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But there's something about knowing she made it that makes it taste even fucking better.

Her smile gets so big I feel it somewhere in my chest.

Dex and Lexy finally follow my lead, both of them looking at their mugs like they're about to willingly drink poison. Dex takes the smallest fucking sip I've ever seen, and Lexy does the same.

Then both their eyes widen.

Chiara bursts out laughing. “You thought it would taste like shit!”

“I saw the raw egg yolks!” Lexy defends herself.

Nora shakes her head, laughing. “I'm going to have so much fun making you taste the weirdest stuff.”

Dex looks mildly terrified while Lexy takes another sip.

I take another one too, watching Nora laugh as she starts arguing with Chiara in Italian about something.

And I can't wait.

After our strange but somehow delicious breakfast, we all get ready for the beach.

By the time we walk down, the August sun is already warm against my shoulders, but the morning still has that softness to it that I'm starting to realise won't last long here. The Tyrrhenian stretches out in front of us, so fucking blue it almost doesn't look real, turning lighter and clearer where it reaches the shore. The water is calm this morning, small waves rolling over the pebbles with that constant dragging sound I could probably listen to for hours.

There are already families scattered along the beach, colorful umbrellas opening one after another, kids running in and out of the water while their parents yell after them in Italian. Somewhere behind us a radio is playing. I smell sunscreen, salt and coffee drifting down from one of the houses above the beach.

I'm putting up the green beach umbrella while Dex hauls the cooler over and spreads out a king-size beach towel for him and Lexy.

I pull my shirt over my head and turn to stuff it into my backpack when I catch Nora staring at me.

At my stomach, to be exact.

I stop and wait.

It takes her a few seconds to realise she's been caught. Her eyes finally snap up to mine, her pupils widening before she turns away so fucking fast I have to hold back a smile.

Interesting.

I spread my towel out next to hers and look up just as she pulls her sundress over her head.

And...

Fuck. Me.

She's wearing a yellow bikini.

Of course she fucking is.

The bright color makes her olive skin look even darker under the Italian sun, and I have to force myself to look away when she smiles at something her sister says and brushes her hair from her face.

Then she turns toward me.

Nope.

I grab my phone and pretend I suddenly have something very fucking important to do on it.

I open the Delulu Fam chat.

Forty-seven missed messages.