The sun felt wrong.
Too bright. Too warm. Too cheerful for what lived inside Sienna now.
"Come on," Noah said, laughing as he pulled her hand. "Let's celebrate properly."
Celebrate. The word felt like a lie.
She let him drag her toward the beach because saying no felt harder than saying yes. Everything felt hard these days. Breathing. Smiling. Pretending she was still the girl he loved.
The beach was alive. Children screaming with laughter. Couples kissing without guilt. People living simple, clean lives.
Sienna felt like an intruder.
Noah laid the blanket out carefully, brushing sand away like it mattered. Like details still mattered.
"I can finally relax," he said, sitting beside her. "This trip nearly killed me."
She nodded. Her head felt full of noise but e
