The sun hangs low in the sky, promising one of those long, slow afternoons that seems to stretch endlessly. The beach is already crowded by the time I get there, but Lily's easy to spot. She's sprawled out on a bright yellow towel, sunglasses perched on her nose, twirling a strand of her blonde hair around one finger.

I walk over, balancing my beach bag on my hip. The black triangle bikini I'm wearing feels like it stands out way too much, but Lily insisted I wear it. "You'll thank me later," she had said over the phone. "Trust me, simple is hot."

She glances up as I approach, flashing me a grin.

"There she is. Took you long enough."

I drop my bag onto the sand and flop down next to her, the warmth of the sun sinking into my skin almost instantly.

"Traffic," I mumble, even though there was none. "And I had to convince Sophie not to tag along."

Lily laughs. "You mean my future bestie? Honestly, you should have brought her. I'm great with kids."

"She would've followed you around like a puppy. I swear she's obsessed with you after that ice cream run the other day."

Lily smirks. "I have that effect on people."

I roll my eyes but can't help smiling.

For a while, we just lie there, letting the sun wash over us. I close my eyes, listening to the faint sound of waves crashing, kids laughing, and the occasional seagull overhead. It's peaceful — the kind of quiet that makes me forget everything else.

"So," Lily says after a while, propping herself up on one elbow, "have you thought any more about Saturday night?"

I peek at her through half-lidded eyes. "Saturday night?"

"The bonfire. Jake's already planning another one."

I groan softly. "I barely survived the last one."

Lily nudges me with her foot. "Oh, please. You had fun. And Noah couldn't take his eyes off you."

I sit up abruptly. "He did not."

"Oh, he totally did." She smirks, wiggling her eyebrows. "And you know it."

Before I can argue, a familiar voice calls out from behind us.

"Ladies."

I turn to see Jake and Noah strolling down the beach, surfboards under their arms. Both are shirtless, sun-kissed, and somehow make it look effortless — like they belong here.

Jake drops his board onto the sand, brushing his hands off on his swim trunks.

"Mind if we crash your little sunbathing session?"

Lily sits up, grinning. "Only if you're bringing entertainment."

Jake taps the soccer ball tucked under his arm. "That entertaining enough?"

"Absolutely." Lily's eyes light up, and I know she's already scheming.

Noah's gaze flicks to me briefly, his mouth tugging into that half-smile I'm starting to recognize.

"You play?" he asks, nodding toward the ball.

I shake my head. "Not really."

"Good," Jake cuts in, dropping the ball into the sand. "That means I won't be the worst one out there for once."

Lily laughs, pulling me up by the wrist. "Come on, Emma. We're playing."

Before I can protest, she's already kicking the ball toward the open stretch of sand.

"You two are going down," she calls over her shoulder to the boys.

"We'll see about that," Noah says, jogging past me.

His shoulder brushes against mine lightly, just enough to make me glance up at him. He smirks but doesn't say anything.

The game is chaos. Lily is ruthless, Jake is overly competitive, and I mostly just try not to trip over my own feet. But it's fun, even when I miss every pass or kick the ball too hard in the wrong direction.

Noah, of course, makes it look easy.

By the time we're done, we're breathless and sweating, flopping back onto the sand in defeat.

"You're a terrible teammate," Jake groans at Noah, swiping his arm across his forehead. "You didn't pass to me once."

"You missed every shot," Noah replies casually, tossing the ball aside.

Lily snorts, leaning back on her hands.

"Okay, truce," she says, standing up. "I'm going for a swim. Emma, you're coming."

I blink at her. "I am?"

"Yes. Now. Before I drag you in myself."

I sigh dramatically but follow her to the water's edge. The waves lap at our feet, cool against the heat of the sand.

Jake joins us, diving in without hesitation.

I hesitate at the shoreline, letting the water wash over my ankles.

Noah steps up beside me, arms crossed.

"Afraid of a little water?" he teases.

"Not afraid," I say, nudging his side. "Just... enjoying the view."

He raises an eyebrow. "Uh-huh."

Before I can react, he splashes a handful of water at me.

I gasp, stumbling back. "Noah!"

He laughs, backing away as if daring me to retaliate.

Oh, it's on.

I charge into the waves, scooping up water with both hands and flinging it toward him. He dodges, grinning, but I catch him the second time, soaking his hair.

Lily cheers from further down the beach, but I barely hear her. It's just me and Noah now, circling each other in the shallow water, laughing and splashing like we're kids again.

Somehow, we end up closer than I realize, the water swirling around our knees. I stop, breathless, realizing just how close we are.

Noah's eyes meet mine, and for a second, neither of us moves.

His gaze drops slightly, just for a moment, but long enough to make my heart race.

"Truce?" I breathe.

He smirks, wiping water from his face. "Truce."

We head back to the beach, dripping and sun-tired.

As I sit down, brushing sand from my legs, Noah kneels behind me.

"Hold still," he says softly.

Before I can ask why, his hands are on my shoulders, smoothing sunscreen down my back. His touch is light, careful, but enough to send a shiver down my spine.

"You'll burn," he murmurs.

I nod, unable to form words.

The day fades after that, and when he walks me home, I'm still wearing his hoodie over my bikini.