Brent’s POV
I hadn’t expected to end up with Staceytoday, but here we were, speeding down roads that led us further from the chaos.
I parked the bike at the beach, and Stacey hopped off, her eyes wide as she took in the view. She looked almost enchanted, as though the beach held some kind of magic she hadn’t anticipated.
“Are you really a suburb guy?” she asked, giving me a curious look. “You look like you know this place better than I do.”
I shrugged, smiling as I took off my helmet. “Well, for one, I live nearby. And second, I’m… trying to shift my mindset. You know, the ‘explore everything’ kind of thing.It’s not as glamorous as it sounds.”
She laughed, rolling her eyes. “Still, it looks like you know all the right spots.”
We made our way down to the shore, and as we reached the water, Stacey kicked off her shoes, letting her toes sink into the sand. Her face lit up, and for the first time, she looked… carefree. The hard, biting edge I was so used to seeing in her had softened.
“Bet I can skip a rock further than you.”
I chuckled, picking up a smooth stone and tossing it a couple of times. “I’ll take that bet. But fair warning—I’ve had a lot of practice.”
She scoffed, grabbing her own stone and giving it an exaggerated wind-up. “We’ll see about that.” With a flick of her wrist, her stone skipped once… then sank. She let out a dramatic groan. “Okay, maybe I need a little more practice.”
We spent the next few minutes tossing rocks and laughing, a friendly competition developing between us. I couldn’t help but watch her. I was surprised by how different she seemed here — free from the usual sharpness and posturing. This side of her was vibrant, full of life, almost magnetic.
“Alright, I give up. You win, Mr. Adventurer. But now I’m starving.”
“Well, lucky for you, I know a place.”