The morning light was golden and soft, spilling across the path as Luiz and Clara made their way toward the hill outside town. The city air felt lighter here — full of pine and the hum of unseen insects.
Clara laughed as she walked ahead, her hair catching the sun like it had learned to glow for her alone. "Come on, slowpoke! You said you hiked before."
"I said I survived one," Luiz replied, out of breath but smiling despite himself.
It had been a long time since he'd laughed like that. Since he'd felt something that wasn't fear or guilt. Clara had a way of cutting through all the noise in his head, her joy so careless it almost looked like bravery.
They reached the top by noon. The view stretched endlessly — the island coastline glimmering far away, the small town spread below them like a painted secret.
"Worth it?" she asked, handing him a bottle of water.
He nodded, eyes still on the horizon. "Yeah. I'd forgotten the world could still look this peaceful."
She sat beside him, close enough that their shoulders brushed. "You look like someone who's seen too much of the ugly side."
"Maybe," Luiz said softly. "But being here… with you… it almost makes it fade."
She smiled at that — not teasing, but something more fragile. "Then don't fade with it."
They spent hours there — talking about everything and nothing. She told him about her family, her art classes, how her mother still sent care packages filled with cookies and worry. Luiz listened, letting her voice fill the quiet spaces he'd stopped visiting.
When the sun dipped low, they started back down. On the way, laughter echoed — sharp, familiar.
Clara's steps slowed. "Oh no," she whispered.
A group waited near the path — her ex, Ryan, and his friends. He looked the same kind of smug Luiz had seen too often in the Valentine estate — the kind that came from never being told "no."
"Well, if it isn't Clara," Ryan said, his tone dripping with mock politeness. "Didn't expect to see you with… this guy."
Luiz stayed quiet. He'd learned long ago that silence could hurt louder than words.
Ryan's smirk deepened. "You trade up or down this time?"
"Walk away, Ryan," Clara said, voice steady but tight.
"Relax, I'm just curious how long it takes before he runs too."
Luiz stepped forward then, eyes hard. "You done?"
Ryan blinked, thrown by the calm in his tone. For a second, it looked like he might push further — but Clara's hand found Luiz's, and she pulled him away before the tension could snap.
They didn't speak again until they reached town.
"I'm sorry," she murmured.
"For what?"
"For bringing you into my mess."
He smiled faintly. "I've lived through worse messes, trust me."
She laughed softly, a tired sound that turned into something brighter. "Then let's make today better."
Her eyes caught on a sign behind a fence — Private Resort: Pool Closed After 9 PM.
Luiz followed her gaze, then grinned. "You're not serious."
"Oh, I'm completely serious."