Chapter 108

Still a little damp, still laughing, still bumping into each other as they moved around the room grabbing whatever they needed, the energy stayed light and easy.

Rowan was the first one halfway dressed, already talking.

“I feel like we should bring snacks on the boat.”

Naomi glanced at her while buttoning her shirt.

“There are snacks on the boat.”

Rowan paused.

“…like good snacks or rich people snacks?”

Naomi raised an eyebrow.

“What does that even mean?”

Celeste laughed, pulling on her shirt, then stepping over toward Rowan and nudging her shoulder.

“She means actual food. Not just vibes.”

Rowan pointed at her immediately.

“Exactly. Thank you. Finally, someone understands me.”

Naomi smirked.

“It’s both.”

Rowan nodded approvingly.

“Okay, I can work with that.”

Naomi shook her head.

“I built the system.”

Celeste laughed under her breath.

“That sounds like something you would say.”

Naomi glanced at her.

“It’s something I did.”

Rowan clutched her chest lightly, smiling.

“She’s confident again.”

Celeste stepped closer—but this time not just to Naomi. She reached up and fixed Naomi’s collar quickly, then turned and tugged lightly at Rowan’s shirt too, straightening it.

“Both of you,” she said casually. “Stay presentable.”

Rowan blinked, then smiled.

“Oh, she’s taking care of us now.”

Naomi watched her closely.

“You copying me now?”

Celeste shrugged casually.

“Learning from the best.”

Rowan leaned in, bumping her shoulder.

“Which one?”

Celeste smirked.

“…both.”

That landed.

Naomi smiled.

“Careful.”

Rowan grinned.

“Too late.”

Celeste held both their gazes for a second longer this time before stepping back like nothing happened.

A few minutes later, they stepped out of the villa together again.

The sunlight was brighter now, higher in the sky, reflecting off the water so strongly it almost shimmered in their eyes.

The boat was already waiting, rocking gently against the dock.

Rowan walked ahead first this time.

“I’m boarding like I own this.”

Naomi called after her.

“You don’t.”

“Spiritually, I do.”

Celeste laughed and followed, but this time she reached forward and grabbed Rowan’s hand first, tugging her back slightly.

“Wait for us, owner.”

Rowan laughed and squeezed her hand.

“See? Loyalty.”

Naomi stepped up beside them, and without thinking, Celeste shifted so she was between both of them, her hand brushing Naomi’s briefly before they all stepped onto the boat together.

Natural.

Balanced.

Together.

Once they were out on the water again, the breeze picked up just enough to make everything feel lighter.

Rowan stretched out across the seating, already relaxed, then reached out and grabbed Celeste’s wrist, pulling her down beside her.

“I could get used to this life.”

Celeste let herself fall into the seat next to her, shoulder bumping hers.

“You already have.”

Naomi leaned against the railing, looking out over the ocean.

“You say that every hour.”

Rowan smiled.

“Because every hour I mean it more.”

Celeste shifted, stretching her legs out and letting them rest lightly across Rowan’s lap.

“You’re dramatic.”

“And you love it.”

Naomi glanced back at them, watching the way Celeste leaned into Rowan just as easily.

Then Celeste sat up again and moved over to the railing—but this time she didn’t just stand next to Naomi. She reached back and grabbed Rowan’s hand too, pulling her up with her.

“Come here.”

Rowan stood, sliding in on Naomi’s other side.

Now all three of them were at the rail.

Looking out.

Shoulders brushing.

No one left out.

The quiet settled again—but this time it held all of them.

Naomi glanced between them.

“You’re quiet again.”

Celeste smirked slightly.

“I’m taking it in.”

Rowan leaned lightly against her.

“Same.”

Naomi nodded once.

“Or you’re both thinking.”

Celeste looked at her.

“…maybe.”

Rowan bumped Naomi’s shoulder gently.

“Or we’re just enjoying your expensive planning.”

Naomi huffed a small laugh.

“That too.”

After a while, the captain slowed the boat near a stretch of open water where the ocean looked impossibly clear.

“We can stop here for a swim if you’d like,” he said.

Rowan sat up immediately.

“Yes.”

Celeste grinned.

“I second that.”

Naomi looked at both of them, then nodded.

“Go.”

That was all they needed.

Rowan grabbed Celeste’s hand.

“Race you.”

“You’re going to cheat,” Celeste said.

“Obviously.”

They both kicked off their shoes, laughing as they moved.

“Last one in is boring!”

“You made that up!”

“Prove me wrong!”

Rowan jumped first.

Celeste followed right after her, barely a second behind.

They surfaced near each other, laughing, water catching the sunlight around them.

Rowan splashed lightly at Celeste.

“That was close.”

“I still beat you.”

“You did not.”

Naomi stood at the edge of the boat for a moment, watching them—

the way they moved together, laughed together, reached for each other just as easily.

Then she pulled her shirt off, set it aside neatly—

and dove in after them.

Naomi disappeared beneath the surface for a second before emerging a few feet away from them, pushing her hair back as water rolled down her shoulders.

Rowan grinned immediately.

“There she is.”

Celeste floated nearby, sunlight catching against the water around her as she looked over at Naomi.

“You took forever.”

Naomi raised an eyebrow.

“I entered gracefully.”

“You entered dramatically,” Rowan corrected.

Naomi smirked.

“Same thing.”

The water around them was impossibly clear, gentle waves moving against their skin while the boat drifted nearby.

For a little while, they just floated.

Talking nonsense.

Swimming in lazy circles around each other.

Rowan kept trying to dunk Celeste underwater.

Celeste retaliated every single time.

Naomi stayed just close enough to both of them that whenever one drifted away, she’d pull them right back in with a hand around the waist or fingers brushing an arm.

At one point Rowan floated onto her back dramatically.

“If I accidentally stay here forever,” she announced, “tell people I died beautiful.”

Celeste laughed.

“I’m not telling people that.”

Naomi swam over and lightly pushed water toward Rowan’s face.

“You’re not dying in my ocean.”

Rowan sat up immediately.

“Your ocean?”

Naomi shrugged.

“I’m emotionally attached to it now.”

Celeste laughed under her breath.

“That’s actually believable.”

Rowan swam over and wrapped an arm around Naomi’s shoulders from the side.

“You know what else you’re attached to?”

Naomi looked at her.

“What?”

“Us.”

Naomi didn’t even hesitate.

“Yes.”

The answer was immediate.

Certain.

Celeste felt that one.

Naomi reached for her hand underwater a second later like she already knew.

Their fingers linked beneath the surface.

Warm despite the water.

Rowan noticed but instead of teasing, she smiled softly and moved closer too, resting against both of them.

Now all three floated together again.

Ocean stretching endlessly around them.

Boat rocking nearby.

Sun warming their faces.

“This feels fake,” Celeste admitted quietly.

Naomi looked at her.

“Why?”

Celeste shook her head slightly.

“I don’t know. It’s just…”

She looked between both of them.

“…too good.”

Rowan’s expression softened immediately.

“Hey.”

Celeste looked at her.

“You deserve good things too, you know.”

That hit harder than Rowan probably realized.

Naomi’s thumb brushed slowly against Celeste’s hand underwater.

“She’s right.”

Celeste looked down for a second, trying to hide how much those words affected her.

Rowan splashed lightly at her shoulder.

“No emotional processing in the ocean. Against the rules.”

Celeste laughed softly.

“You just made that up.”

“Correct.”

Naomi smiled and moved closer until their shoulders touched again.

“Come here.”

Celeste let herself lean in without hesitation this time.

Rowan wrapped herself around both of them dramatically.

“Perfect. Group hug in expensive water.”

Naomi laughed quietly.

“You really love saying that.”

“Because it’s true.”

They stayed tangled together for another few minutes before the captain called out from the boat.

“There’s a sandbar nearby if you’d like me to take you over.”

Rowan immediately looked excited.

“A what?”

Naomi glanced toward the distance where a strip of white sand barely broke across the bright blue water.

Then she looked back at them.

“Want to go?”

Celeste smiled.

“Yes.”

Rowan lifted both hands instantly.

“Adventure!”

Naomi shook her head, laughing under her breath.

“Alright then.”

Getting back onto the boat turned into its own event.

Rowan tried climbing up first and nearly slipped immediately.

“Whoa—okay.”

Celeste burst out laughing behind her.

“That confidence disappeared fast.”

“I’m athletic emotionally,” Rowan argued.

Naomi climbed up effortlessly beside them and held a hand down toward both of them.

“Come on.”

Celeste took it first this time, Naomi steadying her easily as she stepped back onto the deck. Rowan came right after, dramatically collapsing onto the warm seating area.

“I survived.”

“You climbed three steps,” Celeste said.

“And it was brave.”

Naomi handed them both towels from the bench storage before grabbing one for herself.

The captain restarted the boat, turning them toward the sandbar in the distance.

As they moved across the water again, the breeze picked up stronger this time, cooling their skin.

Rowan sat wrapped in her towel with sunglasses on now, looking entirely too pleased with herself.

“I look rich.”

Naomi glanced over.

“You’ve said that fifteen times.”

“Because I’m growing into it.”

Celeste laughed and sat beside Rowan, stealing half the towel and wrapping herself into it too.

Rowan looked down.

“Oh. Sharing.”

“You’re hogging it.”

Naomi watched them from across the seating area for a second before moving closer and sitting beside them both.

Now the towel covered all three of their legs awkwardly.

Rowan looked down at the situation.

“Well this is intimate.”

Naomi smirked.

“You started it.”

Celeste leaned back against the cushions, shoulder pressed against Rowan’s while Naomi’s leg rested against hers on the other side.

Warm.

Easy.

Balanced.

The sandbar grew clearer the closer they got.

A stretch of bright white sand surrounded by endless shallow blue water, almost glowing under the sun.

“No way,” Rowan whispered.

Even Naomi looked quietly impressed again.

The captain slowed the boat carefully.

“We’ll anchor here.”

The water around them was crystal clear, shallow enough that they could see ripples moving across the sand beneath the surface.

Celeste stood slowly, staring out.

“It looks fake.”

Rowan stood beside her.

“Everything here looks fake.”

Naomi stepped up behind them both.

“That’s kind of the point.”

They climbed down carefully this time, stepping into warm knee-deep water before walking the rest of the way onto the sandbar.

The second Rowan realized they were basically standing in the middle of the ocean, she lost her mind a little.

“Oh my God.”

She spun slowly in a circle.

“There is literally nothing around us.”

Celeste laughed, looking around too.

The water stretched forever in every direction.

No crowds.

No buildings.

Just sun, ocean, and the three of them.

Naomi pulled her sunglasses down slightly, scanning the horizon.

“This is why I picked this area.”

Rowan turned dramatically.

“You picked the ocean too?”

Naomi shrugged.

“I have connections.”

Celeste snorted laughing.

“You’re impossible.”

Naomi looked at her calmly.

“And yet.”

Celeste shook her head, smiling.

“And yet.”

The water lapped gently around their ankles as they wandered farther across the sandbar together.

At one point Rowan reached down and grabbed both of their hands at once.

“There,” she announced proudly. “Now nobody escapes.”

Naomi looked at their linked hands.

“Was that a concern?”

“Yes.”

Celeste laughed softly and squeezed Rowan’s hand once.

“You’re clingy.”

“And loved,” Rowan corrected immediately.

Naomi glanced at her.

“That too.”

For a second, Rowan looked genuinely soft at that.

Then she ruined it herself.

“Okay now somebody kiss me before I become emotional.”

Celeste laughed first this time and leaned over, pressing a quick kiss to Rowan’s cheek.

“There.”

Rowan gasped dramatically.

“She chose me first.”

Naomi rolled her eyes affectionately, then reached over and kissed Rowan’s other cheek.

“Balanced.”

Rowan held a hand over her heart.

“I’m thriving.”

Celeste looked out across the water again, sunlight reflecting in her eyes.

The breeze moved around them softly.

Naomi stepped beside her.

Quietly.

Close.

Then Rowan moved into Celeste’s other side just as naturally.

They stayed on the sandbar longer than any of them planned.

Mostly because none of them wanted to leave.

The water stayed warm around their ankles while the sun slowly shifted overhead, bright enough to make the ocean sparkle like glass in every direction.

At one point Rowan wandered a few feet away and dramatically announced she was “exploring the island.”

Celeste looked around at the tiny strip of sand.

“What island?”

Rowan ignored her.

“I shall report back to my people.”

Naomi crossed her arms.

“You are your people.”

“That sounds lonely.”

Celeste laughed softly as Rowan crouched down to inspect a shell like she’d discovered treasure.

Naomi moved closer beside her, shoulders brushing lightly.

“She’s happy.”

Celeste glanced over.

“Yeah.”

Naomi looked out at Rowan for another second.

“Both of you are.”

Celeste looked down at the water moving around their feet.

“You notice everything, huh?”

Naomi tilted her head slightly.

“When it matters.”

That sat warm in Celeste’s chest before she could stop it.

Before she could answer, Rowan jogged back over holding a shell proudly in her hand.

“Gift.”

Celeste blinked.

“For who?”

Rowan grabbed her wrist gently and dropped the shell into her palm.

“For you.”

Celeste looked down at it, smiling immediately.

It was small and smooth, pale white with soft hints of gold.

“You just found this.”

“And chose it specifically,” Rowan replied proudly.

Naomi leaned over slightly to inspect it too.

“She’s thoughtful when she wants to be.”

“I’m always thoughtful.”

“You tried to fight a pancake this morning,” Celeste reminded her.

“That pancake started it.”

Naomi laughed quietly.

The sound still did something to both of them.

Rowan noticed that one.

Not in a jealous way.

More like she loved seeing it.

Loved seeing both of them soften around each other and around her too.

Everything between them had stopped feeling fragile.

Now it just felt real.

Comfortable.

Easy.

The captain eventually called out from the boat.

“We should head back soon if you want time before dinner.”

Rowan groaned dramatically.

“Why does time exist?”

Naomi smirked.

“Because you waste most of it.”

“True.”

Celeste looked out over the water one more time.

Part of her really didn’t want to leave yet.

Naomi noticed immediately.

“Hey.”

Celeste looked at her.

“We can come back tomorrow.”

That surprised her.

“Really?”

Naomi nodded once.

“If you want.”

Rowan immediately pointed at the sand.

“She’s emotionally attached to the ocean now too.”

Celeste laughed.

“Maybe a little.”

Naomi reached out and fixed a strand of damp hair behind Celeste’s ear before turning to Rowan and doing the exact same thing to her.

Balanced.

Natural.

Rowan smiled softly at the touch.

“Well now we definitely have to come back.”

They started walking back toward the boat slowly, hands brushing occasionally, water moving around their legs.

Halfway there, Rowan suddenly stopped.

“What?”

Rowan looked between them seriously.

“I just realized something.”

Naomi sighed playfully.

“That’s dangerous.”

“We’re literally in the Maldives together.”

Celeste blinked.

“…yes?”

“No, but like…” Rowan gestured wildly around them. “How is this real?”

Naomi stepped up beside her.

“Still stuck on that?”

“Yes.”

Celeste smiled softly.

“I kind of get it.”

Rowan looked at both of them.

Then without warning, she grabbed each of their hands again.

“Okay. Important announcement.”

Naomi raised an eyebrow.

“We’re listening.”

Rowan squeezed their hands dramatically.

“This is one of the best days of my life.”

Silence hit for half a second.

Not awkward.

Just honest.

Celeste’s expression softened instantly.

Naomi’s did too.

Then Celeste stepped closer and kissed Rowan gently.

Soft.

Real.

When she pulled back, Rowan looked slightly stunned in the cutest way possible.

Naomi smiled and kissed her forehead right after.

“Good,” Naomi said quietly. “Because it’s one of mine too.”

Rowan looked between both of them, visibly trying not to get emotional.

“…okay wow.”

Celeste laughed softly.

“You started this.”

“I know.”

Naomi reached for both of their hands again.

“Come on before she cries in the ocean.”

“I’m not crying,” Rowan argued immediately.

Her voice cracked a little.

Celeste burst out laughing.

Naomi shook her head, smiling as the three of them climbed back toward the boat together.