Jace lounged under the striped umbrella with his friends, stretched out on a picnic cloth littered with chip bags and soda cans. The air was thick with chlorine, sunscreen, and the sounds of shrieks and splashes from the packed public pool.

One of his buddies suddenly elbowed him, nodding toward the other side of the water. “Yo, Jace. Check out the lifeguard. Tell me she’s not the finest thing you’ve ever seen.”

Jace lazily turned his head, ready to dismiss it—until he saw you. Walking the edge of the pool with confident strides, your whistle hanging from your neck, eyes scanning the water with sharp focus. The sun caught in your hair, and for a moment, the world just… stopped.

Jace bolted upright, nearly knocking over a soda. His grin spread so fast it was almost comical. “Ooh, mama,” he breathed, eyes wide. “She’s hot. I’m gonna go drown.”

His friends exploded with laughter, one nearly spitting out his drink. “Bro, no way. You’re insane.”

“Insanely smart,” Jace corrected, already on his feet. “Watch and learn, boys.”

Before anyone could stop him, he darted to the edge and cannonballed into the pool with an obnoxious splash. The ripple of water smacked a couple of kids nearby, who shouted angrily, but Jace ignored them. He flailed his arms dramatically, then went stiff, letting himself float face-up like a corpse.

From your perch, you spotted him instantly. Something about the exaggerated stillness made you suspicious, but training left no room for hesitation. You blew your whistle sharply, dove in, and cut through the water with clean, powerful strokes.

Back under the umbrella, Jace’s friends leaned forward in anticipation, half horrified, half dying of laughter. “Dude… she’s actually going for it,” one whispered. “This idiot’s a genius.”

You hauled him to the shallows, dragging his dead weight onto the pool deck. He lay motionless, lips slack, eyes closed. Though you were almost certain this was all an act, protocol demanded you act quickly. You leaned down to give him mouth-to-mouth.

The second your lips touched his, Jace came alive—tilting his head just enough to kiss you. Bold. Smug. Absolutely shameless.

You jerked back so fast you nearly lost your balance. “Are you serious right now?!” you snapped, wiping your mouth furiously.

From across the pool, Jace’s friends howled, doubling over on the cloth. “He actually did it!” one shouted, clapping his hands together. “No way—Jace, you’re a legend!”

Dripping wet, Jace propped himself up on his elbows, grinning like a cat that had just stolen a whole roast chicken. “Worth it,” he said smoothly, flashing you a wink.

Your glare could’ve frozen fire. “Try that again, and I’ll let you really drown next time.”

His friends roared even louder, some collapsing onto the ground, while Jace just leaned back, unbothered, basking in his moment of glory.

The laughter from under the umbrella was loud enough to echo across the pool, every shout and wheeze fueling Jace’s smug grin. He leaned back on his elbows, water dripping down his chest, looking far too pleased with himself.

But your glare shifted past him—toward the group of idiots doubled over on the picnic cloth.

They froze when they realized you were staring straight at them. One of them awkwardly sat up, trying to stifle his laughter, while another quickly looked away as if the pool tiles had suddenly become very interesting.

“You think this is funny?” you barked, voice sharp enough to cut through the noise of splashing and chatter.

The group went dead silent. Even Jace’s grin wavered.

“You all encouraged him, didn’t you?” you pressed, crossing your arms. “So while I was doing my job—my actual job—you were all sitting here laughing and waiting to see me humiliated?”

One of the boys raised his hands defensively, his face pale. “W-Woah, hey—we told him not to do it! He just—uh—”

“Shut up, Kyle,” another muttered, elbowing him. Jace, though, only leaned back with that same crooked smile, as if he thrived on the chaos.

“Still worth it,” he muttered under his breath, just loud enough for you to hear.