Chapter 99

The salty breeze tickled my skin as the waves rolled gently onto the shore, the sound of the sea steady and soothing. The golden sand was warm beneath my feet, and the sunlight shimmered off the turquoise water like a thousand tiny diamonds. Lily splashed around near the shoreline, her little pink swimsuit glittering under the sun. Her swim coach, Julie, stayed close by, guiding her movements while Lily giggled and kicked with determination. She looked so happy and confident, splashing and laughing, her goggles slightly crooked but her smile wide. Every now and then, she’d turn around and wave excitedly toward us. I stood ankle-deep in the water, beside Logan. I wore a navy-blue swimsuit—simple but flattering—and my hair was tied up in a messy knot to keep it off my neck. My skin was cool where the ocean had kissed it. Logan stood shirtless in black swim trunks, droplets of seawater clinging to his toned chest and shoulders. He looked relaxed, but there was a quietness in his eyes, a w