𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 | 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲

𝐓 𝐇 𝐈 𝐑 𝐓 𝐘 - 𝐅 𝐎 𝐔 𝐑

Camden

Sage had been so secretive about the date location that I spent most of the car ride pestering her about it. "Come on, Sage, just tell me where we're going." I whined, looking over at her, trying to catch any hint she might give away.

She only chuckled, her eyes on the road, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Patience, Cammy. You'll see soon enough."

I pouted, crossing my arms in defeat. Sage only laughed again, which somehow made her even more irresistible. I decided to stay quiet, though the anticipation was killing me.

Finally, Sage pulled her white Jeep to a stop, and when I looked out the window, I felt a huge smile spread across my face. She had taken me to the beach. And not just that—a cozy little picnic setup was waiting for us on the sand, complete with a checkered blanket, a wicker basket, and even a couple of cushions.

"A picnic date?" I said, looking over at Sage with a grin.

"Yep." she answered, grinning back. "My friend Willow helped me set everything up."

I laughed, shaking my head as I followed her out of the Jeep and down onto the beach. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore filled the air, and the sea breeze felt refreshing on my skin. "I have to admit, Sage, this is actually a really good date idea." I said, feeling genuinely touched by the effort she'd put into planning this.

She smiled, glancing over at me with a look that made my heart race. "The beach is my favorite place to be."

"Are you a surfer or something?" I asked, teasing her a little.

Sage gave me one of those smirks that told me she knew exactly what she was doing to me. "Actually, yes. And I'm pretty good at it too."

I raised an eyebrow, impressed. "I didn't see that coming. I'm more of a bike rider myself."

She laughed softly, and her eyes sparkled with the same warmth as the sunlight bouncing off the water. "I know." she said, smirking. "Caden mentioned it at lunch the other day."

I chuckled, nudging her playfully. "Yeah, I guess that's no secret." We reached the picnic setup, and I plopped down on one of the cushions, feeling relaxed in a way I hadn't felt in a long time. Sage settled beside me, her eyes glancing out at the waves before she turned her attention back to me.

"So, how long have you been playing hockey?" I asked, genuinely curious to learn more about her.

She leaned back a little, folding her hands behind her head with a satisfied smile. "Since I was a kid. It's kind of my life." she said, shrugging, as if it was just a casual thing.

"Same here with basketball." I replied, smiling a little. "My older brother is a basketball player in university, so I sort of followed in his footsteps. But I really do love it."

Sage turned to look at me, her smile softening as she said, "Well, I think you're really good at it."

I felt my cheeks heat up, and I quickly looked away, hoping she wouldn't notice the blush creeping up my face. "Thanks." I mumbled, feeling a little flustered by the sincerity in her voice.

She chuckled softly, and I felt her hand reach over to gently brush mine. "You're welcome, Camden" she whispered, her voice softer than I'd ever heard it.

I looked up at her, feeling that familiar rush of butterflies in my stomach. This whole day had been perfect so far, and I couldn't believe she'd put so much effort into making it special.

The laughter felt like it'd never stop. I could barely catch my breath, my sides aching as I looked at Sage, who now had a smear of chocolate across her cheek thanks to my very well-placed strawberry. Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she grinned back at me.

"Oh, you think you're funny, huh?" she teased, dipping her fingers into the melted chocolate. Before I even had a chance to react, she reached out and smeared it across my face, covering my cheek and the tip of my nose. I gasped, my jaw dropping in mock outrage.

"Sage!" I exclaimed, but she was already giggling at the sight of me, looking like some chocolate-covered clown. She was clearly delighted with her work, her laughter echoing across the beach as she held her stomach.

"Payback, Cammy." she said, giving me a smug little smirk.

I narrowed my eyes, a grin tugging at the corners of my mouth as I said, "Oh, it's on now."

Sage's eyes widened, and before I could make a move, she sprang up from the picnic blanket, darting away across the sand. I jumped to my feet, chasing after her as she squealed with laughter, dodging and weaving around like she thought she could actually outrun me.

"Come here, you little menace!" I called out, laughing as I closed the distance between us.

She glanced back, her face lit up with that playful, devilish smile, but she didn't stand a chance. I lunged, wrapping my arms around her waist from behind and lifting her off her feet. Sage squealed again, kicking her feet as she wiggled in my grasp, but I held on tight.

"Got you." I whispered in her ear, feeling her laughter vibrate through her as I carried her toward the edge of the water.

She twisted in my arms, looking down at the ocean with wide eyes. "Camden, you wouldn't dare!" she laughed, though her voice wobbled slightly, like she half-expected me to go through with it.

"Oh, I dare." I replied, grinning as I stepped into the shallow waves, the water lapping around my ankles.

Sage struggled, laughing so hard I thought she might lose her voice. "You're evil!" she gasped, her laughter contagious as it rang out over the water.

With a dramatic pause, I tilted her toward the ocean, pretending to get ready to throw her in, but somehow, don't ask me how, she managed to twist herself around in my arms until she was clinging to me, her arms wrapped around my neck, her face close to mine.

I blinked up at her, momentarily thrown off balance by how close she was, her face framed by wild curls and that mischievous glint still dancing in her eyes. "Hey, that's not fair." I murmured, pouting a little as she smirked down at me.

"It is what it is, Cammy" she replied with a shrug, her voice teasing as she held onto me. "You started it."

I chuckled, shaking my head in defeat as I gently set her down, both of us standing in the shallow waves now. The wind caught her hair, and she looked up at me with that radiant smile that seemed to make everything around us disappear. I wanted to say something, anything, but my brain was too busy processing how good it felt to just be here with her, laughing, forgetting everything else.

Sage stepped back, splashing a little water in my direction as she waded out of the waves, still grinning. "You're adorable when you pout, you know that?"

I rolled my eyes, splashing a bit of water back at her. "And you're trouble." I replied, trying to ignore the way my heart felt like it was doing somersaults in my chest.

"Maybe." she said, shrugging with a playful glint in her eye. "But you seem to like trouble."

Touché, Sage.

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~ R