HEAT ADVISORY

I stare at my reflection, barely recognizing the girl looking back at me. Tired, light brown eyes. Concealer cracking under the weight of another sleepless night. Jake didn’t just break my heart, he wrecked me..

But this summer is my reset. My escape.

Just me and Gabby at her beach house. No distractions. No falling for the wrong guy. No falling, period. I’m almost twenty-four years old and I’ve had enough heartbreak to last a lifetime. I swipe on my red lip oil to finish my makeup. Not for anyone else, but to remind myself that I’m still worth showing up for.

“Come on, Aria, we don’t have all day,” Gabby calls out, tugging a brush through her long sandy blonde hair with the kind of effortless energy I can’t seem to fake this morning.

“Don’t worry, we will get to the beach soon. Your beach boy can wait,” I joke, grabbing my red silk two-piece bathing suit to match my red glossed lips.

"Maybe that hot lifeguard will be on duty today, He’s our age and I heard he’s single, might even help take your mind off Jake," Gabby teases, grabbing her car keys with a sly grin.

My face twisted before I could stop it.

“You know I’m swearing off guys this summer, especially after Jake,” I mutter, sliding into the passenger seat of her black Mini Cooper convertible, still stung by the memory.

“Maybe the lifeguard can bring you back to life,” Gabby jokes, laughing as she starts the engine trying to cheer me up.

I sigh and roll my eyes at her lame joke, cranking up the radio instead. She always thinks bad humor will magically cheer me up so she never stops trying.

“Thanks for letting me stay with you for the summer. I needed a nice getaway,” I said rolling down the window to breathe in the fresh summer breeze. My long, dark brown hair whips around in the wind as the salty air brushes against my skin.

I start to zone out, caught in a swirl of unwanted flashbacks. Jake. My ex.

I just want to forget him. Forget the past like it never happened.

How could he hurt me this badly? I think to myself, stomach twisting.

Suddenly, I feel the car begin to slow down. It only took a couple of minutes to get to the beach from her beach house. “WERE HERE” Gabby screams excitedly.

I blink back to the present and glance up, spotting a huge wooden sign that reads: CRIMSON COVE — the letters painted in bold, ocean-blue strokes.

“Crimson Cove? Really?” I said out loud, making fun of the beach name.

“Hey this is the best beach in town!” Gabby replies, squinting as she tries to find a parking spot.

“Yeah—because it’s the only beach in town,” I chuckle, reaching into the back seat for my red and white floral beach bag.

“Couldn’t we have walked?” I ask once we’ve parked. Gabby shrugs, already unloading her oversized tote bag. “Yeah, but driving’s easier when you’ve got snacks, speakers, and sunscreen in every pocket.”

Just then, I spot Gabby’s boyfriend, Liam, running towards us. His long, dirty blonde hair flying straight up in the ocean breeze. He’s wearing soaked navy-blue swim trunks and a wide grin.

“Hey guys!” he says, pulling Gabby into a huge hug.

“Hey, my sexy beach boy!” Gabby teases, laughing at the joke I made earlier.

“Hey, Liam,” I say with a polite smile, slipping past them and heading toward the sand. The cry of seagulls echoes overhead as the salty breeze skims over my warm skin.

I inhale deeply, but then wince as the hot sand scorches the bottoms of my feet. I knew I should’ve worn my flip flops.

I rush to find a spot far from the lifeguard, fighting off any temptation my heart isn’t strong enough to handle.