Page 11

ANYA

I look at Daniel. He has a hint of a smile on his face. “Thank you for providing a cab service, captain,” I say.

“Hey, anything for you, Firecracker,” he replies jokingly, his eyes glimmering with amusement. I can’t help but roll my eyes at his response.

I feel a nudge from the backseat. “Ow.” I wince, glaring at Soph. She’s smirking. She looks between me and Daniel. Oh god, she’s not going to leave this alone. Siya has an amused smile on her face as well. I roll my eyes at them, but I can feel a blush creeping into my cheeks. I try to keep my expression neutral so as not to feed into their assumptions. I turn my attention to the road before Daniel catches our interaction.

“Here we are, ladies!” Daniel announces as the engine comes to a stop. Soph and Siya get out of the back seat, gathering their stuff. He looks at me for a moment longer than he should. My heart skips a beat under his intense gaze, and the air between us suddenly feels charged. But before I can react or say anything, he looks away, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips.

“Come on, Firecracker. Let’s have fun,” he says, his voice a touch quieter than usual. I take a deep breath, trying to suppress the fluttering in my stomach. I nod, smiling softly. I get out of the car, walking around and standing beside Siya. I can hear the peaceful sound of waves crashing on the shore. I look at Soph, already running towards the beach, and I snicker. I take the bag we brought from Siya, but immediately, Daniel takes it from me. “I will take it.”

“Hey, you can’t carry everything.” I protest weakly. He pauses for a moment, pretending to think.

“You’re right,” he says. He puts the bag down and takes off his sunglasses. He extends his hand. I tilt my head in confusion but still take it from him. “Here, You can carry this,” he says, grinning slightly, and before I can utter another word, he walks away. My heart stutters.

I huff in annoyance. Internally, I am swooning. Only a little bit, though.

Siya snickers. “You like him,” she whispers.

My eyes widen. “Pfft, no. Not at all. I mean, I do like him.” I clear my throat. “But not in that way. I mean, I have taste.” I try to sound dismissive, but the way my face heats up will surely betray me. I flip my hair, trying to seem composed when I’m anything but.

She giggles. “Sure. If you say so.” I roll my eyes.

“Come on! Why are you guys walking like turtles?” Soph exclaims. “Move those damn legs.” I chuckle, pulling Siya with me. We run onto the beach, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore, the salty sea air, filling the air. I can feel Daniel’s eyes on me, but I don’t have the courage to face him right now. He comes and stands near me. I see three guys walking towards us. They must be his friends.

“Dude, I thought you pranked us or something,” a guy nearly as tall as Daniel says. Daniel puts our bag down.

“Ah! I understand. You must be distracted by these hot ladies.” Another one pipes up. His gaze lingers on Soph a while longer than it should. I roll my eyes .

“I apologize on behalf of my friends,” Daniel says, glaring at them.

“Girls, this is Louis. He’s also on my team.” Louis flashes us a charming grin and runs a hand through his messy brown hair.

“This is Ethan.” Ethan is the middle guy among the three, shorter than Daniel and Louis. He has messy dark hair and a shy smile.

“Hi, nice to meet you.” His voice is softer and gentler, a stark contrast to the playful tones of his friends. He seems more reserved and introverted.

“And that’s Caleb. Just stay away from him, for your sake.” He sighs while Caleb chuckles.

“You can try. You won’t succeed, though.” Caleb winks at me, inspiring another eye roll from me.

“And this is Siya, Sophia, and—” He looks at me. Our eyes meet. “Anya.” He inhales sharply.

“Oh, so this is the world-famous Anya,” Louis comments. I try to keep my cool, his words clearly indicating he’s talked about me to his friends. Good or bad, I don’t know, but at least I crossed his mind. Daniel breaks our eye contact as he narrows his eyes at Louis who grins sheepishly.

As the afternoon sun begins to dip lower, casting a golden hue over the beach, the atmosphere becomes more relaxed and playful. A cold breeze makes me shiver. I wrap my arms around myself. Louis, Ethan, and Caleb join our group seamlessly, their easy banter blending with our laughter as we share stories, enjoying the beach. Soph’s laughter rings out as she runs toward the water, shedding her clothes until she’s in her swimsuit, ready to dive in. I quickly change into my swimsuit too, but I take a seat beside Siya, who’s now engrossed in a novel. It’s cold; the beach is not for winter. Damn, I really hope I do not catch a cold. I hate it.

My eyes wander around the beach, searching for Daniel. My breath hitches in my throat when I find him. He’s shirtless, playing volleyball with a bunch of people. He looks ridiculously good with the ocean breeze tousling his hair. I can’t help but bite my lip as I observe Daniel’s every movement, his muscular torso, and his strong arms.

“Stop ogling.” I jerk my head towards Siya, feeling flustered that she caught me staring.

I cough. “I am not.”

Siya smirks. “Don’t lie to me, at least. I have known you since we could barely talk,” she says. I sigh, unable to come up with a reply. She’s right. I can’t hide anything from her; she can read me too easily.

She puts a hand on my shoulder. I look at her, reluctant to take my eyes off of Daniel, but I force myself to do just that. “It’s okay if you like him, Anya,” she says, her voice gentle.

“Anya!” I turn my head towards the voice, my heart racing in my chest. Daniel is walking toward us, his body glistening with sweat from the intense game of volleyball, still clutching the ball in his hands. He looks effortlessly handsome with the sun setting behind him.

“Hey,” he greets us, a warm smile on his face. “You two are not joining us?”

Siya smiles at him. “I was just about to join Soph. She seems to be having fun in the water.” She gets up, keeping her book on the blanket. She gives us one last look and walks toward Sophia.

“I am just enjoying the sunset,” I say quietly, still lost in Siya’s words. He observes me for a moment and then sits beside me, throwing the ball to Caleb. Plopping down next to me on the sand, his presence sending a shiver down my spine, he leans back, propping himself up with his arms. The muscles on his biceps flexing slightly under the strain and I find myself quickly averting my gaze.

“You look incredible,” he says, his eyes lingering on me for a moment longer than usual. The way he says it makes my heartbeat stumbles, and I feel a warmth rise to my cheeks. There’s something different in his tone, like he means it more than just surface-level. I can’t help but notice how his arms flex as he supports himself.

“Thanks,” I murmur, finally breaking the silence. “You don’t look so bad yourself.” He grins lazily.

“I know, Firecracker. You seemed to have a hard time keeping your eyes off me.” He smirks.

My heart rate spikes when he nudges me playfully. I scoff, folding my arms to show my annoyance. “I was not,” I start, fumbling over my words. “It’s just—it’s…” I trail off, exhaling in frustration. “The game seemed interesting,” I finally mutter.

He smiles at me softly, and his dimple catches my attention. Butterflies flutter in my stomach, and I try to push the feeling away.

His finger brushes against mine. A jolt of electricity shoots through me, and I quickly try to ignore it, pretending to be unaffected. But then, he takes my hand. His fingers trace light patterns on the back, sending warmth flooding through me, making my heart race.

I want to pull my hand away. I should. This is ridiculous. I don’t have time for distractions. I’m not interested in him like that. My focus has always been on my career. But my hand remains in his, and my breath catches. It feels too natural, too right.

Against my better judgment, I lean a little closer. My nonchalant facade is beginning to crack.

“Did you know what my life motto is?” I blurt out, desperately trying to distract myself from the way his presence is making everything feel so... off-balance.

He looks at me, startled at first, but quickly recovers, still holding my hand. “Please enlighten me, Ms. Anya,” he says with a smirk.

“Keep your head held high and your middle finger higher,” I reply, trying to inject some confidence into my voice.

Daniel stares at me for a beat, clearly taken off-guard, but then a wide grin spreads across his face. His eyes sparkle with amusement.

“That’s quite the life philosophy, Firecracker.” He laughs, a deep, rumbling sound that sends a shiver down my spine. “It suits you, though.”

I grin at his reaction, but my mind is still elsewhere. The warm golden light of the setting sun, the sound of the waves crashing in the background—it all feels too perfect, too intimate. I shake my head, trying to shake off the feeling. He’s just someone I’m working with, right? So why can’t I pull my hand away? Why does it feel like this is exactly where I should be?

I look up at him, my heart thumping in my chest. What is this? What is he doing to me?

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