The sun was warm, and the sea sounded lazy in the distance. Angie and Lyla sat under the big striped umbrella, a towel spread beneath them. Everyone else from their class had gone off to rent paddleboards, leaving the beach oddly quiet.

Angie leaned back on her elbows, long black hair spilling over her shoulder, the ends brushing against the towel. “They’ll probably get lost,” she said with a small grin.

Lyla laughed softly. “You’re probably right.” Her short hair was still damp from swimming, small droplets catching the light. She tugged the towel between them a little closer, her knee brushing Angie’s by accident. Neither of them moved.

For a moment, all that existed was the slow roll of waves and the sound of their breathing. Angie turned her head, watching Lyla trace circles in the sand. “You’ve got sunscreen on your nose,” she said quietly.

“Oh.” Lyla rubbed at it, missing completely. Angie reached out before she could think, brushing her thumb across Lyla’s nose. “There,” she whispered, hand lingering a second too long.

Lyla smiled, shy and a little breathless. “Thanks.”