The waves crashed softly in the distance, a rhythmic reminder of calm beyond the chaos in her mind. Maya’s fingers dug into the warm sand, her chest still tight from adrenaline that hadn’t fully faded. She could feel Harper’s presence beside her—steady, unwavering—but something in her friend’s expression made her pause.
Harper didn’t speak for a long moment, her eyes shadowed with something darker, as if she were weighing words that carried more weight than usual. The wind tugged at her hair, but she didn’t brush it away, letting it fall over her shoulders as if shielding her face from the sun—or maybe from the truth she was about to deliver.
Finally, she said, calm but heavy, “You’ve seen how Damien reacted when Ethan disrespected you. He almost shattered that asshole’s face with just t
