This Summer Will Be Different
by Carley Fortune
Contents
Chapter 18
Overview
Three years earlier at Thanksgiving, Felix unexpectedly arrives home, reigniting chemistry with Lucy. After a day of charged closeness and family celebration, Lucy seeks Felix out at night and they sleep together. In the early morning they part, agreeing to be “normal,” hinting at a pattern of desire they try to contain.
Summary
On Thanksgiving morning at the Clarks’, Lucy and Bridget prep dinner in their pajamas when Felix unexpectedly arrives, older and more self-assured after traveling. Felix hovers near Lucy in the kitchen, teasing and helping, while their attraction resurges despite Lucy’s resolve to keep boundaries.
Throughout the day, Felix shares vivid stories of Portugal and cottage plans, sounding more mature. At the crowded family dinner, Lucy and Felix exchange subtle touches and glances. Later, during music around the piano, they continue a silent, mutual focus that heightens the tension.
Unable to sleep, Lucy decides to visit Felix in the TV room using their old knock. They kiss immediately and, despite acknowledging their rule not to fall in love, they give in to desire and have sex on the pull-out couch, trying to stay quiet in the sleeping house.
Before dawn, Felix’s alarm wakes them. They share playful, tender banter that feels newly intimate, then agree they can be “normal” around each other. Lucy returns upstairs, both reassured and unsettled by the intensity between them.
Who Appears
- LucyNarrator; struggles with temptation, seeks Felix at night, sleeps with him, then agrees to act normal.
- Felix ClarkBridget’s brother; surprises family by arriving early, flirts with Lucy all day, and sleeps with her.
- Bridget ClarkLucy’s best friend; cooks with Lucy, welcomes Felix, unaware of the late-night hookup.
- Christine ClarkBridget and Felix’s mother; orchestrates Thanksgiving cooking, briefly instructs Lucy in the kitchen.