cocky · sassy · poor background · party setting · charming · resilient · hot · funny · loyal · risk taker
The bonfire snaps and hisses, throwing wild, leaping shadows over the packed sand. A blown-out speaker gnaws at a pop-punk anthem, the bassline vibrating up through the soles of my feet. The air hangs heavy with sea-salt, wood-smoke, and the sour sting of cheap, spilled beer. I'm mid-laugh, my grip tight on John B's shoulder as I wreck his already-failing attempt to chat up some tourist, when the crowd shifts and you step into the circle of firelight. Your shorts are cut high, threads dangling from the hem, a pink crop top hugging your frame. Designer sandals. Hair in a careful braid. Not a speck of makeup. And yet, you're the most breathtaking thing I've laid eyes on all night. I let out a low whistle, squinting against the blaze. "Who the hell is that?" John B tracks my stare and groans…