Chapter 374: The Beach

Before any of the four could snap out of their trance, Emily timidly shuffled out from behind April, her face completely red. "I feel so shy..." she squeaked, trying to use April’s shoulder as a human shield.

"Emily," a gentle, warm voice called out.

Philippe, dressed in a green, palm pattern beach shirt, stepped forward with a soft, genuine smile blooming across his face. He looked at Emily with unreserved admiration, his eyes soft and entirely earnest. "You look wonderful. Truly. Please don’t hide."

Emily’s heart skipped a heavy, fluttering beat. A quiet gasp escaped her lips as her blush deepened, but the sheer sincerity in Philippe’s voice made her shoulders relax, a small, shy smile breaking across her face.

Naturally, the other men standing nearby were not about to be outdone by a soft-spoken chef.

Nat snapped back to reality first, taking a slow, deliberate step toward April, his raspy voice dropping into a low, possessive purr that vibrated straight through her chest. "Weird? Sweetheart, ’weird’ isn’t the word. You’re trying to give every man on this beach a heart attack."

"He speaks the truth for once, April," Xavier added smoothly, stepping up to her other side, his voice thick with a quiet, intoxicating warmth as he took her hand, brushing his lips against her knuckles. "You are utterly breathtaking."

Alexander crossed his arms, huffing out a breath as he tried to regain his composure, though his eyes never left hers. "Yeah... I mean, you look incredible! None of those bikini models come anywhere close to you!"

Oliver adjusted his glasses, his dark eyes lingering on her with steady, profound heat. "Physiologically speaking, your confidence and beauty are doing catastrophic things to my pulse rate, Miss April."

Even Samuel bowed his head slightly, a dark, intense glint in his eyes as he murmured, "Immaculate as always, Miss April."

April couldn’t help the bright, triumphant laugh that escaped her lips, the sudden wave of compliments completely washing away her brief shyness.

"Alright, alright, you’re making me blush. This is still a celebration. Let’s enjoy our first time at the beach." she laughed.

With the ice broken, the group moved down to the warm, white sand. For the next hour, the beach was filled with the vibrant, chaotic sound of their laughter.

Nat, Xavier, and Alexander gathered around a beachside grill, their muscular frames glowing under the setting sun as they bickered furiously over the barbecue marinade, while Oliver calmly offered chemical breakdowns of flavor pairing.

The golden rays of the setting sun painted the ocean in brilliant strokes of amber and violent crimson, stretching across the endless horizon as the tide lapped softly against the warm sand.

April sat with her knees pulled loosely toward her chest, the fine, white grains warm beneath her bare skin. Her brown hair fluttered in the gentle evening breeze.

A short distance away on the beach, the low, rumbling laughter of the men echoed over the sound of the waves. Nat, Xavier, and Alexander were still gathered around a beachside grill, their muscular frames and sun-kissed skin drawing appreciative glances from passersby as they argued furiously over the proper barbecue marinade.

Even Samuel stood nearby in a crisp, slightly relaxed shirt, keeping a vigilant eye while holding a tray of ice-cold drinks.

Beside April, Emily let out a soft, contented sigh, leaning her head gently against her sister’s shoulder. Their stunning figures were framed by the glowing dusk, but the atmosphere surrounding them was entirely serene.

"I still can’t believe we’re here," Emily whispered softly, her eyes fixed on the shimmering water. "After everything..."

She shifted slightly, turning her head to look directly at April. Her soft features softened further, filled with an overwhelming, vulnerable warmth. Emily reached out, gently pressing her hand over April’s.

"Sister... This is my best birthday."

"Because we got to spend it however you want?" April asked her but Emily shook her head.

"No, because you’re here with me." she corrected and April stared at her.

Right, a birthday spent with a loved one is ten times better than one spent alone no matter how fun it may appear.

"April, I love you," Emily suddenly said, her voice trembling slightly with raw emotion. "Not just because you saved me, or because you brought me out of that terrible place. I love you because you’re my sister. My actual family."

A sudden warmth bloomed in the center of April’s chest. It was entirely unlike the sharp, electrifying pulse she felt around Nat, Xavier, or Alexander—there was no lust, no breathless tension, no desire to be touched. This was pure warmth. A grounding, unconditional devotion that made her throat tighten with an unfamiliar emotion.

April turned, wrapping her arms tightly around Emily and pulling her into a protective embrace.

"I love you too, Emily," April murmured into her sister’s hair, her dark eyes shining with quiet sincerity. "I’m so happy I found you."

They held each other for a long moment before Emily pulled back, her cheeks flushing a faint, embarrassed pink. She cleared her throat, her eyes flicking shyly toward the boardwalk behind them, where Philippe, the young chef, was chatting with Xavier about the temperature of the hot dogs they planned to grill next.

That’s right. Why didn’t they just leave the grilliing to the chef to begin with? They just wanted to show off their manly sides behind the grill as well.

"Actually... I like Philippe," Emily confessed, her fingers twisting the hem of her sheer cover-up as she blushed deeply. "I like him a lot. He’s really nice."

Like him? You’re practically in love with him. April thought. It was clear to all of them.

April raised an eyebrow, but a fond, exasperated sigh escaped her lips. What am I going to do with this girl? Still, as long as Emily wasn’t asking to bring him into their fortress, April saw no reason to crush her little romance.

"Just be careful," April advised dryly, though her lips twitched upward. "You can spend the next four days freely with him, I won’t stop you. But you know what comes next after that, right?"

"I do!" Emily responded. "But since he’s going to be in Mr. Xavier’s safehouse, I don’t have to worry about never seeing him again," she blushed and then giggled, pushing herself up from the sand. "I’m going to get us some ice cream from the vendor near the boardwalk. Wait right here, okay?"

"Okay," April agreed, watching her sister jog lightly toward the paved path.