CHAPTER 220: HE TASTED LIKE THE SEA [JUNE’S POV]

Okay...pause.

What does he even mean he won’t give up?

Like, give up on what? Life? Music? Me??

No, no, I’m overthinking. Probably about some deep Ren thing, like "not giving up on the stars" or whatever.

Still, I turned to him. "What do you mean by that?"

He looked at me, and I swear the whole air between us changed.

His eyes flickered down to my lips for a second, then he turned away, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Nothing. Don’t worry about it."

...Right. Totally normal.

Except my chest felt like someone just lit a match in it.

No. No, I was reading into it. Right?

God, why did my chest feel like it was burning?

"Ren," I started, but he cut in fast, awkwardly. "I should probably..."

The door opened behind us before he could finish.

Ian stood there, leaning against the frame, his eyes kept moving from Ren to me, then back again.

There was something sharp behind his calm expression.

"You two look cozy," he said.

It sounded like a joke, but didn’t feel like one.

Ren stepped back, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Just talking."

"Right," Ian said, still watching him.

Then after a pause, he looked at Ren. "Dominic’s asking for you."

Ren nodded. "Yeah. I’ll head in."

He looked at me again before leaving... a quick look, but it stayed.

Then he was gone.

And the second he disappeared, everything felt... different.

The calm I felt with Ren....the quiet, softness, turned into something entirely different with Ian. Something intense.

Ian stayed quiet for a moment, just watching the sky.

Then he said, "Come with me."

I blinked. "Where?"

He didn’t answer, just reached his hand out. "Trust me."

So I did.

Because, apparently, I’m a sucker for guys who sound like main characters when they talk.

His hand was warm, and steady.

We walked past the gate, down the path until the sand came into view.

And then I saw it.

The beach.

It was quiet.

Like, really quiet.

The kind that makes you whisper even though no one told you to.

The moonlight spilled across the water, all silvery and soft.

It looked fake, almost too pretty to be real.

I couldn’t help but smile.

Ian smiled, shoved his hands into his pockets as he looked out toward the water. "Beautiful, right?"

"Yeah," I said. "Like... painfully beautiful."

He chuckled softly. "That’s exactly how you l always look."

I turned to him, caught off guard. "Ugh, you’re so cheesy."

My stomach did this ridiculous flip.

The wind tugged at my hair, brushing it across my face, and before I could move it away, Ian reached out slowly, and tucked it behind my ear.

His fingers lingered there for a while..

I could smell his cologne, staring at his exposed chest.

My breath hitched.

And in that tiny space between us, everything felt like it could shift if one of us just moved an inch closer.

But he didn’t.

And neither did I.

He just smiled softly. "You know, Juney," he murmured, "sometimes I think the ocean’s jealous of you."

I blinked. "What? Why?"

He tilted his head. "Because it’ll never look this good under the moonlight."

I laughed nervously, rubbing my hands together because it was starting to get cold.

"You’re cold," he said, stepping a little closer.

"Why’d you take off the jacket I gave you?"

I shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant. "It didn’t really go with this outfit."

Ian tilted his head slightly, his eyes flickered down and then back up to my face. "You shouldn’t expose yourself like that," he said softly. "The ocean wind’s not exactly gentle at night."

I crossed my arms, trying to hide the goosebumps rising on my skin. "You sound like my dad."

He chuckled. "I don’t mind you calling me Daddy."

I rolled my eyes, and turned to him. "Omg Ian..."

I couldn’t look away from him. The light hit his jaw, his lashes, the curve of his lips. His shirt was half opened, exposing his sculpted body...and something in me just... gave in.

He must’ve noticed, because his smile faded a little. "Juney?"

My heart was racing so fast it almost hurt.

The world felt smaller for a second...just his breath, the waves, and me trying not to shake.

I reached up on my toes, curling my fingers around his collar and pulling him closer.

His eyes widened a little. "June, what are you d..."

And then I kissed him.

For a second, the whole world just stopped. The sound of the ocean, the wind, even the air between us felt still. Like it was holding its breath too.

And when I finally pulled back, my chest felt like it was on fire.

I didn’t know if I kissed him because I wanted to... or because I didn’t want to think about Ren.

"Okayyy... that was unexpected," Ian said, grinning like a total menace. "I liked it tho."

"Sorry," I mumbled, stepping back, still catching my breath. "I shouldn’t have. It just...came over me."

He tilted his head, that stupid cocky smile tugging at his lips. "I never said you couldn’t." His voice dropped low. "’Cause if you didn’t, I probably would’ve anyway."

I blinked. "You’re so..."

"Charming? Irresistible?"

"Full of yourself," I shot back, but my voice came out shakier than I wanted.

He leaned in slowly, but all I could do was stare.

His hands found my waist, lifting me up, as my legs curled around his waist.

The beach air was cool, but his body was fire.

Strong, steady, all muscle under my hands.

I could feel it....his strength, the way his arms held me like I weighed nothing. It was insane.

God, what are we doing?

He leaned in for another kiss.

The kind that steals every thought you’ve ever had. It felt like nothing else existed. The waves kept on crashing behind us and his breath against my mouth.

When we finally pulled away, he let out this nervous little laugh, running a hand through his hair. "That was...uh intense."

I nodded, trying to catch my breath. "We should, um...go inside. Before someone notices we’re missing."

"Yeah..." he said, still a little dazed. Then he smirked again, the tension flickered back in his eyes. "Continue in the room....I mean, go in, to the room."

"Sure," I mumbled, trying to sound chill.

He nodded toward the house. "Alright, move on. I’ll watch you from behind."

I gave him a look over my shoulder. "Don’t look at my ass."

He smirked instantly. "Too late."

"I’m serious," I said, trying not to smile.

"Me too," he said, flicking down for a second. "It’s kinda disrespectful not to look, honestly."

I turned back, pretending to roll my eyes even though my face was heating up.

I didn’t have to turn around. I could feel his gaze on me the whole way back, staring at it. And I hated how much I liked it.

"Still staring, aren’t you?" I called back without stopping.

"Can you blame me?" he said, grinning. "You walked into my life and now I can’t look anywhere else."

I bit my lip, smiling to myself.