Summer Nights (Book 1)

The Dinner Guest

Chapter 27

Back on the road, the camper rumbled along a coastal highway, the sound of waves crashing in the distance. Yeon Jun kept his hands on the steering wheel, stealing glances at Diana, who was looking out the window, her face illuminated by the sunlight streaming in. She looked peaceful, almost too peaceful, and he found himself wondering what was going on in that head of hers.

"Hey," he said, breaking the comfortable silence. "You wish you could stay in this moment forever?"

She turned to him, surprised by the question, but then her face softened. "Yeah. I do. It's like... nothing else matters."

He drove on, but her words lingered. She wished for forever, and even though he knew it was just a passing comment, something about it made his chest tighten. He knew it was reckless to want more, to even think about something beyond this trip, but he couldn't help himself. He glanced over at her again, the way she leaned back in her seat, relaxed and content. In his mind, he kept replaying that word—forever. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but he found himself silently praying for it.

As the sun dipped lower, casting an orange hue across the horizon, they pulled up to a campsite by the beach. The breeze carried the smell of salt and the distant sounds of waves crashing against the shore. It was perfect. Diana hopped out, her eyes bright with excitement as she spun around to take it all in.

The campsite was perfect. It had everything—golden sand, a shimmering coastline, and a sunset that seemed straight out of a cheesy postcard. Yeon Jun was pretty proud of his choice, ready to bask in the glow of Diana's inevitable praise. But just as he was savoring his small victory, the universe decided to ruin his day.

"Diana?"

Yeon Jun's head snapped in the direction of the voice, and there he was—a hulking mass of smiles and muscles striding toward them. Diana's face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning, and before he could process what was happening, she launched herself into the guy's arms. Great. Absolutely perfect. Who the hell was this guy?

He stood there, feeling like the only guy who didn't get invited to the party, while they spun around like they were auditioning for the happiest reunion ever on a hallmark Movie. Yeon Jun's fingers itched to ball into fists, but he settled for clenching his jaw and narrowing his eyes. If looks could kill, the newcomer would be vaporized by now.

When they finally stopped their little spin-fest, Diana turned to him, practically glowing. "Yeon Jun, this is Danny!"

Yeon Jun forced his face into something resembling a polite smile, which, if he was honest, felt more like baring his teeth. "Nice to meet you." He offered his hand, putting just enough pressure into the handshake to make a point.

Danny, apparently oblivious to his territorial display, shook his hand and grinned like a golden retriever. "Good to meet you, man. So, you're the guy."

Yeon Jun's eyebrow twitched. The guy? He wasn't sure what he hated more: the fact that Danny said it or the fact that he wasn't sure what it meant. "Uh, yeah. I'm... the guy."

Diana laughed, the sound light and carefree. "We've known each other for years. We work together. I can't believe we ran into each other out here!"

Danny gave another one of those infuriating smiles. "Yeah, fate, right?"

Yeon Jun's forced smile felt more like a grimace now. "Yeah. Fate." Fate's an idiot.