My pulse jumped.
A soft ping rose from Riley’s phone, a tiny, merciless sound.
“Your phone’s buzzing,” Malia said sharply, crossing her arms.
He finally looked at her. A single, slow glance. “I know.”
The way he said it made her blink.
Made all of them blink.
Because it didn’t sound like intimidation.
It sounded like recognition. As if he already expected someone to be standing between us, like this was part of his calculation.
Then his eyes slid back to me.
“Come walk with me.”
No command.
No threat.
Just an invitation wrapped in something dangerous.
Tessa stepped forward. “She’s busy.”
Riley didn’t look at her. “No, she’s not.”
My breath caught.
Malia crossed her arms tighter. “She doesn’t owe you anything.”
Riley’s mouth barely twitched, like he found that interesting. Not amusing…interesting.
“I know,” he said softly. “That’s why I’m asking.”
For a moment, no one spoke.
The ocean breathed behind us.
The fire cracked.
My heart felt like it was trying to claw out of my chest.
Riley wasn’t trying to drag me away.
He wasn’t trying to corner me.
He wasn’t trying to win.
He was waiting.
Waiting formychoice.
But that almost made it worse, because I didn’t trust my own clarity around him. Not when the taste of that kiss still lingered on my lips. Not when my pulse still stumbled every time he looked at me like he was solving a puzzle no one else could see.
Malia leaned in and whispered, “You don’t have to go.”
