Chapter 2: Fun in the Sun, Secrets in the Shadows

The beach house was alive with energy. The group was playing volleyball, laughter echoing in the air as the sound of crashing waves filled the background. Everyone was in high spirits—well, almost everyone.

Sana was her usual composed self, leading the game with precision and making sure no one got hurt. But every time Soel made eye contact with her, she couldn’t help but feel her heart skip a beat. The subtle glances, the way he smiled when their eyes met—it wasn’t obvious, but she could feel it. Sana was good at hiding her emotions, but the tension was starting to simmer just beneath the surface.

Ishi, who was also on the sidelines watching the game, noticed the subtle moments between Soel and Sana. Her jealousy bubbled up, an emotion she had tried to suppress for a long time. She couldn’t help but feel a tight knot in her stomach as she saw Soel look at Sana the way he used to look at her. They were supposed to be together—secretly, of course—but seeing him distracted by someone else felt like a dagger to her heart.

“Focus, Ishi,” Ruby teased, noticing her distracted friend.

Ishi quickly forced a smile, trying to act like everything was fine. But deep down, the feeling of possessiveness over Soel was growing stronger. She wished she could claim him openly, but that was a conversation for another time.

The group continued their light-hearted fun, but the sudden sound of a car pulling up on the gravel driveway caught everyone’s attention.Jack had arrived.

Ruby froze, her body stiffening as soon as she saw him step out of the car. The others were oblivious to the history between the two, but Ruby couldn’t hide the surge of emotions that washed over her. Her ex, the one person she had spent years trying to forget, was standing on the doorstep, looking as calm and collected as ever.

“Ruby?” Ishi asked, noticing her friend's sudden change in posture.

Ruby’s voice was tight when she spoke. “Jack... He's here.”

“Jack? Your ex?” Ishi’s eyes widened in realization. “Oh, this should be interesting.”

Ruby quickly turned away, not wanting to draw attention to her discomfort. It wasn’t just that Jack had arrived—it was that Mia had invited him. Ruby had told her a thousand times that she didn’t want to see him again, but Mia never listened.

“I didn’t even know he was invited,” Ruby muttered bitterly.

Mia, overhearing her, shrugged nonchalantly. “What’s the big deal? He’s here. Let’s have fun.”

Ruby clenched her fists, but before she could respond, she heard Jack calling her name.

“Ruby, I didn’t expect to see you here,” Jack said, his voice shaky as he approached her.

The tension was palpable. Ruby didn’t want to acknowledge him, but there was something about the way he stood there—like he was walking on eggshells around her—that made it harder to ignore.

“Mia invited me,” Jack continued, his eyes searching hers, as if looking for some sign of forgiveness. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”

“Of course, she invited you,” Ruby replied, her voice colder than she intended. “She always does whatever she wants.”

Inside the house, things were no less complicated. Mia and Moon were in the room changing clothes, and Mia casually threw out a comment that took Moon completely by surprise.

“So, Jack’s here,” Mia said, her voice light and teasing as she glanced over at Moon. “Will that make you happy?”

Moon froze, her heart racing. She hadn’t told anyone about her feelings for Jack, not a single soul. How could Mia know? Was she teasing her? It was a question she couldn’t answer.

"What?” Moon asked, her voice unsure. “Why would you say that?”

Mia chuckled lightly, as though it was no big deal. “I don’t know. I just thought maybe you’d be excited to see him. You always seem to have a thing for him.”

Moon swallowed hard. She had never once confided in Mia about Jack. Mia couldn’t possibly know. Could she?

She tried to brush it off, her mind racing. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Mia, however, seemed unfazed. “Of course. I guess I’m just imagining things.”

But Moon couldn’t shake the feeling that Mia knew more than she was letting on. Was she trying to play games with her, or was there something else at play?

As the conversation ended, Moon felt a knot of unease settle in her stomach. She had to be careful around Mia now. Something was off, and she couldn’t figure out why Mia seemed so nonchalant about Jack.

Meanwhile, Jack tried to engage with Ruby, but every attempt fell flat. He was nervous around her, a side of him that nobody had seen before. He had been the one to break up with her all those months ago but seeing her again stirred feelings he wasn’t prepared for.

“I’m not here to cause any trouble,” Jack said, his voice uncertain as he approached her. “I just... I didn’t want to leave things like we did.”

Ruby’s expression hardened. “You didn’t want to leave things, but you did. That’s all I need to know.”

The awkward silence between them was thick, and Ishi—who had been watching from a distance—noticed the way Ruby reacted to Jack. Her earlier jealousy had melted away into something else: confusion and uncertainty. She hadn’t expected to see this side of Ruby. There was something unresolved between her and Jack, and it made Ishi’s own worries about Soel feel insignificant for the moment.

Richard and Megara, who were getting ready for the next round of games, glanced over at the tense interactions between Ruby and Jack.

“Do you think they’re okay?” Megara whispered to Richard, a flicker of concern in her eyes.

Richard shrugged, his gaze flicking between the two. “It doesn’t seem like it. I’m not sure what happened, but there’s definitely something between them.”

Soel, too, was aware of the tension. His eyes lingered on Sana, but his thoughts were occupied by Ruby and Jack. Something was off, and he couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy, not knowing what would happen next.

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