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━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ❝ I WOULD'VE GIVENYOU MY JACKET! ❞ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
THE BEACH WAS DIMLY lit by the bonfire, the flames crackling in the pit as sparks popped into the chilly night air. The salty breeze swept in from the ocean, carrying with it the sound of waves crashing against the shore. Jacob, Bella, and Talia arrived together, the sand crunching under their shoes as they spotted Embry and Quill already at the fire pit, waiting for them.
"Finally," Quill called out, standing up and brushing sand off his hands. His grin was wide and a little too eager when his eyes landed on Talia. "Thought you guys were gonna bail."
Talia smiled amused by the boy's enthusiasm. "I wouldn't miss it for the world," she said, her tone cool but friendly.
"Glad to hear it." Quill replied, his whole demeanor radiating excitement. He'd been the one to organize the bonfire, after all, and it was clear why—he'd wanted to see Talia again. His crush on her was impossible to miss.
Embry, on the other hand, was more subtle. He leaned back against a log, watching her from the corner of his eye, his expression calm but attentive. While Quill bounced on his heels, trying to think of something impressive to say, Embry's gaze lingered on the little details—how Talia's hair shifted in the breeze, or how she wrapped her arms around herself against the cold.
"Hey," Embry greeted, his voice low and easy as they joined him by the fire. His gaze met Talia's for a brief second—just long enough to send a quiet pulse of warmth through her before he looked away.
"Hi." Talia greeted giving him a small wave.
They all settled in around the fire, the flames flickering between them. Quill immediately launched into conversation doing his best to make Talia laugh even if it was with over dramatic storytelling. He was charming in a loud, eager way, it was cute. She humored him, chuckling at the right moments and letting him soak in the attention.
The night went on like that—Quill, all energy and excitement, trying to win her over with jokes and exaggerated stories, while Embry stayed close but reserved, tossing in occasional dry remarks that made Talia laugh under her breath. The two boys weren't exactly competing, but it was clear they were both vying for her attention in their own ways.
As the night wore on, Bella and Jacob stood up, announcing they were going to take a walk down the beach. They left with a few knowing looks, exchanging glances as if to say "good luck" to the remaining girl.
The quiet between the three of them felt both comfortable and charged with energy. Quill, though determined, seemed to realize the shift. He nudged Talia and whispered, "Don't worry—I'll save you from Embry's brooding silence if it gets too intense."
