i could be the reason you can't sleep at night
Flora is already glowing with satisfaction the moment Kaisel stammers, her grin stretching slow and smug beneath the rim of her sunglasses. She knows exactly what image she put in his head, and the faint blink-blink-blink of him trying to recover only makes her lean in closer as if daring him to crack again. As he tosses the ring Flora will draw in a breath with Spice mimicking her anticipation with a tiny, high-pitched trill, little neck stretched long as the ring sails.
When it lands—clean, perfect, triumphant—Flora barely has time to inhale before she’s scooped up, legs lifted off the ground as Kaisel swings her in a whirl of heat and confetti-bright sound. Her laughter rings out across the stalls, bright and delighted, arms looping around his shoulders as Spice spirals around them with an ecstatic trill.
That it's very likely that both of their exes are around—Caly is clearly visible if either of them looked, but Jack has melted into the shadows—doesn't even graze Flora's thoughts right now. This moment is cotton-candy sweet and stupidly perfect: a ridiculous prize, a ridiculous boy, and a win that feels like it belongs in a glossy montage.
As Kai sets her back enough for her feet to brush the sand, Flora cups his cheeks in both hands, turning his flushed, exhilarated down up toward hers. Her voice is low and pleased, warm like she’s letting him in on a secret as she purrs, "Nice toss, babe." And then she kisses him—dramatic, sunlit, head-tiltingly theatrical—like the kind of kiss that absolutely deserves a slow zoom, a lens flare, and a pop anthem swelling behind them.
When it lands—clean, perfect, triumphant—Flora barely has time to inhale before she’s scooped up, legs lifted off the ground as Kaisel swings her in a whirl of heat and confetti-bright sound. Her laughter rings out across the stalls, bright and delighted, arms looping around his shoulders as Spice spirals around them with an ecstatic trill.
That it's very likely that both of their exes are around—Caly is clearly visible if either of them looked, but Jack has melted into the shadows—doesn't even graze Flora's thoughts right now. This moment is cotton-candy sweet and stupidly perfect: a ridiculous prize, a ridiculous boy, and a win that feels like it belongs in a glossy montage.
As Kai sets her back enough for her feet to brush the sand, Flora cups his cheeks in both hands, turning his flushed, exhilarated down up toward hers. Her voice is low and pleased, warm like she’s letting him in on a secret as she purrs, "Nice toss, babe." And then she kisses him—dramatic, sunlit, head-tiltingly theatrical—like the kind of kiss that absolutely deserves a slow zoom, a lens flare, and a pop anthem swelling behind them.
