Her eyes sparkle like she’s got some kind of secret weapon. She points at the thermos sitting on the blanket. “I brought iced tea. And you’re going to try it.”
I make a face at the very mention of it. I’ve never been a fan of iced tea. It just tastes…wrong. “Ice tea? That stuff’s gross, Kenna.”
Kenna doesn’t even flinch. Instead, she shoots me a look—a look that makes me think she is planning something. “Oh, no. You’re going to like it. I’ll make it my mission.”
I almost laugh, but there is that playful glint in her eyes, and I know she isn’t backing down. “You can’t be serious. I’ve tried it before. Nothing is going to change the fact that it tastes like...dirty water.”
“Cole!” She swats at me, feigning offense. “You’re being dramatic. It’s refreshing! Just try it. One sip.”
“I’m serious, Kenna. It’s gross,” I say, trying to stand my ground.
But she isn’t having it. “Fine. But if you don’t try it, I’m not letting you have any of the sandwiches.”
Now she has my attention. “You’re gonna hold food hostage?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. “You really think that’s gonna work?”
“Oh, I know it’ll work,” she says, smiling like she has won already. That little smirk—yeah, I’d probably do just about anything to keep seeing that.
I shake my head, half laughing. “You’re impossible.”
Kenna pours me a glass of the iced tea anyway. I look at it. The pale amber liquid swirls in the cup, and I can’t help but cringe. She is definitely enjoying herself too much.
I take the glass from her reluctantly and stare at it for a moment. She is watching me like I am about to do something heroic. Her eyes are locked on mine, like this silly sip of tea means something more than she’s letting on.
I roll my eyes, lift the glass to my lips, and take a sip.
The first thing that hits me is how cold it is—too cold, like it has been sitting in a freezer. The second thing is the taste, which...well, isn’t as bad as I remember. It doesn’t taste like dirt, but it isn’t something I’d choose for fun. Still, I can tell Kenna is waiting for my reaction, like this is a test.
I sigh. “Okay, fine. It’s…it’s not awful.”
Kenna’s face lights up, like she has just won a major victory. “See? I knew you could be converted.”
“Don’t get too excited,” I mutter, setting the glass down and taking a sandwich from the spread. “I’m not saying I love it. But I guess I can live with it.”
She laughs, a bright sound that always seems to lift the air around us. It’s a laugh that makes everything feel a little lighter, like the weight of the world disappears for a second, and all that’s left is her, in front of me. That laugh is dangerous. It’s a sound that makes you forget you’ve been hurt before.
We fall into an easy rhythm after that, passing snacks back and forth, dipping our toes in the warm sand, pointing out strange clouds and pretending they’re something else. It’s a day where nothing extraordinary happens.
We eat, chatting casually about life, school, and everything in between. Eventually, the conversation shifts to the upcoming school year. It feels strange since we’ll both be going back to class soon, together this time. We’ve known each other forever, but now...things are different. We’re not just friends anymore, and no one knows about us yet. No one knows we’re dating.
“I’m kind of nervous about what people are going to say when they find out,” Kenna says, her voice quieter than usual. She picks at a strawberry, avoiding my gaze.
I shrug, trying to sound casual. “I don’t care,” I say, my voice steady. “People can think whatever they want. What matters is how I feel about you.”
She looks up at me then, and I see the soft flicker of relief in her eyes. There’s something so raw, so open about her gaze. It makes me feel like I’m seeing her in a way no one else does, like I’m allowed to know the real Kenna, the one who doesn’t always show her insecurities. It’s a look I don’t take lightly.
I’ve seen the fearless version of her—the fighter, the dreamer, the girl who makes plans like the future is hers for the taking. But this version? The one who’s scared and quiet and still trusts me? That’s the one I’d fight for, everytime.
Before I can say anything else, Kenna blinks rapidly and shakes her head, like she’s trying to push back whatever emotions are threatening to spill over. It’s a look I’m all too familiar with—the one that says she’s fighting to keep it all together.
Without thinking, I pull her close, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. She gasps softly in surprise, and then her breath steadies against me as I feel her relax into my side. Her head rests on my chest, and I’m lost in the rhythm of her breathing. The sound of the waves crashing in the distance is the only noise around us, and it’s the perfect quiet, the kind that feels like the world has stopped moving just for us.
“I don’t care what anyone says,” I whisper, my voice barely above a breath. “I don’t care about anything but you.”
Kenna’s breath catches in her throat, and I felt her smile against me, that soft, shaky smile that makes my heart ache. She snuggles closer, and for a moment, I forget about everything—about school, about our friends, about all the pressures that come with being teenagers. In this moment, it’s just me and her, and that’s all that matters.
We stay like that longer than I expect—until the breeze shifts cooler and gooseflesh rises on her arms. But she doesn’t move, and neither do I. Her hand rests over my heart almost as though she’s trying to memorize the beat.
She pulls back slightly, looking up at me with those bright, wide eyes. “My birthday’s coming up,” she says softly. “You better not get me anything. But I wanted to bring it up to ask you to come to my birthday dinner with my family.”
