Lila stepped out onto the wide back deck with a tray of marinated steaks, the late-June sun still brutal even as it dipped toward the horizon. The barbecue was in full swing—smoke curling from the grill, classic rock thumping from the outdoor speakers, laughter rolling across the lawn like thunder. Her father’s annual summer blowout. Same faces every year. Same easy rhythm.
Except this year she wasn’t invisible anymore.
Victor, Damien, and Reid arrived together in Victor’s black pickup, doors slamming, boots hitting gravel. They moved like a pack—broad shoulders, easy confidence, the kind of men who’d built things with their hands and never apologized for taking up space. Victor clapped her father on the back hard enough to make him cough-laugh. Damien handed over a case of craft IPA wit
