Salt still clings to her skin, the afternoon sun drawing faint lines where her swimsuit used to be. She's settled into the warm sand like she owns every grain of it, one knee raised, chin tilted toward the light.

You'd have walked past her twice before realizing she was watching you back the whole time, that small curve at the corner of her mouth giving nothing away and everything at once.

The ocean behind her is just noise now. Whatever's happening in her eyes pulls harder than the tide.