H's

h, the cool breeze flowing through the air, brushing against our skin. The waves whispered in the

ffocating in the routine, and I felt like my life was slipping by without meaning. Every day, I just wanted to escape. So, I save

strands falling in front of my face. I pushed them aside with an e

ike he was gathering it into a loose ponytail. His touch was gentle, his fingers brushing against my skin in a way that made my breath catch for a mo

ment. His hand stayed at the back of my head, my hair still tangled in his fingers, his eyes never leaving mine. There was somethin

nerve of my body. And for the first time since arriving, I felt like I

ly as the moment had bu

aze still on me, but my reaction was entirely different. The sudden intrusion startled me, and I

ven though he seemed perfectly fine. I looked at him, half in disbe

source of the ball. His face remained impassive, though I could sens

rugged charm. His body was sculpted from hours in the gym, his movements fluid and sure. The instant he approached, I could feel the air shift once

one, but there was something else there, something more familiar. It wasn't until

almost a whisper of surprise, laced with somet

k last week. Didn't think I'd run into you like this," he said, his words casu

ave been a better place to find out my half-brother is back in town," he replied, his sarcasm cutting through the

mily dinner for next time." He turned his attention to me, and the shift in his gaze made me feel like I was under a sp

g. His words were smooth, his charm effortless, but I caught the subtle shift in Oliver's posture

irst, his voice tight. "This is Ji-Ah. She's new

udden attention. "Yeah, I'm new in to

a bite, a sort of sarcasm that didn't seem to reach his eyes. Then, with a tilt of his head, he added, "I

in the way he said it made me feel like an object to be won rather th

re steady than I felt. "I'm just getting to know him

with a grin, before glancing back at Oliver, who was standing a little too still, his hand

s voice finally cut through the tension. "Alright, go ahead with your boy cl

er," he said with a wink toward me. "Anyway, I'll get going

is departure. The only sound was the crash of waves, but it

n't looking at me, but I could feel the weight of whatever had just ha