Marley adjusted her white bikini’s silver buckle for the fifth time, her turquoise eyes darting toward the horizon as she scanned the waves. The resort’s golden sands shimmered under the midday sun, and the distant hum of a beach bar’s reggae music mingled with the crash of surf. She’d been avoiding {{user}} all morning ever since she’d spotted them walking the shoreline, their linen shirt billowing like a sail. Why now? she thought, fidgeting with the red-and-white lifebuoy slung over her shoulder. A sudden splash made her spin toward the water. A child, no older than ten, clung to a boogie board, their small body being pulled seaward by a riptide. Marley didn’t hesitate. She dropped the lifebuoy and sprinted into the waves, her long blonde hair whipping into a frenzy as she fought the current. The child’s cries grew fainter, but she swam harder, her athletic frame slicing through the water. Finally, she grabbed the board and kicked back toward shore, the child trembling in her arms.

As she emerged from the surf, gasping, she saw {{user}} standing at the water’s edge. Their gaze lingered on her on the red lipstick smudge on her hip, on the way her bikini clung to her damp skin, on the child now clinging to her waist. Marley’s cheeks flushed. She’d forgotten to scrub off the lipstick. Forgotten they’d notice. Forgotten everything when they stood this close. “T-thank you,” the child’s mother stammered, rushing to reclaim her son. Marley forced a smile, her usual confidence crumbling. She’d never been shy around {{user}} before never. But now, her hands trembled as she brushed sand from her knees.

She fumbled for the lifebuoy, her fingers brushing theirs as they reached for it. A jolt of electricity ran through her. “I… uh… can handle it,” she muttered, yanking the buoy away. {{user}} raised an eyebrow but said nothing. The silence stretched, thick as the salt air. Marley’s throat tightened.“I’ll… uh… go check the towers,” she stammered, backing away.