Robin
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Ali is a menace.

And I'm letting her be, because it's so much fun.

We're sitting at the long brunch table on the deck, plates full of food and chatting lazily in the late morning sun. Mom is fussing over the table settings, Javis is deep in some conversation about wedding logistics, and Melanie is flipping through her phone, already bored. The aunties and uncles are just as loud.

No one seems to notice that Ali and I haven't stopped flirting since we sat down.

No one-except Heather.

And that is why I keep doing it.

Ali leans in close, her voice low in my ear. "I'm just saying, if you wanted a real mimosa, I know a place that pours them strong enough to knock you on your ass."

I laugh, nudging her with my shoulder. "Are you trying to get me drunk already?"

She smirks. "Maybe."

My fingers toy with the stem of my glass as I glance across the table.

Heather is watching.

She's doing a decent job of pretending she's not, but her grip on her fork is just a little too tight. Her shoulders a little too stiff. Her eyes-sharp, dark, burning-are locked on me like she's trying to set me on fire with sheer willpower.

And the thing is?

I like it.

I smirk, shifting in my seat so my knee brushes against Ali's. She doesn't move away. If anything, she presses closer. I lean in to movingly whisper nothing in Ali's ear, my lips grazing her skin.

Heather's jaw clenches.

This is too easy.

Ali lifts a strawberry from my plate and holds it up. "Want a bite?"

I glance at Heather before leaning in and taking the fruit straight from her fingers, slow and deliberate. I make sure to lick part of Ali's finger tips.

Heather looks like she might actually combust.

I have to bite back a laugh.

"So," Javis announces, stretching his arms behind his head. "We need to do a supply run, for like my bachelor's party tonight."

Mom perks up. "Oh, good idea! There's that little market in town. We need more champagne, eggs, and-" she waves vaguely, already mentally drafting a list.

"I'll go," Javis says. "Robin?"

"Sure," I say.

Ali grins. "Mind if I tag along?"

Heather goes rigid beside Javis.

"Of course," Javis says easily. "The more, the merrier."

I turn to Melanie, nudging her with my elbow. "Come on, you're coming too."

She makes a face. "Pass."

"You're really gonna let me go alone with these two?" I ask, pointing between Javis and Heather. "I will die watching how lovely they're together."

Sarcasm much.

Ali gasps with laughter. "You won't have to see it, I will shield you darling."

Javis just smirks. "I'm a delight."

Heather only clears her throat.

Melanie snorts. "I'm sure you'll survive."

I roll my eyes. "Fine. But if I disappear into the wilderness, I'm haunting you first."

"Deal."

Ali laughs, standing and stretching. "Alright, I will just go grab my bag real quick."

She places a quick kiss on my cheeks, it's harmless, it's little but it makes my insides flutter. And Heather sure isn't feeling the way I am.

And I swear, if looks could kill-I'd be dead.

Javis drives. Ali takes shotgun. Heather sits beside me in the back, stiff and silent.

It's almost comical how obvious she's being about not looking at me.

Ali twists in her seat, glancing back at me with a lazy smile. "So, what's the deal with this town? Is it actually cute, or just aggressively small?"

I smirk. "Both."

Javis nods. "One main street with all the essentials. A market, a liquor store, a bakery, and a diner that serves a seafood platter no sane person should ever order."

Ali laughs. "Noted. No seafood."

"Oh, you should get the seafood," I tease. "Live a little."

She hums, tapping her fingers against her thigh. "You keep assuming I won't."

I meet her gaze. "Would you?"

She leans toward me slightly. "Guess we'll see."

Javis grins at us through the rearview mirror. "Robin, you flirting or trying to start a war?"

I glance at Heather, who's staring straight ahead, jaw tight.

She's trying so hard not to react.

I press my knee against hers. A test.

She doesn't move away.

Interesting.

Ali shifts back around in her seat, stretching her arms above her head, and I let my hand graze her shoulder, fingers trailing just long enough to make it obvious.

Javis snorts. "Damn. Should I be worried about you two ditching us and eloping?"

Ali smirks. "It is a cute town, right? We could make it work."

I grin. "Yeah, Heather could be the maid of honor."

Heather finally turns her head. Her glare is sharp, cutting. "Funny."

Oh, hunny, not yet!

The market is small, rustic, and bustling, just as I remember it. When we were kids, we used to come through to the beach house once every three months for fun. When we got older, everyone was too busy for fun anymore and we just grew out of it I guess.

But being here now with a slightly broken heart and a hot Ali, it's really still fun.

Javis takes his job seriously, moving through the aisles with purpose, but Ali and I? We're having fun.

She reaches for a bottle of champagne, reading the label. "Think this'll do?"

I tilt my head. "A little basic, but if you like basic, go for it."

Ali feigns offense. "Basic?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong." I step closer, letting our arms brush. "Basic can be fun. Easy. No complications."

Ali hums. "And you're not an 'easy, no complications' kind of woman, are you?"

I glance sideways.

Heather is watching.

I smirk. "Not even a little."

Ali laughs, stepping even closer, and before I can overthink it, I lean in and kiss her.

Soft. Slow. Just enough to make a point.

Ali grins against my lips. "Okay, maybe I do like trouble."

Heather exhales sharply.

Ali doesn't notice. But I do.

Javis chuckles. "You two need a room."

Heather grabs a bottle of red wine from the shelf, her fingers gripping the neck a little too tightly. "Can we just get what we need and go?"

Ali leans closer, whispering, "I think I'm annoying your ex."

I smirk. "She's not my ex."

Ali raises a brow.

I take the bottle of wine from Heather's hands, brushing my fingers against hers as I do. "She's engaged."

Ali's eyes flick to Heather, then back to me, like she's suddenly very interested in the tension hanging in the air.

Heather huffs, snatching the wine back. "We're done here."

But when she turns, I catch it.

The way her fingers tighten around the bottle. The slight shake in her breath.

She's pissed.

And I'm loving it.

Javis loads the groceries into the trunk while Ali and I linger near the car. The sun is starting to dip lower, casting warm streaks of gold across the pavement.

Ali leans against the car, arms crossed, studying me with a lazy smirk. "So, what's the plan for tonight?"

I raise a brow. "What do you mean?"

She tilts her head. "I mean, we've been playing around all day, but I wanna know-are we actually gonna have some real fun?"

I step closer, letting my fingers trail along the edge of her shirt. "Define real fun."

Ali grins. "Well, there's a firepit, a beach, and an entire case of champagne in the trunk. I'd say that's a good start."

I hum, pretending to think it over. "You planning on skinny-dipping, or do I have to talk you into it?"

Ali laughs, biting her lip. "Oh, babe, I don't need talking into anything."

Javis slams the trunk shut. "Alright, lovebirds. Are we standing here all day or actually getting back?"

Ali winks at me before moving toward the passenger seat.

I linger for a second, feeling the buzz in my chest, the kind of anticipation that comes with knowing tonight is going to be a night to remember and a night to forget Heather altogether.

Is Ali good enough to make me forget? If she is, I will owe her my life.

I slide into the backseat, stretching my legs out, brushing against Heather's knee-on purpose. She shifts slightly but doesn't move away.
She has been craving for this little contact, I can tell.

Javis starts the car, rolling down the windows as he pulls onto the road. "Alright, you having fun babe?"

Heather nods next to me, her thumbs wrestling. "I am. It's hot and app but I'm having so much fun."

Obviously, pun intended.

"Are you having fun Ali?"

Ali watches me for a beat before grinning. "Oh, babe. I'm just getting started."

Heather huffs, irritation evident in her posture.

I poke her knee but she doesn't look at me.

I smirk.

How much more can you take?