Chapter 67

Our makeshift beach camp was a sight for all to behold—

beach towels, umbrellas, and an array of snacks and drinks sprawled out in a perfect semi-circle.

I was ready to soak in the sun and close my eyes while listening to the waves, but the moment Victoria's voice piped up, my anticipation clashed with my insecurities.

"Lucas, could you be a dear and help me by putting some sunscreen on my back?" Victoria's voice dripped with sugary sweetness.

I sat up from the towel I had just laid down on, using my hand as a visor to cover the sun from my gaze.

My eyes involuntarily darted to Lucas, who agreed to Victoria's request with a polite smile.

My stomach churned with a strange mix of envy and annoyance.

Ugh, I didn't want to watch this.

I quickly averted my eyes, pretending to be fascinated by the seagulls flying above me instead.

Jealousy was not a trait I was proud of, and I wasn't about to show it.

But I was a little hard to ignore when the two of them were standing right next to me.

Could they do that somewhere else? Like, I don't know, on the other side of the beach?

I fell back on my towel, closing my eyes and trying to shut out the world around me.

A few moments later, I felt a shadow cover the sun from my skin. I opened my eyes and saw Lucas's standing right over me.

"You're blocking my sun," I pointed out, sitting up on my elbows.

"Am I?" He looked back at the sun, then down at me. "I didn't notice."

I raised a brow at him, still a little annoyed about the Victoria situation.

He extended a bottle of sunscreen toward me. "Want some sunscreen?"

Oh... He was just being nice.

My cheeks warmed, and I took the bottle from him, avoiding his eyes. "Yeah, thanks."

Lucas's fingers brushed against mine for a second longer than necessary, sending a jolt of nervous energy through me.

"Do you want me to get your back for you?" Lucas asked innocently, gesturing to my backside.

"Uhh," I mumbled like an idiot, suddenly at a loss for words. "Sure."

I got up and turned away from Lucas, moving my hair to the side. I handed the bottle back to him and closed my eyes.

The sound of him opening the sunscreen and squirting it on his hands echoed in my ear. I bit my lip in anticipation.

Oh my God, what was I doing?

Lucas started to rub the sunscreen on my back.

At first, it was cold, but as he massaged it in, it warmed up.

His touch was firm but gentle, and I started to like the way it felt... Maybe, a little bit too much.

I could feel my thoughts wandering off, and I almost forget where we were and who we were with.

My mind raced as I quickly turned around, grabbing the bottle from his hands. "I think I've got it from here! Thanks!"

"You sure?" Lucas asked. There was still sunscreen on his hands. "It's a little hard to reach."

"Nope! I got it! Thanks!"

I heard a stifled chuckle and turned to find James smirking at me from a few feet away. He raised an eyebrow, the teasing evident in his eyes.

"Having fun there, Shana?" he called out, his voice dripping with playful innocence.

I shot him a look that I hoped was both warning and pleading. "Say anything else, and I'll bury you in the sand, James."

He just laughed again and looked at Lucas. "Wanna play catch? I got a ball."

Then the two of them started tossing around a beach ball. James threw the ball into the water, making Lucas chase after it, and I couldn't help but smile at their antics.

As the laughter and playful shouts continued, I found myself sitting next to Victoria and Emily. At first, I felt a little left out of their conversation as they talked about people I didn't know.

Instead, I gazed out at the waves, content to be a silent observer and just enjoy the beach for what it was.

But then Emily turned to me, a friendly smile on her lips. "So, Shana, how do you know Lucas and James? Did you all meet at Shadow High?"

Caught off guard by her sudden interest, I blinked, my mind scrambling to find the right words. "Uhh yeah, we all go to Shadow High, but we actually met a long time ago. We used to live in the same neighborhood. Lucas and I were actually neighbors."

Victoria leaned in, her curiosity palpable. "Neighbors?"

"Yeah, we lived right next door to each other and went to the same school. We were good friends back then," I answered honestly.

"Who's the biggest troublemaker?" Emily asked.

I chuckled, warming up to the conversation. "Oh, definitely James, that's for sure."

Victoria seemed to laugh extra hard at that.

"But in all seriousness, they're both the most loyal friends you could ask for," I said, turning to watch the two of them throw the ball around.

Emily laughed, her eyes twinkling. "Sounds like you were pretty lucky to have them in your life."

"Yeah, definitely," I agreed. "I mean, don't get me wrong. It's hard not having a lot of girl friends at times, and just having two Alpha boys as friends..."

"Well, hey!" Emily said. "We're your friends now. You have us."

When I turned back to them, I saw Victoria watching me with a different expression in her eyes.

She almost looked... genuine?

"Emily's right." Victoria nodded her head. "No girl should go through life without ever having any girlfriends. And besides, who are you going to talk to about boys?"

"Well, usually I talk to no one," I confessed. "Or I talk to my dad."

Emily gave me a startled expression, slapping a hand over her mouth. "Your dad? I'm sorry, but ew."

I let out a loud laugh. "He's not that bad!"

"He may not be that bad, but talking to him isn't the same as girl talk," Victoria reasoned.

"Yeah, you need a circle of girls! Lucas and James probably only talk about hockey, training, and food."

I smirked at her remark. "That's actually all they ever talk about. How did you know?"

Emily and Victoria shared a humorous look.

"Boys are too easy." Victoria sighed dramatically. "They're all the same. It's the simple things for them."

Surprisingly, she wasn't the cold and distant figure I had imagined her to be.

She seemed more like a spoiled princess who was just doing what was expected of her.

As we chatted, I noticed Victoria's attention on me, her eyes thoughtful. It was as if she was trying to figure me out and gauge my true intentions. But I guessed I must've been doing the same thing to her.

It was as if we were slowly trying to understand one another.

Victoria let out a light laugh at something else I said about James as they asked me more questions, and I couldn't help but smile in return. Maybe she wasn't all bad—

just someone caught in a web of expectations and appearances.

Just like Lucas...