Page 18 of Second to None

I was—always. No point denying it. “I’m only human.”

He moved a little closer, his playfulness slipping away. The cliffs stood silent, the sky heavy with heat as everything else faded into white noise. His eyes held mine. “I’m not trying to prove anything. I just… I don’t want you to hate me anymore.”

Past and present, everything tangled in my mind. I shook my head in a useless attempt to clear it. “I never hated you.”

Something raw flickered across his face. “I’d deserve it.”

Treading water, enthralled by the reflections of light that glistened on his shoulders, I needed a moment to gather myself. “No, you wouldn’t. Like I said earlier—we were both young and overwhelmed.”

Funny how a week ago, or even yesterday, I might have lacked that clarity.

The moment splintered as Ellis’s voice carried across the water. “Is this a private therapy session, or can anyone join in?” A smirk softened his jab, but I jerked around all the same, the world thrown back into sharp relief. We were inpublic, people jumping into the water off a nearby boat, music drifting over from another.

“There’s a waitlist,” Cass called back. His gaze lingered for a beat longer, though, before one side of his mouth hitched up. There was no coyness to it, no bravado, fragile tension easing into something less weighty.

We paddled back towards the others. Jace’s laughter echoed off the rocks and Ellis was halfway through convincing Mason to try a daring and likely ill-fated dive when Cass nudged my shoulder with his, just once. Even though I didn’t quite dare look at him, the touch lingered like the aftertaste of something more sweet than bitter.

* * *

Emily’sfirst day of surfing had been, according to her,brilliant. Her board washuge, and she’d actually stood up forthree whole seconds, and this other kid madethe biggest splash ever, and she’d been hit in the face by a wave but that was fine because it had beenso much fun.

“Can I get a shark tooth necklace?” was how she concluded her high-speed monologue, damp blonde curls a mess that would take me precious time to untangle.

Uh-oh. Parenting moment, here we go.

I tugged off the baseball cap I’d donned as a flimsy disguise to pick her up. Once the pap pictures hit the internet, I might have to up my game. “That sounds very surfer chic,” I told her, twisting in the passenger seat to give her a proper look. ”But you know what’s even cooler than wearing a shark tooth?”

She furrowed her brow. “What?”

“Letting sharks keep their teeth.” I sent her a smile. “Did you know they lose their teeth naturally, kind of like we lose our baby teeth? So any tooth they lose on their own, that’s fair game. But some necklaces come from people who hunt sharks just for their teeth.”

Mason, driving, made a soft noise while Emily’s face fell. “Oh. That’s really not cool, is it?”

“It’s not,” I said. “Sharks are super important to the ocean, you know? They keep everything in balance, so when they’re hurt, it messes everything up. No healthy sharks, no healthy waves.”

Fine, that was a stretch. But it did the trick because she nodded, all grave and mature. ”Okay. I don’t want a shark tooth necklace anymore.”

“Tell you what, poppet,” Mason said. “How about we get you a sea glass pendant instead? You can pick the colour!”

She considered it with all the seriousness it deserved. “I want a pink one.”

“Your wish is my command,” Mason said, and she giggled, shark tooth necklace already forgotten as she and Mason launched into dinner plans. I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes for a moment, simply listening to them, wistful for something I couldn’t quite name.

During the adoption process, I’d gone through counselling and multiple interviews to assess my suitability and support network. My parents would be there for us, of course, but without a partner, I’d faced gently probing questions like‘Are you prepared to do this on your own?’Not a barrier so much as forcing me to think through the realities.

Once in a blue moon, I wondered if it would be easier with someone else, especially in those moments when I doubted my own judgement. Fly Business Class to protect our privacy or Economy to ensure she stayed grounded? How much freedom could I grant her while keeping her safe? Should I discourage her love of princesses since it played into gender stereotypes?

But I was fine.

Emily and I were fine.

* * *

Beverly Hills,Friday, August 15th

Mason’s “Huh” was my first clue that something was off.

His team had sent him a morning briefing on how the pictures had landed. Apparently, headlines ranged from‘Neon Circuit Recharged?’to‘Making Waves: Neon Circuit Members Rekindle on Luxury Yacht’to‘Neon Circuit Fans Go Wild Over Reunion Sighting!’All according to plan. But now, scrolling through his phone as he spooned cereal into his mouth, his attention flickered from the screen to me, and back down.

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