039 | letting it linger

The stars twinkled above as the group lingered on the beach, the remnants of their meal scattered on the sand. The once vibrant conversations had mellowed, replaced by a comfortable silence. The only sounds were the rhythmic crash of the waves and the occasional burst of laughter from a group farther down the beach.

Gianna stayed where she was, her head resting lightly on Hector's shoulder, his arm still draped casually around her. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest, steady and reassuring, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she let herself relax completely.

"Alright, I'm calling it," Marc Bernal said, stretching his arms above his head. "Who's coming to help clean this up?"

"I'll help," Lamine said, standing up and brushing the sand off his shorts. "But only if someone else carries the trash bag this time. I'm not doing it alone again."

Marc Guiu snorted. "You're just mad because you tripped last time and spilled everything."

"Exactly why I'm not doing it again," Lamine shot back, grabbing one of the empty trays.

Cienna rolled her eyes, getting to her feet as well. "You guys are hopeless," she muttered, though her tone was fond.

As the others began to tidy up, Hector stayed rooted in place, his arm still loosely around Gianna. He tilted his head slightly to look down at her. "You good?" he asked softly, his voice just loud enough for her to hear.

Gianna nodded, though her heart was racing. "Yeah, I'm good."

"Sure? You've been quiet," he said, his brow furrowing in concern.

"I'm fine," she said quickly, forcing a smile. "Just... tired, I guess."

He didn't look convinced, but he didn't push. Instead, he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Alright. Let me know if you need anything, yeah?"

"Yeah," she murmured, though she wasn't sure if she could trust her own voice.

The truth was, she didn't know how to feel. Being this close to Hector, feeling his warmth, his steady presence-it was everything she wanted and everything she was terrified of.

As the group finished cleaning up, Marc Guiu came over, tossing a crumpled napkin at Hector's head. "Hey, lovebirds, you gonna help or what?"

Hector shot him a glare but didn't move. "We're supervising," he said, his tone deadpan.

Gianna let out a small laugh, but her cheeks burned. Marc Guiu gave her a knowing look before walking away, muttering something under his breath that she couldn't quite catch.

Eventually, the group decided to head back to their cars, the night air cool against their skin as they walked along the sand. Gianna stayed close to Hector, their shoulders brushing with each step.

As they reached the parking lot, Hector turned to her, his expression soft. "You need a ride home?"

"I'm with Marc," she said, nodding toward her brother, who was busy unlocking his car and arguing with Cienna over who got shotgun.

Hector hesitated, his hand lingering on her arm. "Alright," he said finally. "But text me when you get home, okay?"

"I will," she promised, her voice barely above a whisper.

He gave her one last smile before heading off with Lamine and Marc Bernal, their laughter echoing in the night.

As Gianna climbed into Marc's car, she leaned her head against the window, her thoughts spinning. She couldn't ignore the way her heart had raced when Hector touched her, the way her chest tightened when he smiled at her.

"Hey, you alright?" Marc asked, glancing at her in the rearview mirror.

"Yeah," she said quickly, forcing a smile. "Just tired."

He didn't look convinced but didn't press further, turning his attention back to the road as they pulled out of the parking lot.

Gianna stared out at the darkened streets, her mind replaying every moment of the evening. She had tried so hard to keep her feelings buried, to convince herself that she and Hector were just friends. But tonight had made it impossible to ignore the truth.

She liked him.

And no matter how much she tried to fight it, there was no denying it anymore.