Siya snickers. “You like him,” she whispers.
My eyes widen. “Pfft, no. Not at all. I mean, I do like him.” I clear my throat. “But not in that way. I mean, I have taste.” I try to sound dismissive, but the way my face heats up will surely betray me. I flip my hair, trying to seem composed when I’m anything but.
She giggles. “Sure. If you say so.” I roll my eyes.
“Come on! Why are you guys walking like turtles?” Soph exclaims. “Move those damn legs.” I chuckle, pulling Siya with me. We run onto the beach, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore, the salty sea air, filling the air. I can feel Daniel’s eyes on me, but I don’t have the courage to face him right now. He comes and stands near me. I see three guys walking towards us. They must be his friends.
“Dude, I thought you pranked us or something,” a guy nearly as tall as Daniel says. Daniel puts our bag down.
“Ah! I understand. You must be distracted by these hot ladies.” Another one pipes up. His gaze lingers on Soph a while longer than it should. I roll my eyes.
“I apologize on behalf of my friends,” Daniel says, glaring at them.
“Girls, this is Louis. He’s also on my team.” Louis flashes us a charming grin and runs a hand through his messy brown hair.
“This is Ethan.” Ethan is the middle guy among the three, shorter than Daniel and Louis. He has messy dark hair and a shy smile.
“Hi, nice to meet you.” His voice is softer and gentler, a stark contrast to the playful tones of his friends. He seems more reserved and introverted.
“And that’s Caleb. Just stay away from him, for your sake.” He sighs while Caleb chuckles.
“You can try. You won’t succeed, though.” Caleb winks at me, inspiring another eye roll from me.
“And this is Siya, Sophia, and—” He looks at me. Our eyes meet. “Anya.” He inhales sharply.
“Oh, so this is the world-famous Anya,” Louis comments. I try to keep my cool, his words clearly indicating he’s talked about me to his friends. Good or bad, I don’t know, but at least I crossed his mind. Daniel breaks our eye contact as he narrows his eyes at Louis who grins sheepishly.
As the afternoon sun begins to dip lower, casting a golden hue over the beach, the atmosphere becomes more relaxed and playful. A cold breeze makes me shiver. I wrap my arms around myself. Louis, Ethan, and Caleb join our group seamlessly, their easy banter blending with our laughter as we share stories, enjoying the beach. Soph’s laughter rings out as she runs toward the water, shedding her clothes until she’s in her swimsuit, ready to dive in. I quickly change into my swimsuit too, but I take a seat beside Siya, who’s now engrossed in a novel. It’s cold; the beach is not for winter. Damn, I really hope I do not catch a cold. I hate it.
My eyes wander around the beach, searching forDaniel. My breath hitches in my throat when I find him. He’s shirtless, playing volleyball with a bunch of people. He looks ridiculously good with the ocean breeze tousling his hair. I can’t help but bite my lip as I observe Daniel’s every movement, his muscular torso, and his strong arms.
“Stop ogling.” I jerk my head towards Siya, feeling flustered that she caught me staring.
I cough. “I am not.”
Siya smirks. “Don’t lie to me, at least. I have known you since we could barely talk,” she says. I sigh, unable to come up with a reply. She’s right. I can’t hide anything from her; she can read me too easily.
She puts a hand on my shoulder. I look at her, reluctant to take my eyes off of Daniel, but I force myself to do just that. “It’s okay if you like him, Anya,” she says, her voice gentle.
“Anya!” I turn my head towards the voice, my heart racing in my chest. Daniel is walking toward us, his body glistening with sweat from the intense game of volleyball, still clutching the ball in his hands. He looks effortlessly handsome with the sun setting behind him.
“Hey,” he greets us, a warm smile on his face. “You two are not joining us?”
Siya smiles at him. “I was just about to join Soph. She seems to be having fun in the water.” She gets up, keeping her book on the blanket. She gives us one last look and walks toward Sophia.
“I am just enjoying the sunset,” I say quietly, still lost in Siya’s words. He observes me for a moment and then sits beside me, throwing the ball to Caleb. Plopping down next to me on the sand, his presence sending a shiver down my spine, he leans back, propping himself up with his arms. The muscles on his biceps flexing slightly under the strain and I find myself quickly averting my gaze.
“You look incredible,” he says, his eyes lingering on me for a moment longer than usual. The way he says it makesmy heartbeat stumbles, and I feel a warmth rise to my cheeks. There’s something different in his tone, like he means it more than just surface-level. I can’t help but notice how his arms flex as he supports himself.
“Thanks,” I murmur, finally breaking the silence. “You don’t look so bad yourself.” He grins lazily.
“I know, Firecracker. You seemed to have a hard time keeping your eyes off me.” He smirks.
My heart rate spikes when he nudges me playfully. I scoff, folding my arms to show my annoyance. “I was not,” I start, fumbling over my words. “It’s just—it’s…” I trail off, exhaling in frustration. “The game seemed interesting,” I finally mutter.
He smiles at me softly, and his dimple catches my attention. Butterflies flutter in my stomach, and I try to push the feeling away.
His finger brushes against mine. A jolt of electricity shoots through me, and I quickly try to ignore it, pretending to be unaffected. But then, he takes my hand. His fingers trace light patterns on the back, sending warmth flooding through me, making my heart race.
