Chapter 128

Haley’s POV: The afternoon sun was warm but gentle, the kind that made the water sparkle like a sheet of glass scattered with diamonds. Lily was knee-deep in the water, holding her arms out as tiny waves lapped against her legs. I stayed close to the shore, watching her. She had been taking swimming lessons for a while, but she still wasn’t confident in deep water. She could float, kick, and paddle well enough in the shallow end, but the moment her feet couldn’t touch the bottom, panic always took over. Sebastian noticed too. He stood beside me, his feet sinking slightly into the wet sand, his eyes on Lily. “She’s good,” he said, “but she’s hesitating.” I glanced at him. “Yeah, she freezes up in the deeper section even in pool.” “Mind if I try helping her?” he asked. His tone wasn’t pushy — just matter-of-fact, like he’d already made up his mind to give her a boost if she’d let him. I hesitated, then nodded slowly. “Let’s ask her first.” We walked closer, the water cooling our feet. “L