at the corners.

"Go talk to him," Tori insists, splashing me lightly.

I sigh, shaking the water from my face. I let my gaze drift back toward Billy one more time. He's sitting now, his long legs stretched out in front of him, but his sunglasses are now pushed up onto his head. When he notices me looking again, he leans forward, resting an elbow on his knee. A playful smirk tugs at his lips as he motions for me to come closer. I hesitate for a moment, glancing around at the group of moms who are now watching me just as much as they're watching him. Taking a breath, I push off the wall and make way towards the pool ladder nearest to his stand.

As I climb out, Billy is already walking toward me, a towel in his hands. He drapes it around my shoulders, taking a moment to play with the tip of my ponytail before crossing his arms over his chest. "Three weeks wasn't long enough apart?" he asks, but there's a warmth in his voice that chases my nerves away immediately.

"I'm not ignoring you," I argue, wiping my face with the towel, "you're working."

Billy leans closer, reaching over to trace my jaw with his thumb before cupping the back of my neck. "I'm just saying, I've banned people from the pool for less."

I shake my head, my skin flaming under his touch. Up close, the subtle changes in him are even more noticeable. The tan, the curls, the way his shoulders seem broader somehow. "Did you get a tattoo?" I ask, reaching out to touch the freshly inked skull on his shoulder.

"Stupid night with Tommy," he shrugs, but it's there. A reminder that soon – I won't know every little detail about him anymore. "You cut your hair," he adds, playing with the tip of my ponytail again. "Three weeks was a little too long."

I swallow hard, my words caught in my throat. I want to point out that we have about two months left together and that didn't seem long enough. Before I can respond, he leans down, pressing a slow, disarming kiss to my lips. His confidence wrapping around me like a shield against the curious eyes watching, the smell of the sunscreen on his face is almost overwhelming, but I find myself leaning into him, wanting just a second longer. My cheeks burn, but I savor the moment, despite how brief, tame it is.

"Be ready tonight," he murmurs, stepping back and flashing me one last grin, "eight o'clock on the dot."

"Big plans?" I ask, not wanting him to walk away so soon.

"You'll see, Henderson. Just be ready." he winks before turning on his heel and walking back towards his tower.

I stand there, momentarily stunned, as the low murmurs around me grow a little louder. When I finally make my way back to Tori and Emily, Tori is grinning ear to ear, dramatically fanning herself with a magazine.

"Now that's what I call a show," Tori teases with a suggestive lift of her brows.

"Shut-up," I snap, but I can't help the smile from forming across my lips. "He has something planned for tonight? What do you think it is?"

"I mean," Emily begins, an equally wicked grin spread across her face, "three weeks apart? I'd only want one thing."

I flush, dropping my eyes from hers. "... It's not like that, I mutter, wrapping the towel tighter around my shoulders.

Tori raises an eyebrow, leaning in with a smirk. "Oh, come on, Lace. We all know it is like that. Three weeks apart? He's definitely got something romantic on his mind."

Emily laughs, snapping her gum. "Yeah, and judging by the way he kissed you in front of half the town, he's not exactly subtle about it."

I glance back toward the lifeguard tower, where Billy is perched on his chair again, twirling his whistle idly between his fingers. He looks calm, composed, but there's an edge of intensity in the way he keeps glancing my way. I can feel it, even from across the pool.

"We haven't done it," I admit, the words slipping from my lips.

"I don't believe that," Tori says, slapping the magazine onto the ground. "You and Billy have been together for what? Seven months?"

"Six," I shrug, "it's not that big of a deal."

Tori rolls her eyes, nudging my arm. "Right, because Billy Hargrove is known for being low-key."

The girls laugh, and I force myself to join in, but my mind is racing.

"I wouldn't even know where to start," I sigh, covering my face with the towel.

"It doesn't matter," Emily shrugs, "you just do it."

"And it's Billy," Tori agrees, pulling the towel off my face, "I'm sure he'll know exactly how to take care of you."

They make it sound so simple, but the weight of my feelings for Billy has been anything but. It's been messy and complicated, like the summer heat that clung to everything and refused to let go.

I glance at him again, his easy confidence radiating even from a distance. He catches my eye, his lips curling into a knowing smirk, and I quickly look away, my heart racing. This moment is what I've been waiting for.

It won't make him stay, I remind myself as I settle back into my lounge chair, but I can let him take a piece of me with him.