Chapter 180: Saved by the idiot

The sun was high in the sky, its warmth settling over the sand as the salty ocean breeze rolled through. The scent of sunscreen, saltwater, and grilled food filled the air, mixing with the occasional shouts of competition and laughter.

Seraphina Hale watched from under the shade of an umbrella, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the rim of her glass of ice water.

She was used to being in control, planning every move, anticipating every variable.

But this?

This was uncharted territory.

Damon sat beside her, his sunglasses in place, looking entirely too pleased with himself as he relaxed in his chair, completely at ease with the world.

It had been less than twenty-four hours since she had told him about the baby.

And now?

Now, he wouldn’t stop smirking at her.

She arched a brow. “What?”

Damon exhaled, shaking his head. "Nothing."

She narrowed her eyes. "You're staring."

Damon’s smirk widened. "I’m admiring."

Seraphina rolled her eyes. "Same thing."

Damon chuckled. “You know, for someone who just dropped the biggest news of our lives on me, you’re taking it pretty well.”

Seraphina tilted her head. "Did you expect me to panic?"

Damon shrugged, sipping his drink. "Not panic. Just… overanalyze."

Seraphina sighed. "Oh, I’m definitely overanalyzing. I just haven’t let you see it yet."

Damon smirked. "Sneaky."

She smirked back. "Always in all ways."

Damon exhaled, that softness returning to his features. "Damn right."

Before either of them could say anything else, chaos erupted from the water.

Zayn had, predictably, not learned his lesson.

Which was why, not even ten minutes after his last water-related crime, he had decided to launch an entirely new attack.

Liam, dripping wet from another failed surfing attempt, was his next target.

With zero hesitation, Zayn sprinted at full speed toward the water, tackled Liam into the surf, and then held him under for just a second longer than necessary.

Liam resurfaced, coughing and sputtering.

"You—" Liam swiped the salt water from his face. "Are the absolute worst."

Zayn grinned, wiping his wet hair back. "What was that? I can’t hear you over the sound of me being superior."

Liam narrowed his eyes.

"You just signed your death warrant, Rivera."

Before Zayn could react, Liam tackled him, and the war continued.

On the shore, James watched the entire thing, shaking his head.

"They never stop," James muttered.

Orion, completely unbothered, sipped his drink. "They really don’t."

Dominic, still lounging in his pineapple swim trunks, sighed dramatically.

"Back in my day," he mused, "we settled things with knives and strategy. Not—" He gestured lazily at the chaos. "Whatever the hell this is."

Damon chuckled. "What, you don’t want to join them?"

Dominic snorted. "My days of beating idiots into the ground are behind me."

Damon smirked. "Lies."

Dominic raised a brow. "Maybe."

Tessa had, for once, been completely content to stay out of trouble.

She had her drink. She had her sun. She had a perfectly good afternoon ahead of her.

But of course—Zayn had to ruin it.

Tessa had just finished reapplying sunscreen when she felt the shadow fall over her.

She barely had time to react before Zayn shook his wet hair out—directly over her.

Cold salt water splattered across her skin.

Tessa froze.

Zayn, standing there like he wasn’t about to die, smirked down at her.

"Oops," he said.

Tessa exhaled slowly. "Rivera."

Zayn tilted his head. "Yes, Quinn?"

Tessa stood.

Zayn’s smirk faltered slightly.

Then, before he could fully register his mistake, Tessa picked up her bottle of sunscreen—and emptied it over his head.

The entire group watched in silence.

Liam, dripping from his own fight with Zayn, started slow-clapping.

"That," Liam announced, "was beautiful."

Zayn, jaw clenched, wiped his face with his hand, blinking at her through sunscreen-covered lashes.

"You’re dead," he muttered.

Tessa grinned. "You started it, Rivera."

Zayn exhaled. "Oh, you have no idea what you just did."

Before Tessa could retreat, Zayn grabbed her wrist and pulled her straight into the ocean with him.

She shrieked as the cold water crashed around them, but Zayn didn’t let go.

When they came up, closer than before, eyes locked, breath heavy, something in the air shifted.

Tessa’s hands were still on his arms.

Zayn’s grip had loosened but hadn’t let go.

For a second—**just a second—**neither of them said anything.

Then, before either of them could do something reckless, Liam came flying past them in another round of madness, effectively ruining the moment.

Tessa groaned, pushing Zayn away.

"Saved by the idiot," she muttered.

Zayn smirked. "For now."

Damon, still watching everything from a comfortable distance, turned back to Seraphina.

"They’re exhausting," he muttered.

Seraphina sipped her water. "They’re entertaining."

Damon sighed. "Same thing."

Seraphina smirked. "You love it."

Damon glanced at her. "Yeah. I do."

Seraphina exhaled, letting herself relax into his side.

For the first time in years, she wasn’t thinking about the next fight.

She wasn’t planning for the next war.

She wasn’t waiting for something to go wrong.

Because right now?

Right now, she had everything she needed.

Damon placed a hand over hers, over her stomach.

And Seraphina Hale knew—

This was just the beginning.