Then came a loud crunch.
We all turned to find a security guard finally standing there, watching as he clutched a large bag of potato chips.
“Everything all right here?” he asked casually. “Was in the bathroom. Thought I heard somethin’.” He shoved another chip into his mouth.
“It’s all good,” I replied. “We were just leaving. You have a good night.”
Ivy stood beside me, glancing down at the guy sprawled across the floor. “Enjoy your party,” she said sweetly.
I bit back a laugh as I took her outstretched hand. “What a clown,” I said. “Hard to believe some guys still act like complete Neanderthals. Are you okay?”
“One hundred percent agree with you there.” She nodded. “And thanks, he was really starting to annoy me.”
“He was getting on my nerves a bit too.” We both laughed.
“Anyway, what the hell was that?” Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you some kind of ninja or something?”
“Something like that,” I replied, squeezing her hand lightly as we walked out into the waiting night.
***
“It’s just down the esplanade a bit, then we’re there,” Ivy said with a grin. “I usually come here for my morning coffee and a swim if I jog in. It’s a ten-kilometer run. Not a bad way to tick the cardio box for the day.”
“Well, that definitely beats a treadmill.” I grinned back.
“I’ve gotta stay in shape if I want to stay on top of my game. We have to work at it all the time. You can get replaced in a heartbeat in this industry. It’s pretty brutal, to be honest. But it’s a lot of fun, and I love it.”
“It’s great you found what you love doing. And trust me, I don’t think you need to worry about staying in shape. You look incredible.”
Since leaving the club, we’d talked endlessly. I could’ve walked for the rest of the night… as long as I was with her.
I stopped beside Ivy at the edge of the track, taking in the luminescent white sand glimmering beneath the first rays of sunrise.
She pulled her shoes off. “I love this feeling,” she said, digging her toes into the sand.
I toed off my shoes beside her.
“It’s cool you’re going to live in Sydney, Karson. I swam at Bronte once when I was there on a modeling shoot, but I got caught in a rip and nearly drowned. It was crazy!”
Unease crept over me at the thought of her nearly drowning—and remembering that my father owned a sprawling waterfront property at Bronte. Ocean views, multiple levels, and more space than anyone could possibly need. Most of the time, it sat empty, used only for the occasional client visit.
Soon, when college started, I’d be living there. I looked back at Ivy.
“Bronte’s great, but you’ve really got to watch that rip current. The locals call it the ‘Bronte Express.’ It’ll grab you and drag you out before you even realize what’s happening.”
“That’s exactly what happened! The lifeguard paddled out to get me right before I ran out of breath. I was literally about to go under.”
“Ivy, that’s horrible. You must have been pretty shaken. It happens a lot there, but the lifeguards are amazing. I’m just glad someone got to you in time.”
“Lucky for me, the guy who pulled me out was like lifesaver of the year or something.”
We settled beneath a pandanus tree, staring out over the water for a moment I turned back to her. “One of my best memories is swimming at Bronte one summer with my parents. It’s a simple thing, but it stuck with me.”
Ivy watched quietly, waiting for me to continue.
“We got up early that morning and did the coastal walk from Bronte to Bondi. I remember my father lifting me up to see the sunrise over the ocean. Afterward, we all went swimming together.”
The memory replayed through my mind. It was one of the rare moments we’d ever truly felt like a real family.
