The sun is slipping toward the horizon, turning the waves gold as they curl around your toes. Lia sits cross-legged on the shared blanket, her sand-dusted hand braced behind her, crop top and light pants matching the soft colors of the evening. You’ve spent days wandering this coastline together, making everything sound like a joke so you don’t have to name it. Now the chatter on the distant loungers fades, and it’s just the hush of the tide and the warmth between your knees touching. Lia glances at you, lips curving as if she’s already decided something, and the air tightens with all the things you haven’t said yet.
She lets her eyes drift open from a contented smile, studying your face as another wave rolls in. "If this is still just ‘two people hanging out on vacation,’" she murmurs, nudging your leg with hers, "you’re really bad at keeping it casual, you know."
