The girl stood at the window. Sunshine came through and hit her face, bringing heat with it. The water down below looked deliciously cool and refreshing. She hated that she was stuck indoors all that day. With a brat.

There was a small crash behind her. With a sigh, she turned back to the little girl. She was about to have a fit – she'd just thrown the Candyland game off the table. That was only the beginning. "Ella, you shouldn't throw stuff," she told the little girl. Ella stuck out her tongue. The girl turned away to roll her eyes. Right as she was about to go back to their game, someone down on the beach caught her eye.

A young man was walking along the shore. She knew about him even though she'd never met him. He was named Ashton. He was 19. He lived somewhere in the woods right off the beach. Those were things she was sure were facts. Then there was the stuff she knew were rumors: he hated dogs and ate them if one wandered too close to his home; he didn't hate dogs – it was cats, but he didn't eat them, he returned them to their owners if he found out who it was. Even though she was pretty sure none of it was true, it still made her a little leery of him.

After all, what did a person need to do to get rumors spread about them and animals? He had to have done something to them at some point, right?

The young man turned and looked up at their cabin. She stepped back from the window. She knew he couldn't really see her, but she didn't want to take chances. That was when Ella chose to scream. She cringed. A tantrum. Her mother wouldn't be-

"Nicole!" her mother screamed. "Take care of Ella!"

Nicole sighed and stepped away from the window. "Here, Ella, I'm playing!" She sat down and began reassembling the pieces on the board and the screaming stopped almost right away. For a 5-year-old, Ella was a piece of work. Nicole couldn't wait for her mother to come get her so Nicole could go down to the beach and to the woods. She didn't want to stay inside taking care of brats the whole summer.

---

An hour later, Nicole was walking out the door. As she hit the beach, people noticed her feet and stared, some with curiosity and some with confusion. She knew her hiking boots were odd to wear when walking on sand, but she ignored the looks – they didn't know where she was going. Her steps took her straight to the woods.

The moment she was in their cover, she relaxed. Nature always calmed her and made her feel good. She loved being in the woods and just outside in general. She stopped and breathed deeply. Decaying plant life hit her nostrils, bringing a smile to her face. That was the best smell, especially when mixed with the smell of the sea. Well, maybe the best after her mom's chocolate fudge cake...

Moving again, she went deeper. After a moment she realized she was following a path. A faint one, but a path. She followed it, finding that it ended in front of a house that looked abandoned. She smiled. This had to be it. He had to live here.

She'd been looking for Ashton. If there was one thing she loved as much as a forest, it was a mystery, and no one she'd met so far was as mysterious as Ashton. It had been her mission to see him up close since she'd gotten there a week ago and found out about him.

The cabin looked a little dilapidated from a distance, but when she got closer, she saw that it wasn't. On the porch she saw that several boards had been replaced and made to look old. She walked across the wide porch to the door and knocked. She didn't think he was there, but she felt she had to knock. When no one came, she tried the doorknob. It turned easily and the door swung open silently. Freshly oiled, she realized.

"Hello?" she said softly as she opened the door. She wanted to give him a heads-up in case he was in there and didn't hear her because he was in the bathroom or something. When no one answered, she walked in. The air was cool on her hot skin. She closed the door and looked around.

A TV occupied a space on the wall. Across from it was a sofa with a picture of a dog hanging over the back. To the left of the front door sat a trunk with a couple of pairs of shoes lined up next to it. Nicole tentatively stepped forward. The floor didn't make a sound – just the slight thump of her boot hitting the wooden plank.

She walked in further, gawking at the place. On the far right of the front room was a hallway. She went down it. On the right was a small washing room and to the left was a bedroom with a bathroom. She kept down the hall.

It at a small kitchen and dining room. Two chairs at the table, one bowl and spoon in the sink. She walked from the sink to the fridge. Inside it was stocked with food. Feeling a tad uneasy knowing she was in someone's house uninvited and even going through their fridge, she closed the door and went into the living room. She was heading for the front door when it opened.

A young man stood in the entrance. She froze as he looked up, surprised. There was no mistaking who this was. They stared at each other for a moment before Nicole felt a slow smile spread on her face. She noticed he looked even cuter in person: dark hair, tall, and just plain handsome. She almost laughed. Tall, dark, and handsome. Ha! Textbook. Except instead of being charming, he was scowling.

"What are you doing here?" He crossed his arms.

"Um." Stories rushed into her mind, all rumors she'd heard in town. Now she was wondering if any of them were true. "I was, um, uh." She swallowed. She took a step back. She'd imagined this moment several ways: she'd stand her ground and tell him she didn't think he was evil and sadistic, or she'd say to him what she thought of the stories in town. But none of them happened. Because she didn't expect to actually be afraid. Then again, she didn't think he'd be scary.

"'Um' and 'uh' aren't answers," he said, stepping inside and closing the door. He leaned against it. "Since you won't say why you're here, let's start off with why you're in my house. Especially since I never said you could come in." He crossed his arms again. "I don't particularly like trespassers, and I don't like people who break into someone's home."

Some hair flopped down in his eyes. It took the edge of his scariness off and looked cute. That gave Nicole a little boldness. "You weren't here, so I just let myself in. I wanted to see it." She lowered her head some and looked up at him through her lashes.

He stopped scowling, opting instead for a frown. "Why did you want to see my house? To see where the dog bones are, maybe? Or perhaps to see if I had a million cats? Or maybe you wanted to see where I kept the people I've kidnapped? Yeah, I've heard all the stories – I'm not stupid."

"I don't believe any of them," Nicole said heatedly, surprising herself.

Ashton's eyebrows rose. "Oh?" He sighed and shrugged. "Well, that's a first." He chewed his lip a moment, studying her. After a moment he held out his hand. "Ashton."

She shook it, relieved. "Nicole."

He nodded and reclaimed his hand. "Tourist?"

She nodded. "I'm here with my parents. They love your town. They say we're coming back next year. How long have you lived here?"

He moved past her. "About a year." His voice grew distant as he walked down the hallway. "Where are you from?"

She started to follow. He went into his room, so she stood in the hallway, out of sight of the door. "A small town about five hours west of here. I doubt you've heard of it. Not many have. Have you lived in Harvey for a long time?"

"My whole life," came a muffled reply. He stepped out wearing a different shirt and walked into the kitchen. He got a glass and filled it with water. As he sipped, he turned to her and leaned against the counter. "My family is one of the two founding families. We're the only ones still here. The other one left more than a decade ago. I barely remember them."

"How old are you?"

"19." He eyed her. "How old are you?"

"17." She looked around the room.

"Do you want something to eat or drink?" Her cheeks heated up, realizing he must have noticed her looking at the fridge.

"I'm not thirsty and I don't like pickles or jelly beans." Her eyes grew round. Oops.

He narrowed his eyes. "You've been in my fridge too?" He shook his head, laughter bubbling out of him a couple of moments later. His scary image fell away and the smile on his face made him look his age.

Nicole's cheeks heated up. "Um, sorry."

He stopped laughing and shook his head. He took a step forward and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. I probably would've done the same thing."

Nicole smiled at him. "Really?" He nodded. "Cool." He removed his hand. "Um, I need to leave. But can I come again?"

He eyed her with suspicion. "Why?"

She shrugged. "You're interesting."

He gave her a small smile. "Sure. But next time, I'll come to you. Tomorrow, 10 AM, on the beach by the edge of the woods. We can go swimming if you're game."

She nodded happily and walked away.

---

The fun day on the beach turned into two beach days. She went to his house to hang out three times the following week. For all the time she spent with him, she never found out anything else about him. He asked her questions all the time, but never answered hers. Then one day he stopped showing up. He never came to find her, and he was never home.

The day before she was due to leave, she sat at the end of the town's pier. Nicole had thought they'd become something like friends. She was hugging a post as she dangled her feet in water, remembering splashing in the waves with Ashton.

She heaved a heavy sigh and turned to get up, but when she turned, she jumped. Without her hearing him, Ashton had sat down next to her, about a foot away. He was looking at her, smiling. "Hi."

"Hi," she responded. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you all summer."

He shrugged and lay back on the dock. "I've been around. Family issues."

She lay back too. "Have you been avoiding me?"

He sighed. "Why would I avoid my only friend? Nicole, I've just been busy with family things. I'm sorry I haven't seen you lately."

She crossed her arms. "You've never answered my biggest question."

"What's that?"

"Why do you live out in the woods? I can't figure it out."

After a long minute, he sat up and she was almost sure he was going to dodge the question again. She sat up and looked at him. His gaze was fixed out across the water. After a long moment he spoke. "I trust you, Nicole." She smiled. "I'm not sure how much I trust you, but I do. And I think you've earned my trust enough to tell you my reasons." He turned to her, and she turned to him.

"I told you my family is a founding family." She nodded. "Because of that, my dad is the sheriff. My mom runs the post office. My little sister, Ella, gets babysat a lot. My dad's closest friends work for him at the station as deputies. They all hold one common belief: everyone knows everyone, and therefore no one in the town can do wrong, because if they did, there would be enough people to point them out and report them, so nothing that happens can be done by a local. If someone gets their pocket picked, it must be a visitor. If someone has something stolen, it's a visitor. The jail hasn't ever had anyone at all sit inside of it.

"When I turned 18 my dad tried to get me to be a deputy so I could work on becoming sheriff. Well, I don't agree with them. I've always been the type to see everything happening around me, and early on I noticed that all of the locals have done some crime. I told this to my dad, and he told me I was wrong. I needed to 'see the light' and realize his way is the best way. I refused to turn a blind eye on the old lady who keeps breaking into houses to steal jewelry. I've talked to the people she's stolen from, and they've talked to my dad, but they get laughed right out of the station.

"I refuse to live that way. Nothing in this town is just. I'm biding my time, Nicole. When my dad does retire from being sheriff, I'll take over. He won't be able to tell me what I can do as the head of the law. I have a lot of backing, but it's drowned out by my father's lackeys. They all spread stories about me, and, sadly, a lot of the locals that were on my side have turned against me. They think I'm some kind of nutcase that doesn't know what he's talking about. So I moved out where they can't watch me be me."

Nicole stared at him. She couldn't get over it. She had no idea. She could see him bracing. "You did the right thing."

He stared at her in surprise. "What?"

"You did the right thing."

"That's the first time someone has told me that."

"Really?" He nodded. She shook her head. "That's the best thing you could've done. They didn't give you much of a choice. They need justice, the town needs justice, and you need justice for their actions. For what it's worth, I never thought you were crazy."

He grinned at her and slid closer. "Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me to know that someone is on my side."

She slid closer. "I'll always be on your side. Count on it."

He leaned closer and kissed her cheek. Then kissed it again, closer to her mouth. She turned and kissed his cheek. He pulled away and stood. He offered her a hand which she accepted. "You're leaving tomorrow?" She nodded, flushed. "I will see you then, 9 AM." He let her hand go and walked off.

---

She stood in the drive to the bungalow, waiting for Ashton to show up. At exactly nine he strode up to her. He pulled a phone out of his pocket. "I want to stay in touch." He reddened slightly. "I know it's a little cheesy, but I don't want to lose my one friend that believes in me. I know you'll be back, but I still want to text you. If that's okay," he hurried to add.

Nicole laughed a little and pulled out her phone. "You beat me to it." They both laughed a little as they each punched in their number and name. Once they each had their phone back, Ashton pulled her into a long hug. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you," he responded as he nuzzled her ear. The breath tickled and she gave a small shiver. He gently kissed her temple as he let her go. "I'll text you." He turned and left.