Page 17 of One Last Memory

Elissa smirked, leaning back in her chair. “She found her island boy to have a little fun with. Back off and find your own.”

Laughter rippled through the room, and I glanced up to see Zak had finally appeared, his fiancé wrapped around his arm, both of them grinning. I smiled, feeling the warmth of their teasing. “Yeah,” I said. “I think I have a date.”

Under my breath, so quiet no one could hear, I added, “Or three.”

BAILEE

I’dspentthelastseveral hours dodging Malia. My sister had a knack for sniffing out drama, and I wasn’t about to let her catch wind of my plans to meet Mason, Angelo, and Benji. I’d bounced between my bedroom and the beach in front of the villa, keeping my head down and my journal close. The sand was warm beneath my feet, the waves a steady rhythm that should’ve calmed me, but my nerves were on edge, sparking with every thought of the tiki bar and what I was walking into.

At one point, I’d caught Zak’s fiancé staring at our dad while he fixed the grill, his eyes lingering in a way that made my stomach churn.Gross. I’d dismissed it, too wrapped up in my own head to warn my brother but one look at him glaring at the fiancé and I knew it was only a matter of time before that relationship fell apart.

Back in my room, I’d curled up in the hammock, my journal open to the last page of my book. One page left, and I was stalling. There were moments I didn’t want to write away, like Mason’s kiss at the front door. I flipped back to the entry from last night, my pen hovering over the words about Angelo, how he’d called me Bella and made the club’s chaos feel smaller, safer. I scratched it out, not because I wanted to forget, but because I wanted to keep it locked in my memory, untouched by ink.

The sun dipped low, painting the sky in streaks of orange and pink.Time to go.I closed my journal, tucked it under my pillow, and threw up a small prayer to whoever was listening.Please don’t let me fuck this up. I slipped on my sandals, grabbed my bag, and headed out, my heart pounding as I made my way to the tiki bar.

The place was alive with chatter and the clink of glasses, fairy lights strung above casting a warm glow. It was an entirely different vibe this late and I loved it. I spotted Angelo at the entrance, his boyish charm dialed up to eleven, a grin spreading across his face when he saw me.

My nerves twisted tighter, but I managed a smile as he waved me over, leading me to a small table tucked away from the bar’s main crowd. Mason was already there, his eyes softening as I slid into the seat next to him. Benji sat across from us, leaning back with that easy smirk I remembered from the beach.

Angelo pushed a glass of whiskey toward me, the amber liquid catching the light. “Thought you might need this.”

“Thanks,” I said, taking a sip. The burn grounded me and I set the glass down, my fingers tapping the table. “So, do we just… talk about it?”

Benji chuckled, the sound low and rough. “Lee, I definitely thought last night would be the last time you saw me.”

I let out a shaky laugh, my shoulders loosening a fraction. “It almost was. But Mason came to the door, and Malia was all over him in an instant.”

Benji’s brows shot up, his grin widening. “Wait, was that the sister who was basically not wearing anything?”

“Yeah, that was her,” I managed a shrug and took another sip of my whiskey. “She calls dibs on everyone she sees.”

Angelo snorted, leaning forward. “And somehow you snagged them all.”

I blushed, my fingers tightening around my glass. “So, I guess we just… have fun for the next three days?”

Mason’s gaze flicked to me, steady and intense. “That’s all we want. A little fun, show you the island. Maybe convince you to stay.”

I froze, my heart stuttering. “Wait, you want me to stay with you?”

They all exchanged a look, a flash of guilt crossing their faces. Mason growled low in his throat, shooting a glare at the other two before turning back to me. “Sweetheart, no. Convince you to live a little. Not with us—although that’d be nice,” he added with a small, teasing smile. “But no, foryou. We want you to live a little for yourself. For right now? I’d be more than happy to claim the rest of your vacation. For your information, we’re pretty good tour guides.”

I stared at him, then at Benji and Angelo, their expressions earnest. No games, no jokes. Just them, offering me something I hadn’t let myself want in a long time. I took another sip of whiskey, the warmth spreading through me, and nodded. “Okay,” I agreed. “Let’s do it.”

Benji grinned, raising his glass. “To three days of trouble.”

Angelo laughed, clinking his glass against Benji’s. “To Bella.”

Mason’s hand brushed mine under the table, a quiet promise. I smiled, my nerves still there but quieter now, drowned out by the possibility of what those three days could hold.

The evening had been a whirlwind, a blur of salt air and laughter that left my head spinning in the best way. I’d spent hours with Mason, Angelo, and Benji, the three of them pulling me into their world like I belonged there.

Benji had taken us out on a speedboat, pointing out glow-in-the-dark fish darting beneath the waves, their bioluminescent trails like tiny comets in the dark water. I’d leaned over the edge, mesmerized, my fingers gripping the rail as the boat rocked. Mason had steered us along the shoreline next, showing off villas that dwarfed ours, obnoxiously massive, with gold trim gleaming against pristine white walls, the kind of wealth that made my parents’ laughable. I’d laughed, half in awe, half in disbelief, as Benji made jokes about sneaking in for a pool party.

Now, we were back in the club’s back lounge, the same quiet haven Angelo had brought me to that first night. The space felt different tonight, the dim lights casting soft shadows across the plush couches, just the four of us as the floor below us raged with musical chaos. Angelo was at his laptop, fiddling with a new music set, nothing like the high-energy beats from last night or the one playing just outside the lounge. This was slower, sensual, a deep bassline that curled around me like a lover’s touch. He hit play, and the sound filled the room, pulling me to my feet before I could think twice.

Angelo grinned, that boyish charm lighting up his face as he held out a hand. “Come on, Bella.” I took it, letting him draw me close, our bodies swaying to the rhythm. His hands settled on my hips, guiding me in a slow, sensual dance that made my pulse race. I pressed closer, my chest brushing his, and murmured, “I really like this.”

His grin widened, eyes glinting with mischief. “Good.”

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