We finally finished the shittiest exam ever. We’d been studying for it all week, and by the time we walked out of the building this afternoon, every single one of us looked like we’d been run over by a truck.
Luckily, it was the last major one for a while. The rest of the week is mostly lighter classes and a few small assignments. So the only logical move after surviving that was the beach.
Liam’s there when Noah and I arrive, his blond curls sticking out in every direction as he tosses a frisbee back and forth with Ryan, who catches it one-handed like it’s nothing.
Nearby, Kiara is stretched out on a striped towel, sunglasses pushed up into her brown curls while she talks animatedly to Mel, who’s holding two plastic cups and listening with an amused smile.
“Look who finally showed up!” Liam calls the moment he spots us.
Kiara pops up immediately and pulls me into a hug. “I was starting to think you ditched us.”
“Never,” I say, laughing.
Mel leans in right after, giving me a quick hug too, her long blonde curls brushing against my cheek.
Ryan tosses the frisbee one last time before jogging over, breathing a little heavier from the game. On the way he clapsNoah on the shoulder in greeting before stopping in front of me. He’s wearing athletic shorts, and, well, that’s it. No shirt. Showing the line of his arms, the shape of his chest, his back muscles.
Jesus. Has he always beenthisripped? Or did I just never notice?
I look away almost immediately. I think I might be ovulating to keep noticing shit like that.
He stops close enough that I have to tilt my head up a little to meet his eyes. “Hey, babe,” he says, smiling.
“Hi.”
He steps closer, brushing his hand lightly against my arm before pressing a quick kiss to the top of my head.
A flash of the other night runs through my mind, and I feel heat creeping up my neck. Although, now we’re surrounded by people so it’s probably just for the act.
He’s still just standing in front of me with a tiny smirk on his face and his still very bare chest only inches away. I blink once and quickly look down, suddenly very interested in the sand at my feet.
Wow. Sand. So fascinating.
Get it together, Mads.
We drop down into the sand in a loose circle, passing around bags of chips and plastic cups while the waves roll in behind us.
“Can we talk about the fact that none of us are okay?” Mel groans, collapsing backward onto her elbows. “I haven’t slept in three days.”
“Same,” Kiara says immediately. “I’ve been operating purely on caffeine.”
Mel and I commiserate over our bio exam while I steal chips from Kiara’s bag and we watch the guys toss a volleyball back and forth nearby.
Kiara squints toward them. “Pff, we could totally take them.”
“I say we do,” Mel says, already pushing herself to her feet.
“Girls versus boys?” I call.
Noah grins and cracks his knuckles. “You’re on.”
We split into teams—Mel, Kiara, and me against Liam, Ryan, and Noah—and immediately start arguing about boundaries, rules, and whether the wind counts as interference.
Kiara serves first, launching the ball with way more force than necessary. Ryan dives for it, completely misjudges, and faceplants straight into the sand.
I double over laughing. “Ten out of ten form.”
Liam spikes the ball the next round—directly into Mel’s face. “Liam!” she shrieks, chasing him around the net while the rest of us cheer.
