Maelis POV
“Do we really need all these things?” I asked, eyeing Melanie as she stuffed yet another item into the poor shoulder tote bag she was dragging to the lake.
“Of course we do. I wouldn’t pack them if we didn’t,” she groaned, pulling out a third pink swimming trunk, holding it against her body, and nodding to herself. “Perfect.”
Then she grabbed a sunhat and shoved it at me. “Here, help me with this. It can’t fit.”
I took it with an eye roll. “Maybe because you already have three swimming trunks in there? It’s not like you’re wearing all three at once.”
“Don’t be such a—” she stopped herself, then lifted her chin proudly. “To set the record straight, I have four here. Four. That gives us plenty of options to choose from.”
“Us?” My brow shot up. “I’m not getting my feet wet, m
