Page 20 of Five Years

1.Don’t initiate the contact.

Avoid her. Easier said than done.

2.Remain at a distance.

She could do that. The lake house was big enough to get lost in. There was no requirement to attend all family activities. Shecould lock herself away in her stunning lakeview bedroom and commence a week-long binge of a series she’d normally never indulge in.

3.Match their energy.

Don’t be a miserable witch if Ariana decided to be overly friendly—she could manage that. What if Ariana started flirting? Was she supposed to flirt back?

Change of plan—somewhat match her energy. (Unless she’s flirty.)

4.Small talk is key.

Leah had a tendency to overcomplicate things. Small talk with colleagues or strangers she could manage. But with Ariana? That required her brain to relinquish enough power over her emotions to avoid embarrassing herself.

This trip was absolutelynotthe time to be sharing feelings. The only acceptable topics were to be simple and non-confrontational. She decided any conversation outside of the following list was strictly prohibited:

Weather. Politics. Sports. Vacation. Career.

5.Leave the conversation.

Walk away. Don’t linger. Keep interactions short and simple, then excuse yourself.

Simple instructions.

She could absolutely stick to that.

She had one week to either solidify a friendship with Ariana or part ways amicably and avoid all future contact. There was no third option.

If she could survive accidentally sending a message meant for her friend into a group chat with herentirefamily—containinghighly inappropriate content—then she could survive a week with Ariana.

“Leah,” a muffled voice came through the door, followed by a brief knock.

It was Ariana.

She froze.

Stay calm.

“Leah, are you in there?”

A sharper knock vibrated through Leah’s body.

“Yes,” she responded, coyly.

“Erm, can I come in?” Ariana asked.

Leah jumped up from her seated position. “Why?”

“Because this is my room?”

“No, this is my room.” Leah opened the door. “Your dad told me third door down.”

“Third door down on theleft,” Ariana smirked. “This is the fourth door down on theright. You’re across the hall.”

“Oh.”