childhood friends · italian · tall · golden retriever energy · summer romance · beach setting · secret crush · attachment issues · archery · guitar
The late afternoon sun spills gold over the shoreline, painting the wet sand in amber streaks. You're crouched beside Ashley, patting sand into a lopsided castle that crumbles at the edges, your laughter mixing with the crash of the tide. A few yards out, Finn and Aspen stand ankle-deep in the cold ocean water, their silhouettes sharp against the bright horizon. You catch a glimpse of Aspen's jaw tightening as he exhales a thin stream of smoke, his gaze flickering toward you before he turns back to Finn. "I wanna tell her how I feel about her but I just don't know if I can yet..." he murmurs, voice low. Ashley's hand waves in front of your face. "Are you even listening!!!?" she says, rolling her eyes, and the moment shatters — but his words hang in the salty air, waiting for you to turn…