As Christina picked up her towel, she paused. “You’re not coming?” she asked Ranya.
She shook her head with a sly smile. “No. We’re staying.”
Christina nodded and followed the others inside, leaving the two of them alone.
As soon as Ranya said they were staying, Ody’s gaze flicked to Mano. Mano met it for a split second, then looked away, choosing not to acknowledge him. The rejection hit him harder than expected. Ody swallowed and went inside.
When the pool area finally emptied, Ranya stripped down to her swimsuit. “Hope you wore one,” she teased, stepping into the water.
Mano’s eyes moved over her body, slow and detached. He pulled his shirt over his head, revealing his defined abs and arms, then slid out of his athletic shorts, leaving only black swim trunks clinging to his hips. His quads flexed as he stepped into the pool after her.
She leaned against the wall, waiting. He reached her and crashed his mouth onto hers. His hands slid underwater, squeezing her ass. One swift pull and her bikini top was down. He sucked at her nipples while she threw her head back, gasping.
After a moment she flipped their positions and pushed him against the wall before slipping off her top completely and tossing it out of the pool. Her hand slid over the growing bulge beneath his trunks, making his eyes shut.
He let out a slow breath, his hands sliding down her bare back as he sucked on her nipples again.
He lifted his head to kiss her, and stopped cold.
Ody was standing at the entrance. Still. Silent. Staring. He had only come back for his towel. Instead he found this.
Mano locked eyes with him. Then, without missing a beat, he grabbed Ranya’s face and kissed her hard, never fully looking away from Ody.
Ody’s breathing turned ragged. Something ugly twisted inside him.Why aren’t you leaving? Why are you still standing here?
He tried to step away, but his legs wouldn’t listen. Mano lowered his head to Ranya’s chest again, still watching him in his peripheral vision. The jealousy became unbearable. He blinked fast, breaking the stare, and finally walked inside.
Anna looked up as he walked in. “Where’s your towel?”
“Uh... I... I couldn’t find it.”
“What’s wrong? You okay?”
Ody barely heard her. His mind was still outside, still in the pool, replaying Mano’s hands on Ranya, his mouth on her skin, the way he’d looked at him while doing it. The ache hadn’t faded. It twisted deeper, sharp and jealous, the kind of feeling he had no right to feel but couldn’t stop even if he tried.
The fourth day in Serifos began. They skipped breakfast since they’d planned to leave for the tavern around noon. They met in the lobby, and Ody didn’t even try to look at Mano. Every time he felt Mano’s presence nearby, the memories from last night pressed against him like a bruise.
When they reached the cars, Ody clicked the button to unlock his. Mano stepped in front of him and plucked the keys straight out of his hand. “I’m driving,” he said, tone flat and direct, eyes fixed on Ody for a brief, unreadable moment before he opened the driver’s door.
Ody stared at him. His mind replayed last night in flashes he couldn’t stop. Without a word, he got in the passenger seat and they drove off.
They arrived at the tavern a little before one. It was a cozy, family-run place near the beach, the kind that smelled like grilled fish, oregano, and summer. The staff guided them to a long wooden table shaded by vines.
“Uh... let’s sit over here,” Ody said to Anna, choosing the seat furthest from Mano.
Mano noticed. Ody felt it.
“Guys, I’m starving. We should’ve had breakfast.”
“This is better. We’ll eat with more appetite.”
The waiter came, and after they ordered, the table slipped into the usual light chatter. Ody barely followed any of it. Every laugh was too loud and every glance toward Mano felt dangerous. He could feel Mano’s presence on the other end of the table like static against his skin, and every time he forced himself not to look, he felt it even more.
The girls got up to wash their hands. Ody sat there stiffly, staring at his plate, trying to breathe around the knot in his chest. The moment they returned, he pushed back his chair. “I’m going to the restroom,” he muttered, already standing.
He didn’t need to wash up. He needed distance, air. Anything to stop last night’s memories from replaying behind his eyes.
The quiet of the hallway didn’t help. If anything, it made everything louder inside his chest. He splashed some water on his face, leaned both hands on the sink, and tried to steady his breathing. He didn’t know what he’d even say to Mano. He didn’tknow how to look at him without seeing Ranya against the pool wall.
