Aria shoots me a sympathetic look, but Ethan just grins, completely clueless. “Yeah, Sienna. You could do worse than someone like Milo here. He’s got his life together.”
Milo’s hand tightens gently on my thigh—not possessive, just reassuring. The warmth spreads, easing the knot in my chest. It’s like he can feel the irritation I’m trying to swallow down and wants to shield me from it.
I force out a laugh, but it comes out sharper than I meant. “Are you saying I don’t have my life together? Because I do. It’s just… chaotically mine. I’m living on my own terms, that’s all.”
Mom’s smile wavers. “We know, honey. But life catches up eventually. You can’t run forever.”
Watch me.
The words land harder than they should. My knee starts bouncing again beneath Milo’s hand.Run forever. Is that what they really think I’m doing? Maybe I am. Running from boredom, from expectations, from the terrifying thought that if I ever stop moving, I’ll simply vanish.
And the worst part? Some small, ugly part of me wonders if they’re right.
Milo’s thumb resumes its slow circles on my thigh, grounding me. I glance over at him. Though he’s looking at the others, his attention is locked on me. It makes my stomach flip.
“Sienna’s got it figured out in her own way,” he says, his voice calm. “Her life’s an adventure. Not everyone needs roots to grow.”
Mom blinks, caught off guard, but Dad gives a thoughtful nod. “Fair point, son.”
Lunch carries on in that slightly awkward but manageable way. I’m relieved when the conversation finally shifts to the wedding. Aria dives in enthusiastically, chatting about the rehearsal dinner and how the rest of the guests will start arriving soon.
Of course, it doesn’t take long for the topic to swing back to my glaring lack of rehearsal dinners. But Aria, bless her, swoops in like a lifesaver.
“Who’s up for some pool volleyball?” She asks, glancing around the table.
The tension eases—just a little. Mom and Dad politely decline, saying they’re heading back to their villa for a nap. I hop up from the lounger and peel off my sundress, leaving me in just my bikini. I feel Milo’s gaze drag over me like a physical touch as we head toward the pool.
His hand brushes my thigh as we fall into step. “You okay?” he asks in a low voice.
I nod. “Yeah. Just… tired of the same conversation.”
“They’re wrong, you know. You don’t need to change.”
I smile, small but real. “I know. But clearly, they don’t.”
“They’re just trying to look out for you,” he says. “You can’t fault them for that.”
“It’s not that I’m faulting them,” I reply with a sigh. “It’s just that I’m genuinely tired of hearing it.”
Sure, I’m chaotic and sometimes a little wild, but that’s just who I am. I don’t need to change for anyone, and I certainly don’t need to settle down just because they want me to, even if it means suffocating, barely able to breathe, and unable to escape.
Milo doesn’t respond but gives a small smile like he understands what I mean. In return, I smile back at him before jogging up to Aria and slinging an arm around her shoulder.
“So… about that ‘accept a dare from the bride and groom’ square. What’s our dare going to be?”
Ethan grins wickedly from beside Aria. “I’ve been waiting for you guys to ask this.”
I groan. “It’s going to be stupid, isn’t it? Like down seven shots of tequila in a row. That’s an average Friday for me, Ethan.”
“Nope,” he shakes his head. “It’s better than that.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Okay… go on, I’m intrigued.”
“The dare we’ve set for you is…” he pauses and does a drumroll with his fingers on his right thigh. “For Milo to fake propose to you and make it look believable!”
I give him a blank look before doubling over laughing. “Oh my God. You’ve got to be kidding me. That’s hilarious.”
“We’ve also decided that the dare square can be done on any day,” Aria says, grinning. “Flexible timing. But it has to be crossed out before midnight on the final night.”
