Chapter 44 Beach escapade
~Ava~
My phone buzzed sometime after midnight. I was already half-asleep, wrapped in my blanket and dreaming about Logan's smile.
Tristan: Pack a bag, sunshine squad. We’re going to the beach tomorrow. No excuses.
Charlotte: YESSSSS! I’ve been dying for some sun, you're the best baby ❤️
Tristan: ❤️
Logan: Is it too late to pretend I’m sick now?
Tristan: Nope. Ava already said you're coming.
I laughed, even though I hadn't said a word. Trust Tristan to drag us all into a random beach trip like it was the most normal thing in the world.
He was rich so that wasn't a problem to him at all.
Me: I didn’t say anything. But fine. I’m in.
Logan replied with a heart emoji. I stared at it for a while, smiling like an idiot, before finally putting my phone away.
The next morning came so fast. Charlotte picked me up, blasting music with the windows down.
"Are you ready to tan and gossip about everything and pretend we don't have responsibilities?" she grinned.
"Born ready," I laughed.
Logan and Tristan were already waiting near the parking lot with snacks, towels, and a football. Logan wore a sleeveless hoodie, board shorts, and a smirk that should be illegal! How the hell does he manage to look this good all the time?. I tried not to stare too much, but who was I kidding?
"Nice of you ladies to show up," Tristan teased.
"Nice of you to carry the cooler," Charlotte shot back.
Sometimes I wonder how Charlotte and Tristan got together. I reminded myself to ask char later.
We all entered Tristan's car and hit the road, music was loud and windows open. The beach was two hours away, but the ride felt fast. We sang cheesy songs, argued about chips vs. pretzels, and played dumb games like "Would You Rather."
Very dumb!
By the time we got to the beach, the sun was high and the sand was warm, almost burning under our feet. I took off my sandals and let my toes sink into the soft grains. It was perfect.
Logan pulled me close, his arm draping around my shoulders.
"Ready for a real break babe?"
"I think I need one," I said softly.
He kissed my temple, and we walked down to where Tristan and Charlotte were already laying out the towels.
For the next few hours, everything felt... easy. We played frisbee, swam in the ocean, took silly selfies, and built a terrible sandcastle that collapsed twice.
Logan was so relaxed here. Laughing. Teasing. Splashing water at Tristan like a child. It made my heart squeeze to see him like that.
At one point, he came out of the water, dripping and grinning, and flopped down beside me where I sat.
"You're not even wet," he accused.
"Because I'm not insane," I said. "That water's freezing."
"Come on, I’ll warm you up."
He tried to pull me in but I shrieked, wriggling out of his grip. Charlotte called from her towel.
"You two are literally disgusting," she joked.
"Jealous," Logan said.
Everything was perfect until someone decided to jinx it.
I saw her before I heard her. Natasha.
Natasha fucking Keller!
Dressed in a skimpy red bikini that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe. Hair perfect. Makeup on point. She was walking toward us like she owned the sand.
"Oh my god," Charlotte muttered. "You’ve got to be kidding me."
"What is she doing here?" I whispered.
Logan saw her, too. His expression immediately shifted. The playful glint had already vanished.
"Hey, guys! Wow, what a coincidence! I didn’t know you were coming here," Natasha said with fake surprise.
She wasn’t fooling anyone. This bitch thought she was sneaky!
Tristan gave her a flat look. "Total accident, huh?"
She smiled like it didn’t matter. Like she belonged here. Why won't she mind her own business?
"Hi, Logan," she added, voice syrupy sweet.
He didn’t smile. "Hey."
I suddenly felt small. My swimsuit wasn’t even fancy. My hair was a mess like a bird nest. And there she was, gorgeous and glowing and trying to stake her claim. Again.
Natasha sat on the sand a few feet away, pretending like it was normal. She kept trying to talk to Logan, throwing compliments and inside jokes at him like bait.
And I just sat there, quiet, unsure.
Was I being silly? Insecure? Overthinking?
Maybe. But it didn’t stop the ache in my chest. I guess I have to endure this, since I'm dating a campus heartthrob who used to be a playboy
Logan noticed. He always noticed, even if it's a trivial matter.
He looked at me, his brows pulling together slightly. Then he got up, walked over, and without saying a word he kissed me.
Right there, in front of everyone. In front of her.
It wasn’t a quick kiss, either. It was soft and sure and full of something that made my knees weak.
When he pulled back, he gave me a small smile."Just making sure no one’s confused."
Natasha looked like she’d swallowed a lemon. Great! Serves her right!
"Seriously?" she snapped.
Logan stood up, brushing the sand from his hands. "Yeah. Seriously. This is my girlfriend. You showing up here out of nowhere? Not cute. Not cool, I want to be with my girlfriend enjoying our quality time together without an irrelevant person popping out of nowhere invading our privacy”
She blinked, stunned. "I didn’t mean…"
"Yeah, you did," he cut in. "But this little game? It ends here. You don't get to mess with Ava. Not anymore! I'm done with you Natasha,get that in your head”
Tristan and Charlotte were quiet, watching. No one moved. They were just waiting for everything to unfold itself.
Natasha stood up, her jaw tight. She gave me a glare sharp enough to make me cower.
"Whatever," she said. Then she turned and stormed off.
Silence dominated for a second.
Charlotte let out a low whistle. "Well. That was... intense. Remind me later to not invade your privacy Logan" she winked
I stared at Logan, my heart pounding very fast.
He knelt back down beside me, brushing a bit of hair behind my ear.
"Don’t ever let her make you feel like you’re not enough," he said softly. "You’re everything."
I felt tears prick my eyes. But they were the good kind. The kind that came from being seen. Loved. I was not used to anybody taking care of me or giving me attention, and I was getting that From Logan.
I leaned into him, wrapping my arms around his waist.
"Thank you," I whispered. I was truly grateful for him ,for doing this.
He kissed the top of my head."Anytime."
The rest of the day carried on, lighter than before… well because Natasha was not here. We went back into the water, played beach volleyball, and watched the sunset with ice cream in hand.
And for once, I didn’t feel like an outsider.
Logan's phone buzzed indicating that it was ringing. And he stood up and went near the shores to talk to the caller. I was enjoying the night sea breeze when I heard Logan yelling at the one who called him.
“Leave me the fuck alone! I swear to God if you lay even a single finger on her, I'll end you myself. I don't care if your my dad anymore"
Dad?!
he hang up the phone and returned to sit where I was. I was contemplating whether to ask him or not. and I decided to give it a shot.
" who was that?" I asked keeping my voice low.
His jaw clenched " None of your business"
My heart shattered from that single sentence. and I realized I was pushing him too far when it was obviously he was in a bad mood!
"Great!" I answered trying to keep my voice steady, although I was bleeding inside.