Walking along the shoreline as the cool breeze brushed against her skin, Ashley let out a soft chuckle. When her thoughts grew too loud, she often sought solace in the quiet of the beach. Her steps slowed as she noticed a familiar figure sitting in the sand, knees hugged tightly to her chest. She hesitated, debating whether to leave, but her feet seemed to have their own mind, carrying her toward Mia.

Clearing her throat, Ashley stopped a few steps away. "Mind if I sit?" she asked, gesturing to the open space beside her.

Mia glanced up, her face illuminated by the faint moonlight. She shook her head, a small smile forming. "I don't mind at all," she replied softly. "Can't sleep either?"

Ashley sank down beside her, crossing her legs. "Nope. Too much on my mind," she said with a dry laugh. "What about you?"

"Same here," Mia admitted, her voice tinged with weariness. "Ever since the divorce, I've been stuck replaying things in my head—trying to figure out where it all went wrong."

Ashley turned to look at her, resting her chin on her knee. "Do you... blame yourself for what happened?"

Mia's smile faltered, and she gave a small nod. "Kind of," she murmured. "If it wasn't me, maybe he wouldn't have cheated."

Ashley froze, her eyes widening. "Wait, what? He cheated on you?"

Mia's hand flew to her mouth, her eyes wide with regret. "Oh, crap! Forget I said that," she blurted out, waving her hands frantically.

Ashley straightened, her disbelief palpable. "Are you serious right now? What the hell, Mia? Your ex-husband cheated on you, and yet here you are, acting like it's your fault? Why are you letting him off the hook?"

Mia let out a bitter chuckle, clicking her tongue. "Let him have the spotlight he wanted," she said with a shrug. "Once the truth about our divorce comes out, he'll lose everything anyway."

Ashley frowned, shaking her head. "You're hiding from the paparazzi, dodging interviews to protect him? And yet—"

"You're so nosy, weird detective," Mia interrupted, rolling her eyes. "Drop it, will you? Let's not ruin the fun night talking about him."

Ashley scoffed, glancing around at the darkened shore. "Sure. Fun. This whole situation just screams 'fun,' doesn't it?"

Mia tilted her head, studying her with an amused expression. "You know... you've been—how should I put it?" She tapped a finger against her chin, pretending to think. "You're trying to get close to me, aren't you?"

Ashley blinked, caught off guard. "Excuse me?"

"Don't tell me I'm your type," Mia teased with a grin.

Ashley laughed in disbelief. "Wow. Okay. Let's set the record straight: you invited me to this little celebration, remember? If anything, you're the one chasing after me."

Mia shrugged nonchalantly, her gaze drifting back to the waves. "You know, I've seen this kind of dynamic before."

Ashley frowned. "What dynamic?"

"This," Mia said, motioning between the two of them. "Riley and Sienna. Harriet and Zoey. The whole... thing."

Ashley's confusion deepened. "What are you trying to say?"

"I mean—"

"Wait," Ashley interrupted, holding up a hand. "I get it, but aren't you, like... waving your imaginary 'straight' flag right now? And here you are, talking about dynamics."

Mia squinted at her. "Am I wrong?"

Ashley stammered, her throat suddenly dry. "I... I don't know," she muttered, clicking her tongue. "Besides, you're straight."

"How old are you, Ash?" Mia asked suddenly, making Ashley blink in surprise.

"Ash?" Ashley repeated, scoffing. "What, you're done calling me 'weird detective' now?" she teased, laughing.

Mia shrugged, a small smile playing on her lips as she hugged her knees tighter. Ashley sighed, clearing her throat. "I think I'm about ten years older than you," she replied simply. "If you're the same age as Riley, then yeah, ten years."

Mia tilted her head, feigning shock. "That old?"

Ashley stared at her, jaw dropping. "What the—?!" she exclaimed. "I'll have you know I don't look a day over thirty!"

Mia burst into laughter, holding her stomach. "Relax! You don't even look ten years older than me. Nyx is ten years older than me too, and she looks great and young for her age—just like you."

Ashley stiffened, gulping. Clicking her tongue, she muttered, "Stop checking me out, sugarplum. You're making it obvious."

Mia blinked, startled. "What...?"



Ashley flopped onto the bed, lying on her stomach with her face buried in a pillow. She groaned when something soft hit her back. Turning over, she pulled the pillow off her face and frowned at Mia, who was sitting on the other bed, staring at her with an amused expression.

"Are you going to sleep, weird detective?" Mia asked, her hands braced on the mattress as her feet swung lazily.

"Why do you ask?" Ashley replied, resting her chin on the pillow as she glanced sideways at Mia.

Mia shrugged casually. "Do you mind if I have a drink here?"

Ashley let out a long sigh and sat up, hugging the pillow to her chest. "You want to drink?"

Mia nodded quickly. "Just a little, to help me sleep. I swear I won't be noisy! You can have your beauty rest in peace."

Ashley raised an eyebrow, eyeing Mia suspiciously. "How do I know you won't crawl into my bed in the middle of the night?"

"What?!" Mia exclaimed, tossing another pillow at her. "What the heck are you talking about? I'm not like that!"

Ashley chuckled, catching the pillow and tossing it back. "Relax, sugarplum, I'm just messing with you. Go ahead and drink. I'm not tired anyway—might as well join you."

Mia stood, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," she muttered, heading out to grab some beer.

Once alone, Ashley shook her head with a scoff. "She's like a kid," she mumbled, scrolling through her phone.

Mia returned moments later with a half-full case of canned beer and a bag of chips balanced in her arms. She grinned as she set them down with a dramatic "Ta-dah!"

"You're more of a party animal than a celebrity," Ashley teased, inspecting the loot. "So, if you weren't a celebrity, what would you be?"

Mia glanced at her, then sat on her bed with a curious expression. "I don't know. Why are you so interested in that?" she asked, raising a brow while leaning slightly toward Ashley.

Ashley smirked, giving her a light push on the forehead. "Don't lean in like that, will you? I'm just curious. Maybe you had other dreams before all this fame."

Mia chuckled, shaking her head. "Honestly, I never dreamed of being a celebrity. It just kind of... happened when I was trying to be a wannabe influencer." She laughed at the memory. "Wait, let me show you something. It's on my phone—"

She stood abruptly, but her balance wavered. Ashley instinctively lunged to catch her, only to lose her own footing and fall backward. Mia landed on top of her with a thud—lips accidentally brushing against Ashley's.

Time seemed to freeze as Mia blinked, wide-eyed. She pulled back quickly, covering her mouth with both hands. "Oh my God!" she stammered, her face flushing red. "I'm so sorry!"

Ashley, equally stunned, swallowed hard. "Do you... mind getting off me first?" she said, her voice slightly strained.

Mia scrambled off, crawling away in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean—"

Ashley sat up, brushing herself off with a small laugh. "Relax. Accidents happen." She paused, smirking. "So, is this one of those 'dynamics' you were talking about earlier?"

Mia groaned, burying her face in her hands. "You're impossible."

Ashley grinned as she stood, stretching. "I hope that wasn't your first kiss, sugarplum, because—"

"It's not!" Mia cut her off, glaring at her. "Stop teasing me!"

Chuckling, Ashley dusted off her clothes. "You're such a kid."

"I am not!" Mia shot back, standing up with a huff.

Ashley tilted her head, smirking. "Sure you aren't. Quit throwing tantrums and grab a drink, kiddo."

"Stop calling me a kid," Mia muttered, snatching a can of beer and popping it open. She took a long gulp, glowering at Ashley.

Ashley grabbed her own beer, cracking it open with a smirk. "Not gonna lie, though—you've got soft lips."

Mia choked mid-drink, spraying beer all over Ashley's face.

"What the—" Ashley sputtered, wiping her face in disbelief.

Mia's eyes widened as she rubbed her lips furiously. "What the fuck!" she shouted, her voice muffled by her hands.