Chapter 4

“For a minute, in the rearview mirror...” Aiden coughed, trying to hold back another wave of laughter. “It looked like Alex and Sam were making out.” He and Lacey burst into giggles again.

“Do I need to take over the wheel?” Jade teased, raising an eyebrow.

“No, no, I’ve got it,” Aiden said, managing to compose himself as he revved the engine, and they took off.

The ride to Mid Beach was a blur of fun, with Jade, Aiden, and Lacey singing songs at full volume, while Alex and Sam poked their heads through the back window, chiming in as backup singers whenever the mood struck.

When they arrived, Jade was enchanted by the beach town vibe she had never known existed just a short drive from Talahi. Quaint beach cottages and hotels lined the shore, while shops and bustling local eateries drew in crowds of beachgoers.

They parked the truck and practically sprinted down the weathered wooden boardwalk that cut through the dunes, leading them onto the wide, sandy beach. The shoreline was already populated with their high school classmates, some holding not-so-discreet brown paper bags with bottle tops peeking out, while others had coolers filled with mysterious concoctions.

Sam, Alex, and Aiden dragged their boards across the sand, following Lacey as she scouted the perfect spot. Jade followed a few steps behind, soaking in the scene. Fluffy clouds softened the brilliant blue sky, which gradually deepened into the ocean’s rich, azure waters. She relished the sun warming her skin, eager to sprawl out on a towel and stay there for hours. In the distance, she spotted the Mid Beach Pier, jutting proudly into the ocean.

“Jade, over here!” Lacey called, waving her over to the small square of sand the group had claimed. Lacey quickly navigated through the maze of towels and sunbathers to join them.

“Sorry about that,” she said, settling onto the towel they’d set out for her. “Who’s ready for some food?”

“Me!” her friends chimed in unison, grinning in anticipation.

Jade opened the picnic basket she had packed and handed out sandwiches. She leaned back on her elbows, letting the soft sand mold around her, and took in the view. With a contented sigh, she said, “Man, this is the life.”

“I’ll second that. This sandwich is amazing. What did you put in this? Drugs? I can’t stop eating!” Aiden marveled while Alex offered a grunt of agreement, his mouth too full to speak.

Jade laughed. “I was talking about the view and the weather, not the food, you goof. The sun feels so good, especially after the stress of the first week of school. I can feel the tension melting off my body.” She stretched out fully on her towel, letting the warmth seep into her bones. The sun had always been her favorite thing, its heat and light bringing her a deep sense of calm. She’d spent many afternoons in Central Park back in New York, but nothing compared to this—the sand beneath her toes, the sun prickling her skin, and the soothing sound of waves crashing against the shore.

But then Jade felt it—a prickle of unease at the base of her neck. Something was wrong. She opened her eyes and scanned the beach, her gaze landing on a group of students: Benjamin, Shaun, Owen, and Skye. They were walking onto the sand, and as soon as she caught them staring, they quickly looked away. Jade’s mood soured. At school, it was one thing to deal with their weird behavior, but now, interrupting her perfect day at the beach? That was too much.

She watched them as they settled down a few yards away, occasionally sneaking glances in her direction. Jade experimented, looking back at them, and sure enough, they were still staring when she met their eyes. Enough was enough.

“This is ridiculous,” she muttered, standing up and brushing sand off her legs. Before her friends noticed, Jade was already marching across the beach toward the misfits. Four pairs of eyes tracked her every move as she weaved through the crowd and stopped at the edge of the bright blue towel Benjamin was lounging on.

“Okay, what is your problem with me?” she demanded, flinging her arms wide in frustration. “Why are you always staring? What did I ever do to you?”

Skye’s cold voice cut through the air. “You exist.”

Jade flinched, taken aback by the bluntness of the response. That wasn’t what she had expected. “And what about my existence is so terrible that you can’t stop watching me?” she shot back, trying to keep her voice steady.

“It’s not terrible,” Benjamin interjected before Skye could respond. He tilted his head, studying her with an unreadable expression. “It’s... intriguing.”

Jade couldn’t quite figure out what had piqued their interest in her, and Benjamin's watchful gaze was beginning to make her uncomfortable. Then again, she couldn’t help noticing the outline of his six-pack, etched against his tan skin, and how the sunlight made his green eyes seem even more intense. Maybe it wasn’t so bad…

“You’re completely ignorant of everything,” Shaun said, his deep voice rumbling with an odd mix of contempt and curiosity. “It’s…alluring.”

Jade didn’t like the way he looked at her, with that glint of malice in his eyes. Even the appeal of Benjamin’s shirtless physique wasn’t enough to keep her standing there much longer. “Look,” she snapped, “I lived in New York for five years. I’m hardly ignorant compared to most people at our school. I’m tired of this. Get over whatever it is you think you know about me and leave me alone.”

She turned on her heel and walked away, hoping her boldness had given her the upper hand. When she glanced back, they were already turning their attention to the ocean, hoisting up their boards, and pointedly ignoring her. Jade smiled, feeling a small sense of victory, but confusion lingered. What had Shaun meant by calling her ignorant? He had never spoken to her before—why would he think that?

“Jade!” Aiden’s voice broke through her thoughts, and she turned to see him approaching with a concerned look. “You, okay?”

“Yeah,” she sighed, forcing a smile. “I just couldn’t take it anymore, like I told you.”

Aiden nodded. “Come on, you’re surfing with me and Sam. Go grab Alex’s board and meet us out there.”

Grateful for the distraction, Jade quickly shed her cover-up and grabbed the heavy surfboard from the sand. “Thanks, Alex!” she called, giving him a wave before heading toward the water.

The moment her feet touched the waves, Jade knew this swim would be far better than any she’d experienced in the Hamptons. Instead of wading into freezing, paralyzing waters, the ocean here was warm—almost like bathwater. She smiled at the change, already beginning to appreciate her permanent move down south. As she paddled out toward Aiden, Sam, and the others, a sense of belonging washed over her, as if these new friends were people, she’d known all her life.

After some clumsy paddling, she finally made it past the waves to where Sam and Aiden were waiting, sitting effortlessly on their boards. They looked like pros, their feet dangling in the water, the noses of their shortboards pointing skyward. Jade glanced at her longboard, noticing how it stayed level with the water, no matter what she did.

“Why is my board so huge? I could barely lift the thing,” she asked, feeling self-conscious.

“It’s a beginner board,” Sam replied, more animated now that the conversation was something he cared about. “We started teaching Alex about a month ago. He’s still working on it.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it,” Aiden added with a grin. He nudged her board with his foot, sending a playful ripple through the water that nearly unbalanced her. “Okay, maybe not immediately, but it’s not as hard as it looks.”

Jade nodded, trying to take in all the information they were giving her. She had never seen Sam this talkative, which made her feel more confident. He explained each step in detail: when the wave was coming, she needed to paddle as fast as she could, then make one final push when it felt like the wave had taken control. After that plant her palms on the board and push her chest up. Then, with her right foot positioned perpendicular to her left knee, she needed to keep most of her leg on the board for balance. Finally, the trickiest part she had to jump up by swinging her left leg forward between her arms while lifting her upper body and keeping her knees bent.

It sounded simple enough, but Jade’s nerves were building. How fast did these boards go? She wasn’t exactly an adrenaline junkie, so she tried to calm herself by imagining a Blue Crush moment where she became a hot surfer chick who nailed it and caught the eye of a professional quarterback.

Her fantasy was abruptly interrupted by Aiden and Sam shouting at her.

“Here comes a wave! Start paddling, Jade!”