Alex’s jaw worked, like she wanted to believe me but didn’t trust herself to.
Her eyes flickered, uncertainty still there, so I pressed on, words tumbling before I could second-guess them. “And what about Cassandra? You think I don’t notice how people look at you two? You laugh together, train together, disappear off to camps together. So tell me, am I supposed to believe that’s nothing too?”
“Cassandra and I… She’s my best friend, my partner in training. But that’s all it’s ever been. There’s never been anything else.”
I raised a brow, testing her. “So no secret French romance hidden away at training camps?”
She snorted, rolling her eyes. “Please. If you knew the amount of times she’s yelled at me for skipping stretches, you’d know romance is dead.”
A laugh slipped out of me, lighter than I meant. “Fine. But don’t expect me not to get jealous when you two look like you’re plotting world domination.”
Her lips curved into a grin, sly. She leaned in a little, her voice dipping low. “Why? You jealous, Smythe?”
I stared at her, torn between rolling my eyes. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Ridiculously in love with you, maybe.”
I groaned. “That was terrible.”
“Yeah?” she teased, leaning in close enough our noses brushed. “Kiss me then. Shut me up.”
So I did.
The kiss was warm, laughing at first, both of us smiling like idiots, the kind of kiss that saidfinally.
But suddenly a voice cut through the shadows. “There you are!”
I spun to see Bianca striding toward us, looking relieved and mildly exasperated. “Liv, I need you, like, right now. I need moral support before I stand up in front of two families and blurt something like‘cheers to love and cocktails.’”
Bianca’s eyes flicked between us then, her grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Ah. So this is Alexandra Cadiz. Finally.”
Alex straightened, polite but visibly caught off guard. “It’s nice to meet you Bianca. Congratulations on the engagement.”
“Mm-hm.” Bianca’s grin widened, positively wicked. “Well, Alexandra, thank you for keeping my sisterso entertained.I had to come rescue her myself.”
Heat shot up my neck. “Bianca!”
She laughed, looping her arm through mine with the authority only a big sister could wield. “Come on, Liv. You’re on speech duty with me.” Then, over her shoulder, she added with a sing-song lilt: “Don’t wait up too long, Alex.”
And just like that, she whisked me away, leaving Alex watching us with that unreadable look I knew too well.
ALEXANDRA
Last night replayed in my head like an overdramatic highlight reel: lanterns swaying over the beach, soft music, and, well… that moment with Olivia. My stomach still did its cartwheels just thinking about it.
I should’ve gone straight to my room after, but instead I found Cassandra and Georgia at the bar, already halfway to disaster. They were flushed and glassy-eyed, laughing too loudly, clinking their drinks against the glasses of two men who looked far too entertained by the whole scene. It was the kind of trouble that always spiraled if nobody stepped in.
So I did.
I slipped in between them, gathering the abandoned glasses, gently prying them away from whatever nonsense they were getting pulled into. Cassandra pouted, Georgia rolled her eyes, but they both knew the drill. We weren’t here for a night of flirting ourselves into a hangover, we had training in three days and someone had to be the responsible one.
They protested the entire walk back to the villa, stumbling beside me like two overgrown children denied dessert. Cassandra looped her arm through mine, giggling at nothing in particular, while Georgia kicked at shells on the sand, humming some off-key tune that made me wince.
By the time I got them into the room, Cassandra threw herself onto her bed and looked at me with a lazy smile. “You’re glowing, by the way.”
I froze trying not to give my smile away. “I’m not.”
She laughed softly, eyes half-lidded. “You are. I’ve never seen you like this. Whatever happened out there… I’m happy for you.”
