Page 33 of Oliver

Before the cage. Before the blindfold. Before the part of me that always felt strongest—my body in motion, slicing through water—got buried under fear.

But here I was now, walking barefoot across warm sand, the ocean stretching out in front of me like a challenge I was finally ready to face.

Oliver and Olly were ahead of me. Olly had ditched his shoes three feet from the truck and was already halfway to the water, shouting about sea monsters and buried treasure.

Oliver looked back at me, sunglasses low on his nose, and grinned like he’d just won something. Maybe he had.

“Sun’s out, Blake. You sure you’re ready for this?”

I smirked. “I was born ready.”

“Good. Because Olly says you’re onTeam Doom Turtle.”

I blinked. “That’s… not intimidating.”

“He’s six. It was either that or Team Slippery Sandwich.”

“Fair enough.”

I dropped the beach bag, peeled off my shorts and hoodie, and let the sun hit my skin. Oliver’s eyes flicked over me and froze.

“Problem, soldier?”

He cleared his throat. “Just trying to remember how to breathe.”

I laughed, heart full, chest light. The water was cold when it hit my ankles, but I didn’t care. Olly shouted for me to come help him build a sand barricade “to keep the jellyfish zombies out,” and I ran toward him like I’d never been afraid of anything.

We spentthe morning under the sun. Digging, splashing, racing.

Oliver chased Olly through the waves while I sat on a towel, watching them—this wild, beautiful chaos that felt more likehomethan anywhere I’d been since I was ten years old.

At one point, Oliver dropped beside me, dripping wet and grinning. “So… jellyfish zombies neutralized?” I asked.

“Barely. He says the starfish are plotting next.”

He reached for my hand. “Thank you. You’re good with him.”

“He makes it easy. He’s such a good boy.”

He studied me. “You okay being out like this? With people around?”

I glanced down the beach. Families. Tourists. Locals. A surfer wiping out dramatically.

It should’ve made me nervous.

But instead…

“Yeah,” I said. “For the first time in a long time… I feel like myself.”

He kissed my temple. “Then we’ll stay until the sun goes down.”

But someone was watching.

Further down the beach, a man with a drone case and mirrored sunglasses snapped another photo.

He spoke quietly into his communication system.

“She’s relaxed. Vulnerable. They all are.”

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