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AGAIN

♧

NOAH CYRUS , XXXTENTACION

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WHEN WE GOT back to the house, the energy shifted. It wasn't the wild, chaotic buzz from earlier, but something softer—like the night was settling into something deeper. Val and Koko were already giggling about what bikinis to wear, practically racing to their rooms. Malakai, as usual, went straight for the fridge.

I kicked off my heels the second we walked in and sighed in relief. My feet were killing me, but I didn't regret it. The restaurant had been fun—until Antonio decided to practically glue himself to my side. I knew what he was doing when he touched my thigh under the table, and I hated how easily he got to me.

"Celine," Val called from upstairs. "What are you wearing?"

"Nothing," I yelled back with a smirk, heading for my room.

"Please," Koko added, sticking her head over the railing. "Spare us the nudity and wear something cute."

I waved her off, pushing open the door to the room I was sharing with Antonio. The lights were dim, the scent of his cologne lingering faintly in the air. I stopped by the bed, shrugging off my dress and tossing it onto the armchair in the corner.

The sound of the shower running caught my attention. Of course, Antonio was already in there. For a second, I thought about barging in to annoy him, but I let it go. I wasn't in the mood to deal with him—not after the stunt he pulled earlier.

Instead, I went to my suitcase, digging around until I found a black bikini that I'd forgotten I packed. It was simple but tiny enough to still feel dangerous. Exactly what I needed.

When I was tying the strings behind my back, the bathroom door opened, and Antonio walked out, a towel slung low on his hips. Water dripped from his hair, sliding down his chest, and I forced myself to look away.

"You're already ready?" he asked, his voice calm like he didn't notice me standing there half-dressed.

"Obviously," I said, pulling on the bikini bottoms.

He leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms. "You're wearing that?"

"What's wrong with it?" I turned to face him, lifting an eyebrow.

"Nothing," he said after a beat, his eyes dragging over me in a way that made my skin heat up. "Just don't expect me to stop anyone from staring."

I rolled my eyes, brushing past him to grab a pair of slides. "You're so dramatic."

"And you're reckless," he muttered, walking toward the closet to find something to wear.

Ignoring him, I grabbed my phone and sent a quick text to Val. Hurry up before Antonio decides to give me a lecture.

A moment later, the door burst open, and Koko and Val stumbled in, already dressed in bikinis and loose cover-ups.

"Are you two done arguing yet?" Val asked, grinning as she took in the scene.

"Not yet," I said with a smirk, grabbing a scrunchie to tie my braids into a ponytail.

"We don't have time for your foreplay," Koko teased, leaning against the doorframe.

"It's not foreplay!" I snapped, but my voice betrayed me, coming out too defensive.

They both laughed, and Antonio muttered something under his breath before heading out of the room.

"Let's go before I lose my patience," he called from the hallway.

Val nudged me with her elbow. "You're so in trouble."

I rolled my eyes at Val but couldn't help the smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth. "He wishes I'd make it that easy for him."

Koko snorted. "Girl, the way that man looks at you, you're already cooked. Like fully done, served on a platter."

"Don't start," I warned, grabbing a sheer black cover-up to throw over my bikini.

"Start what? You're the one blushing," Koko teased, ducking when I flung a scrunchie at her head.

"Let's just go before he starts barking at us from the driveway," I muttered, adjusting my bikini top one last time.

We made our way downstairs, and sure enough, Antonio was leaning against the front door, his arms crossed and his patience clearly wearing thin. Malakai strolled in from the kitchen behind him, holding a bottle of tequila and a pack of Solo cups.

"You guys finally ready?" Antonio asked, his voice flat.

"Oh, relax, Dad," Val shot back, breezing past him toward the car.

"I'm not driving all of you," he said, his gaze settling on me.

"Don't worry, I'll drive." Malakai tossed his keys in the air and caught them with a grin.

"Oh, great. Because you're the picture of sobriety," Antonio muttered, following us out the door.

The car ride to the beach was chaotic as always—music blasting, Val and Koko singing off-key, and Malakai steering the car like he was in a Fast & Furious movie. I tried to ignore Antonio's knee brushing against mine in the cramped back seat, but every little touch made my skin buzz.

By the time we got to the beach, the sun had set completely, leaving the sky painted in deep blues and purples. The waves crashed against the shore, and the air was cool but not cold enough to keep us out of the water.

We kicked off our shoes and laid out a blanket before Malakai poured tequila into the Solo cups, passing them around.

"To bad decisions," Val said, holding her cup up.

"To Val making all of them," Koko added with a laugh.

We all clinked cups, the sound sharp against the backdrop of the waves. I threw my shot back, the burn settling in my chest, and stood up.

"Come on, slowpokes," I said, pulling my cover-up off and tossing it onto the blanket.

"Not wasting any time, huh?" Malakai grinned, already stripping his shirt off.

"Skinny-dipping was your idea, Val," I teased, tugging her up by the hand.

"Fine, fine!" she said, shrugging off her cover-up and sprinting toward the water with Koko right behind her.

I followed them, laughing as the cold waves lapped at my ankles. I waded in until the water was up to my waist, shivering a little but refusing to let it show.

When I turned around, Antonio was still standing on the shore, his hands in his pockets, watching us with that unreadable expression he always had.

"What's wrong, papi? Afraid of a little water?" I called out, smirking.

"You're gonna freeze," he said, but I could hear the edge of a challenge in his voice.

"I'll survive," I shot back, splashing water in his direction.

He shook his head but started unbuttoning his shirt, his gaze never leaving mine. As much as I hated to admit it, I felt a little thrill watching him walk into the waves, his usual composure cracking just a little.

He stopped a few feet away from me, the water up to his chest, and leaned in close enough that I could feel his breath against my cheek.

"Happy now?" he asked, his voice low.

"Not yet," I whispered back, splashing him again and darting away before he could grab me.

The night stretched on with laughter, splashing, and teasing, but every time Antonio's eyes met mine, it felt like the world shrank down to just the two of us. It wasn't just the tequila or the ocean air. It was him—and it terrified me.

The laughter and splashing eventually faded into the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. Val and Koko had drifted off to the blanket, wrapped up in their towels and sharing another drink. Malakai was floating on his back a little farther out, humming some song none of us recognized.

I stayed in the water, not wanting to leave just yet. The chill had started to seep into my bones, but it was soothing—like it was rinsing the chaos of the night away.

Antonio hadn't left either. He was standing a few feet away, arms crossed over his chest, watching me with that same unreadable expression. It was like he was trying to figure something out, but I didn't have the energy to ask what.

"Are you just gonna stare at me all night?" I asked, half-joking, half-serious.

"You're not exactly making it easy to look away," he said, his tone even, but there was a heat in his eyes that sent a shiver down my spine.

"Careful," I said, wading a little closer to him. "You almost sound like you're flirting."

He smirked, the corner of his mouth tugging up just enough to make my stomach flip. "And if I was?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words got caught in my throat. I wasn't used to this side of him—calm, quiet, almost playful. It threw me off balance, and I hated that he could do that to me so easily.

"You're full of shit," I said finally, rolling my eyes and turning back toward the shore.

"Celine."

His voice stopped me in my tracks. It wasn't loud or angry, but there was something about the way he said my name that made me freeze.

"What?" I asked, glancing over my shoulder at him.

He closed the distance between us in two strides, his hand catching mine under the water. His fingers were warm despite the cold, wrapping around mine like he was afraid I'd slip away.

"I don't know what we're doing," he admitted, his voice low, "but I know I don't want anyone else near you."

My breath caught in my chest. I wanted to say something, anything, but my brain felt like it had short-circuited.

Instead of answering, I pulled my hand away, splashing him lightly as I moved past him. "Come on," I said, forcing a smirk. "If we stay out here any longer, we're going to freeze to death."

I didn't look back to see his reaction, but I could feel his eyes on me all the way back to the shore.

By the time we got to the blanket, everyone else had settled in, laughing and sharing stories like we weren't all soaked and shivering. I wrapped a towel around myself and plopped down next to Val, who raised an eyebrow at me but didn't say anything.

Antonio sat down a little farther away, but I could feel the weight of his presence like he was sitting right next to me. I tried to focus on the conversation, but my mind kept drifting back to the way his hand had felt in mine, the look in his eyes when he said he didn't want anyone else near me.

It was just the tequila, I told myself. Nothing more.

But deep down, I knew that wasn't true.

The energy around the group shifted as the night wore on, conversations blending into laughter and the occasional quiet moment of reflection. The warmth of the towel didn't do much to ease the chills on my skin—though I couldn't tell if it was from the water or the way Antonio had looked at me earlier.

Val leaned her head against my shoulder, her curls damp and frizzing a little in the ocean breeze. "You good?" she whispered, her voice low enough that no one else could hear.

"Yeah," I lied, keeping my eyes on the horizon.

Her gaze followed mine, but she didn't push. That was one thing I loved about Val—she could read me like a book, but she always let me come to her when I was ready.

Malakai broke the silence with a loud groan, stretching out across the blanket. "I think I'm officially too old for this shit."

"You're twenty-six," Koko deadpanned, taking a sip of whatever was in her cup.

"And my back feels forty," he shot back, earning a round of laughter.

Antonio didn't laugh, though. He was quiet, his hands clasped loosely in front of him as he leaned back on the sand. His eyes flicked to me once, briefly, before looking away again.

I hated how much I noticed.

"Alright, I'm calling it," Val announced, pushing herself up with a dramatic sigh. "I need a hot shower, a face mask, and about eight hours of sleep."

Malakai nodded in agreement, already gathering the empty cups and wrappers we'd brought out. Koko didn't even argue—she just grabbed her towel and trudged back toward the house.

Antonio stood too, dusting sand off his shorts. He didn't look at me again, but his presence loomed as we all made our way inside.

Back in the house, the others dispersed quickly—Malakai disappearing to his room, Val and Koko heading for their shared bathroom with promises of stealing all the hot water.

I lingered in the hallway, suddenly not in a rush to go to bed. My hair was still damp, and the chill from outside had followed me in.

I didn't realize Antonio was still behind me until I turned and nearly bumped into him.

"You're blocking the hallway," he said, his tone casual but his eyes sharp.

"So walk around me," I shot back, refusing to move.

He didn't.

Instead, he stepped closer, his eyes dropping to my lips for the briefest second before meeting mine again. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Push me away."

I laughed, but it sounded hollow even to my ears. "You think I'm the one pushing you away? You're the one who—"

He didn't let me finish.

Before I could process what was happening, his hand was on the back of my neck, pulling me in for a kiss that stole whatever argument I'd been about to make.

It wasn't soft or hesitant—it was a clash of frustration and want, the kind of kiss that left no room for doubt.

When he finally pulled back, I was breathless, my fingers clutching the fabric of his shirt without realizing it.

"You drive me insane," he muttered, his forehead resting against mine.

"Good," I whispered back, my voice barely audible.

For a moment, neither of us moved. The world outside could've been on fire, and I wouldn't have noticed.

But then the sound of Val's voice from the other end of the hallway snapped me out of whatever spell I'd been under.

I pushed away from him, ignoring the way my heart raced. "Go to bed, Antonio," I said, slipping past him and into my room.

I didn't wait to see if he listened. If I'd looked back, I wasn't sure I'd be able to stop myself from doing something stupid.

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ahh y'all's favorite crazy ass lowkey super frustrating couple just kissed IN CHAPTER 29 !! i was gonna be mean to y'all and let them kiss in chapter 32 but look how nice I am giving you this now !!

DO NOT start about how many times they say "you drive me insane" that's the point y'all !!

but tysm for reading and commenting I love it when y'all do !! Please tell me how you guys liked this chapter??

remember to drink water xx

- zio 🍸