21. Kaia
Chapter Twenty-One
Kaia
The walk back from the beach feels lighter. Not because anything has been fixed. Not because everything suddenly makes sense. But because I said it out loud. And someone understood. That alone shifts something inside me.
I push open the back door, and the smell of breakfast hits me immediately. Adrian is standing at the stove, moving with the same controlled precision he brings to everything else. But this feels softer. He glances our way as we walk in.
"Good morning," I say as I step inside. My eyes move across the kitchen—sausage links, scrambled eggs, pancakes, fruit already cut and plated. How did he cook all this? We couldn’t have been watching the sunrise for more than twenty minutes.
It looks like one of those breakfast scenes from a movie where the perfect family makes a full spread, then the teen just grabs a Pop-Tart and heads to the bus.
Fortunately for Adrian, I'm no teen from a cheesy movie. "This smells amazing," I say.
Adrian smiles at me. "I'm glad. I didn't know what you liked, so I went with all the breakfast staples. You can't go wrong with pancakes."
I smile back. "No, you cannot."
Footsteps sound from down the hallway, and I turn to see who it is. Then I forget how to think when Lachlan walks in.
His hair is slightly messy, and his shirt is half-buttoned like he's just woken up and hasn't quite finished the process of becoming a fully functioning adult yet.
And gods, he looks good. Really good. My breath catches just slightly.
He looks at me and smiles—that smile should be illegal.
Something in my chest loosens at the sight of it..
I don't even realize I'm moving until I'm close enough to smell his aftershave.
Gravitating, like it's instinct, like it makes sense.
Lachlan's arm lifts slowly, not assuming or pulling me in, just offering a choice.
I appreciate that more than I can explain.
I let myself step into his space and lean in.
His arm wraps around me gently, steady and warm, and I breathe in his scent—driftwood and salt and something grounding that makes my shoulders drop without thinking. I exhale softly.
This right here feels safe.
"Good morning," he murmurs.
"Good morning," I reply quietly.
There's a pause, then his voice lowers. "Can I scent mark you?"
My breath catches, and I don't even hesitate when I nod.
Lachlan leans down and presses his cheek against my hair. The action is calm, careful, like he's still asking even as he does it. My eyes flutter shut for a second. It feels so right.
"Hey, Jonas," Adrian says, breaking the moment just enough. "Can you go get Finn?"
I pull back slightly, now well aware of the other two in the kitchen. Oops.
"I can go get him," I say.
Adrian glances at me. "He might still be asleep…Nah, he’s definitely still asleep. If he wasn't, he'd be down here causing pure chaos."
"I got this," I say quickly.
Adrian turns back to his eggs and adds, "He's in my room. Second door on the left."
I nod. "Okay."
The hallway upstairs is quiet and still.
I move slowly, my hand resting lightly on the door before I push it open carefully.
Finn is exactly where I expected him to be: curled into the mattress like a human burrito, wrapped in every blanket, barely visible except for a bit of hair and the faint rise and fall of his breathing.
I smile. Of course he's a blanket hog. I step closer. "Finn." I keep my voice soft. There's no response, so I lean closer. "Finn."
Finn’s deep breathing halts and then there’s a sudden, strong movement. I barely have time to react before he latches onto my waist and pulls me straight into bed with him. I let out a surprised laugh as I land against his blanket cocoon. His arms wrap around me immediately.
"Hi," he mumbles, still half-asleep.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," I giggle. Finn doesn't let go. He just settles back in, like this is exactly where I'm supposed to be. I don't pull away; I couldn’t even if I wanted to. Not when it feels this warm, this easy, this nice. We stay wrapped in each other’s arms for a minute. Maybe two.
Then I hear, "I knew we shouldn't have let you wake him up." I look up and see Lachlan standing in the doorway, his arms crossed loosely, watching us with quiet amusement.
Before I can feel bad or apologize, I just laugh. "It’s not my fault! He kidnapped me."
"Uh huh," Lachlan replies. "Sure."
Finn tightens his hold. "It’s true."
I smile, and Lachlan says, "Breakfast is ready. Finn, Adrian made a whole feast. Come on."
Finn releases me and scrambles out from beneath his mountain of blankets. "Well, you should have just said so!"
Breakfast was pure chaos, but chaos in the best way possible. We ate and talked and laughed. And for the first time, I didn't feel like someone sitting on the outside of something. I felt...included.
After breakfast, we all split to get ready for our beach day. I step back into my room and stop. There's a new, soft swimsuit laid out on the bed. I pick it up slowly, fingers brushing over the fabric. It’s exactly my size.
I pull on the bikini and tie it up, and sure enough, it fits perfectly. I pull the matching cover-up over myself before heading downstairs. Excitement bubbles in my chest as I skip down the stairs, and I don't even try to stop it.
Then I round the corner at the foot of the stairs too fast and run straight into a solid, warm chest. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" I say quickly. "I got a little too excited..."
Adrian steadies me easily, his hands light but firm. "No worries at all." My breath hitches. He looks different—more relaxed, softer. My fingers fumble slightly with the tie of my cover-up.
"Need help tying? I'm good at knots."
I look at him, trying not to smile or laugh. Heat spreads across his face. "I...I mean I was a Boy Scout...Oh my gosh."
I smile. "Yes, please help me."
He gently slides my hair in front of my left shoulder and moves behind me. His fingers work the strings behind my neck and softly graze my nape. "Too tight, too loose?"
"It's perfect. Thank you, Adrian."
"Of course." He winks at me, and the blush disappears from his face and moves to mine.
Jonas interrupts us, appearing behind me. "Wow, I heard someone got cuddles." Before I can react, he pulls me lightly into his side. "And just so you know, I can be a jealous Beta."
I laugh. "Well, you should have joined us, Mr. Jealous Beta."
He attempts a growl, but it's not intimidating at all, which makes me laugh harder.
We grab water bottles, a pitcher of strawberry lemonade Adrian made this morning—again, where does he find the time?—towels, sunscreen, and everything else we could possibly need for a successful beach day.
We head down to the beach. The sun is already higher now, and the sand is warm beneath my feet.
I set my towel down, barely having time to take it all in before Finn grabs my hand.
"Come on!" Then we're running toward the water, toward the ocean—toward something I've never experienced before.
My feet pound against the wet sand, each step bringing me closer to the unknown.
The waves hit my legs first. Cold and sharp, like a thousand tiny needles pricking my skin, and then…
perfect. The initial shock fades away and is replaced by something electric, something alive.
I laugh, the sound pulling straight out of me, unfiltered and wild.
I move deeper and let out another peal of laughter as the water wraps around me, climbing up my thighs, my waist, lifting me slightly with each surge.
The ocean holds me, suspends me, makes me weightless.
It's freeing. More freeing than I ever could have imagined.
I turn back and see Lachlan, Jonas, and Adrian all watching and smiling. And for the first time, I don't feel like I'm running anymore. I feel like I've finally arrived.