Anna and Sam slowly exit the scene, leaving Allison and Devin alone on the shore. The string is still clutched in Devin's hand.
"Anna?" Allison calls out, but no one answers. The only sound is the rhythm of a heartbeat—loud and steady.
Devin stands petrified. He is breaking into a sweat, even though the ocean wind brushes cold against his skin. Slowly, he raises his hand to remove the mask from Allison's eyes. From the corner of the beach house, Anna and Sam watch them, stifling their giggles.
"Hi." Devin lets out a small grin as Allison finally opens her eyes.
She smiles, her heart full of gratitude that he is there, standing right in front of her. The silence says it all, revealing everything their hearts want, yet something—that familiar, invisible wall—is still holding them back.
Devin's thumb lingers for a fraction of a second against her temple, the heat of her skin tempting him to throw away his pride and confess right then and there. But he forces his hand back.
He has a plan—a surprise for her eighteenth birthday. He has to wait; she deserves more than a whispered word on a sandy shore.
"Damn, we've been pranked," Allison laughs.
"Indeed. I don't know what crossed their minds to pull such a trick," Devin replies, his voice slightly strained as he swallows the "I love you" that was resting on the tip of his tongue.
They both look toward the beach house, laughing at the mischief. "Come on out, Sam!"
"Damn! They just wasted our efforts. Seems like they're still the same," Anna mutters from their hiding spot.
"Yeah," Sam agrees, "these two are playing a dangerous game."
"The ultimate game of hide-and-seek with their feelings," Anna adds.
They come out anyway and sit a few meters behind the pair. Devin and Allison take the chance to finally talk, while Anna leans her head on Sam's shoulder. She lets out a deep sigh.
"Damn, Sam, these muscles of yours are quite reliable," she teases. Sam doesn't answer with words; he just looks at her intensely.
"Did you know you're a goddess, Anna?"
Anna smiles and pulls her head back to look at him. "Stop staring at me like that, Sam."
"Does it kill you?"
"No, Sam. It makes me want to kill you," Anna giggles.
Sam leans in, the space between them vanishing until Anna can feel the heat of his breath. He doesn't wait for permission. Sam tangles his fingers in her hair, tilting her face up to meet his. His eyes are fixed on her lips.
When their lips finally meet, it tastes like the salt from the ocean air and the lingering adrenaline of their teasing.
Behind them, Allison wonders why it got so quiet. She turns around and catches them in the act.
"Anna, what are you doing?!"
Devin sees it too and immediately tries to cover Allison's eyes with his palm. Allison brushes his hand away.
"Devin," Allison giggles, "I'm not a kid. Why did you cover my eyes?"
Anna laughs mid-kiss and answers Allison. "So what, Ali? It's America!"
"Anna, you fool," Allison seconds.
"The 'It's America' line really got me," Devin says, laughing so hard that the tension finally breaks and everyone joins in. But after that laugh, a realization hits Devin: Allison is no longer the kid he used to know. She's a grown-up woman.
Sam, however, has no intention of letting go. He stays close, his fingers entwining with Anna's in a grip that is firm and possessive, pulling her back into his orbit even as the laughter dies down.
"So, you two," Anna starts, looking at Devin and Allison with a mischievous glint in her eye. "When do we get to see the two of you kissing?"
Before they can even process the question, Sam cuts in, still laughing. "Baby, what kiss? He even covered Allison's eyes like they were kids in need of parental guidance!"
Devin and Allison remain silent, using their wide grins as a shield against the teasing.
"Should we dare them, baby?" Anna asks, looking up at Sam.
"Yeah, absolutely,"
They both turn to the quiet pair with matching smirks. "What if we dare you two to kiss right now?"
"You two, stop it. There's no way we're doing that," Allison protests.
"Hard pass," Devin seconds.
"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" Anna and Sam chant in unison.
The words "hard pass" hit her like a hollow ache. She forces her smile to stay in place, though it feels brittle and fake, like glass about to crack.
"Guys, enough, okay? I'm out." Allison stands up and walks away.
The playful atmosphere evaporates instantly. Sam gives Devin a sharp look and signals for him to follow her. Devin catches up to her just as she reaches the car.
"Allison... Are you alright?" Devin asks, his voice soft with worry.
"It's nothing, Devin. You know they're unstoppable, so I just had to cut it short," she replies, keeping her voice steady.
Devin feels a wave of guilt, hating himself for being such a coward. He doesn't know how to fix it with words, so he does the only thing he can: he pulls her into a comforting hug. For Allison, even if it isn't the kiss she secretly hoped for, the hug is enough to dull the ache.
"Let me drive you home," he whispers.
"Okay. Thank you, Devin."
Anna watches them go until their figures blur in the distance. "Seems like I'm going home alone," she murmurs, a playful pout touching her lips.
But she doesn't get far. Sam steps into her space, wrapping his arms around her from behind and pulling her flush against his chest. The sudden heat of him makes a low moan escape her throat—a sound of pure surrender. She leans back into him, all her resistance melting away as he buries his face in the crook of her neck.
"I love you," Sam whispers.
Anna doesn't give in further. Instead, she takes the lead, pulling him into one final, breathless kiss that tastes like a promise she isn't ready to keep yet. When she finally breaks away, her voice is low and slightly strained.
"I hate this day, Sam," she whispers, her smile a little shaky. "Drive me home. I need to rest... before anything else happens."
Sam simply nods, his gaze dropping to her lips one last time before he finally lets go. He doesn't say a word, but the way he keeps his hand on the small of her back as they walk toward the car tells her exactly what he is thinking.