(Avery)
The sun had started to fall lower, painting the water in soft orange light. We had been at the beach for hours, and my skin was warm from both the sun and from being curled up between them. I didn’t want to move. I didn’t want this day to end.
Elias finally broke the silence. “We should pack up.”
I groaned and covered my face with the towel. “Already?”
“Yeah,” he said, sitting up. “School’s tomorrow. We can’t stay out all night.”
Jackson leaned over and kissed the top of my head. “He’s right, but I hate leaving too.”
Luca stood and shook sand from the blanket. “Come on. Let’s make it quick.”
We all moved slow, like dragging out every second. Jackson carried the cooler, Elias folded the net, and Luca rolled up the blankets. I picked up little things here and there but mostly
