The beach was alive with energy — kids building sandcastles, couples walking hand-in-hand, groups of guys flexing in the sun, and women in bikinis laughing amongst themselves.

    A game of beach volleyball was in full swing not too far from where they stood, the players diving and spiking the ball with impressive skill.

    Vanessa turned to him, tilting her head slightly. "So, what do you do at the beach?"

    Ethan shrugged. "I usually don''t go."

    "Figures." She smirked. "You look like the type to sit in the shade and check your phone every five minutes."

    "Not true," he defended. "I''d probably read a book."

    Vanessa snorted. "That''s somehow worse."

    Ethan just shook his head. "You didn''t tell me why you picked this place."

    She stepped closer, her eyes glinting with something playful. "Would you believe me if I said I wanted to see you in swim trunks?"

    Ethan gave her a flat look. "You would say that, wouldn''t you?"

    She laughed. "Maybe."

    Before he could respond, a stray volleyball suddenly rolled toward them, stopping near Vanessa''s foot.

    A moment later, one of the players — a tall, athletic guy — jogged over.

    He was shirtless, his tan skin glistening with sweat, and his confident smile suggested he was used to getting attention.

    "Hey," the guy said, glancing between them before his gaze settled on Vanessa. "You two here for a game?"

    Vanessa looked at Ethan, then at the volleyball. "I don''t know. What do you think, Ethan?"

    Ethan knew that look. She was testing him.

    He exhaled through his nose. "You really want to play?"

    "Why not?" She grinned. "Unless you''re scared of a little competition."

    The guy smirked, clearly thinking this was his moment to impress her. "If he doesn''t want to, you could always team up with me."

    Ethan''s eyes met Vanessa''s. Her smirk widened.

    Yeah, no.

    Ethan cracked his knuckles. "Let''s play."

    The next serve came, and Ethan was on the move again.

    His movements were precise, calculated — months of physical training had given him exceptional reflexes, and while he hadn''t played volleyball often, his athleticism carried him.

    Ryan and Kyle were fast, but Ethan was faster. Even though Ryan looked athletic, it was clear from the way that he moved that he didn''t exercise regularly but the same couldn''t be said for Ethan.

    Every time the ball came over the net, he was in the right spot to intercept.

    His blocks were solid, his spikes clean.

    When Kyle attempted a tricky feint, Ethan anticipated it, cutting off the angle with ease.

    It wasn''t long before Vanessa started catching on to Ethan''s rhythm.

    She wasn''t just relying on him — she was getting into her own groove, making quick saves and setting up plays.

    The game was becoming fluid between them, and while the opposing team had skill, Ethan''s physical edge made all the difference.

    They had barely been playing for ten minutes, but Ryan was already starting to look frustrated.

    "You sure you haven''t done this before?" he panted, hands on his hips.

    Ethan shrugged. "Just good instincts."

    Vanessa grinned, flicking a bit of sand off her thigh. "Maybe we should be the ones going easy on you."

    Kyle exhaled, shaking his head. "Man, I thought this would be a warm-up match."

    Ethan smirked, rolling his shoulders. "You want to quit?"

    Ryan scoffed. "Hell no. Let''s go again."

    And so the match continued, but the results were the same. Ethan and Vanessa dominated.

    Ethan wasn''t just strong — he had endurance, speed, and precision. While Ryan was powerful and Kyle was agile, neither of them trained their bodies every day the way Ethan did.

    He could tell by the way they started slowing down, their reaction times a fraction of a second too late, while he remained as sharp as ever.

    The final score wasn''t even close.

    When Ethan spiked the winning shot into the sand, Ryan just stood there, hands on his hips, breathing heavily. Kyle flopped onto the sand, wiping sweat from his forehead.

    Vanessa nudged Ethan with her elbow. "Not bad, partner."

    He smirked. "You weren''t so bad yourself."