CHAPTER THIRTEEN
MILA
My mom was waiting when I came downstairs Friday morning. Coffee mug already drained, jacket tossed over a chair, her car keys spinning once between her fingers before she caught them.
Her long brown hair was pulled in a high ponytail, sunglasses perched on her head. She wore shorts and a loose white tank that showed the strap of her bikini, flip-flops tapping against the tile. A striped beach bag sat at her feet, as if it had been packed hours ago.
I stopped on the last step, blinking. Mom didn’t dress like this on a weekday morning—never ready for anything but the office.
“You’re not going to school today.” No preamble. Her grin tugged wide, a mischievous spark in her eyes.
I blinked. “Uh… what?”
Her gaze was steady, mouth tipped in something between a challenge and a dare. “We both need a break. Hurry and change. I’ve got a to-go coffee and bagel ready for the road. Let’s go.”
I stared a second longer, waiting for the catch. For thebut...But you can’t miss class. But I’ve got work. But nothing.
Excitement rushed through me before I could stop it, relief loosening something in my chest. The promise of sun and waves was too good to pass up.
“Give me two minutes.”
I bolted upstairs, tore out of my jeans, and tugged on shorts and a tank. I shoved my Sketchbook into my bag and kicked off my sneakers for flip-flops. By the time I clattered back down, pulse already lighter, she was shouldering her bag.
It was unseasonably warm out, the perfect day to play hooky. We were halfway through loading the car when my phone buzzed.
Avery:Where are you? You’re late.
I thumbed a message back fast.Taking the day off. Mom’s orders. Don’t freak.
Three dots appeared, then?—
Avery:Fine. But you’re coming to the game tonight. No excuses.
Another buzz right after, Luke this time.
Luke:Where are you?
Me:No school for me today. Beach with Mom. Both of us needed it. Play hard tonight.
No reply came, but I tucked the phone away and breathed easier for having sent it.
We drove with the windows cracked, ocean air shoving its way into the car. The closer we got to the coast, the lighter my chest felt. By the time the sand stretched out in front of us, I’d almost forgotten the mess waiting back at school—the committee, Elise’s calculated smirk, Logan’s predatory gaze following me down the hall.
We claimed a patch of beach not far from the pier. The air carried a faint chill—it was late autumn, after all—but the sun burned high and fierce, pretending it was still summer. Therewas not a cloud in the sky, just endless blue fading paler at the horizon.
Goosebumps rose along my arms until the sand’s warmth sank in. Golden grains clung to my skin, dazzling like ground glass under the light. The waves moved in shades of slate and turquoise, foam scattering white lace across the darker water.
It felt unreal, skipping school as if none of it mattered. As if I’d stepped out of the chaos and into someone else’s painting—broad strokes of sky and sea, too vivid to be real.
Mom sat, sunglasses sliding down her nose, eyes scanning the horizon as though she could read answers out of the tide. We stretched out on the blanket.
“So. College.”
Mom dropped the topic I dreaded having with her. Pinching my lips together, I didn’t answer. It wouldn’t do any good. I could tell by the determined set to her shoulders that she was going to keep pressing the topic.
“You want a different life than this, right?” she shot back.
I groaned. “Fine. College.”
