Roman’s POV
The bonfire crackled like a warning.
Orange flames licked the night sky, and the scent of burnt wood mixed with coconut sunscreen and saltwater. Laughter rang through the circle of students sitting on towels and logs, all tipsy off cheap seltzers and the thrill of doing things they probably shouldn’t.
Ariana sat across the fire from me.
Hair messy from the wind. Eyes too bright. Her bare legs tucked beneath her and that tiny bikini top peeking out beneath her open button-down shirt. Red. The color I told her not to wear in public.
She wore it anyway.
And she knew exactly what it was doing to me.
Lana sat beside her, sipping something pink out of a Solo cup and whispering in her ear. Ariana laughed too loud, too carefree. She hadn’t looked at me since we got back.
She wa
