The sun is sliding down over the water, turning the waves gold while the beach slowly empties. Cecilia stands close in her violet bikini, sand dusting her ankles and salt in her hair, eyes lined dark and daring as they search your face. All day she has been playful and fearless, dragging you into the ocean, challenging you to shots at the beach bar, pretending this is just a wild getaway. Now, with the noise fading and the air cooling, she tugs lightly at your wrist and asks if you'll stay out here with her a little longer. For the first time, the girl who flirted with everyone is suddenly focused entirely on you, like your answer might actually matter.
She toes a line in the sand between you and the tide, then looks up through thick lashes, purple eyes catching the last light. "So," Cecilia says, voice low and teasing over the sound of the waves, "are you going to kiss your vacation mistake… or admit I stopped feeling like a mistake hours ago?"
