The Heart System

Chapter 109: Chapter 109

The girls shrugged, laughing, and jogged toward the water, their footsteps kicking up sand. The beach stretched out around us, golden and shimmering under the scorching sun, the turquoise waves lapping gently at the shore.

I reached into the cooler, the ice sloshing as I pulled out a cold beer, the bottle sweating in my hand. Popping the cap, I took a sip, the crisp bite cutting through the heat. I fished my lighter from my pocket, lit a cigarette, and exhaled a cloud of smoke. Leaning back on one elbow, I grabbed my phone from my swim trunks, checking the security app for my house. No alerts, no motion detected, Cora hadn’t tripped anything. The new lock and camera were holding strong. Good.

”Last thing I need is water on this thing and a repair bill,” I muttered, tossing my phone into Jasmine’s mesh bag, where it landed safely among the frisbee and paddles. I took another drag, the cigarette glowing as I watched the girls in the water.

Kim, Tessa, and Jasmine waded into the shallows, the waves splashing around their thighs, their laughter carrying over the beach. Kim dove under a wave, surfacing with a grin, her wet hair plastered to her shoulders, her red bikini darker now, clinging to her curves. Tessa splashed Jasmine, who retaliated with a bigger wave, her dark skin glistening as she laughed, her braids swinging wildly.

They wrestled playfully, Kim grabbing Tessa’s waist, pulling her into the water, both of them shrieking as a wave crashed over them. Jasmine spun in the water, her teal swimsuit catching the sunlight, her movements graceful as she floated, then splashed Kim back, their giggles echoing.

I took a long sip of my beer, the cold liquid sliding down my throat, and exhaled another puff of smoke, my eyes fixed on them.

I still couldn’t believe it—fucking foursomes with these three, not once but twice. My cock twitched just thinking about it, the memory of their tits, their mouths, Tessa’s tight ass, Kim’s pussy, Jasmine’s tongue. It was unreal, like I’d stumbled into some fantasy scripted by those crazy goddesses the system kept mentioning.

”Fucking thank you, whoever you crazy goddesses are,” I muttered under my breath, raising my beer to the sky.

I leaned back fully on the blanket, the warm sand shifting beneath me, the sun soaking into my skin as I closed my eyes, savoring the moment. The beer bottle rested in my hand, cool against my palm, the cigarette now just a stub smoldering in the sand beside me. It was perfect, a rare slice of peace after the storm and the wild shit with Kim, Tessa, and Jasmine.

A few moments later, footsteps crunched in the sand, quick and mischievous. I cracked my eyes open just in time to see Jasmine, Kim, and Tessa standing over me, their wet swimsuits glistening, holding a bright orange beach bucket brimming with water. Their grins were pure trouble.

”No—” I started, but they didn’t give me a chance to react. With a collective giggle, they upended the bucket, icy seawater splashing over me, soaking my swim trunks and chest, the shock making me gasp.

I shook my head, water dripping from my hair, and sprang to my feet, ”Oh, you guys better run,” I said, an angry grin spreading across my face. ”Trust me. Run away.”

”No!” Jasmine screamed, her teal swimsuit flashing as she spun around, already bolting toward the water, her braids bouncing. ”Look, we’re sorry!”

”Suck my ass, magic boy!” Tessa shouted, her black bikini clinging to her curves as she took off, laughing, her feet kicking up sand.

Kim chuckled, backing away, her red bikini dark with water. ”Sorry, sorry, sorry,” she said, her hands up in mock surrender, but she was already turning to run.

I charged after them, the sand soft under my feet, my heart racing with playful adrenaline. Kim and Tessa were closest, their laughter echoing as they darted toward the waves. I lunged, catching Kim in one arm, her waist warm and slick under my grip, and Tessa in the other, her body squirming as I lifted them both off the ground. They squealed, kicking their legs, but I held tight, running straight into the shallows, the cool water splashing around my ankles.

With a dramatic heave, I slammed them into the water, the waves crashing over them as they hit the surface, their shrieks turning into laughter as they surfaced, sputtering and wiping water from their eyes. Kim’s hair was plastered to her face, her red bikini top slightly askew, while Tessa pushed her wet bun back, grinning.

I spun around, locking eyes on Jasmine, who was halfway down the beach, her dark skin gleaming as she sprinted, giggling wildly. ”You’re next!” I shouted, chasing after her, my feet pounding the sand, the sun hot on my back.

She glanced back, her eyes wide with mock fear, but she couldn’t outrun me. I caught her by the waist, my arms wrapping around her, lifting her clean off the ground as she yelped, her legs kicking. Channeling some over-the-top wrestling show energy, I spun her around, acting like I was about to body-slam her, then gently dropped her onto the soft sand, pinning her for a second with a grin.

”Got you,” I said, panting, as she squirmed under me, laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

Kim and Tessa trudged back from the water, still chuckling, their swimsuits dripping, sand clinging to their legs. ”Oh my god, Evan,” Kim said, catching her breath, her hands on her hips. ”You’re such a dork.”

Jasmine smiled, brushing sand off her teal swimsuit. ”You’re lucky we didn’t drown you for that,” she teased, shoving my shoulder playfully.

Tessa flopped onto the blanket, her chest heaving, her grin wide. ”This is why we keep you around, magic fingers. Never a dull moment.”

I laughed, my heart light, the moment sinking in as one of those perfect, fun memories you hold onto. The sun blazed, the waves crashed, and the girls’ laughter rang out, the beach stretching out around us like a postcard come to life.

I dusted my hands, brushing off the sand, and settled back onto the blanket, the warm grains shifting under me as I lay down, the sun hot on my skin.. I reached for my phone from Jasmine’s mesh bag, the frisbee and paddles shifting as I pulled it out. A notification blinked on the screen—Kayla had called twice.

”Gotta take this,” I said, sitting up, glancing at the girls sprawled around the blanket, their swimsuits still damp from the water fight. ”Work stuff.”

Jasmine, lounging with her legs stretched out, her teal swimsuit catching the light, raised an eyebrow. ”Wait, didn’t you quit your job?”

I shrugged, forcing a casual grin. ”Yeah, it’s just about this week’s payment, you know, final checks and all that bullshit.”

Kim snorted, adjusting her red bikini top, her sunglasses perched on her head. ”Sounds like a hassle.”

Tessa, lying on her stomach, her black bikini bottoms riding low, smirked. ”Better not be some side chick calling.”

I laughed, standing, and walked off toward the parking lot, the sand giving way to gravel under my feet. The lot was quiet, just our car and a few others baking in the sun, the distant hum of beachgoers fading. I leaned against the car’s hood, the metal warm, and dialed Kayla, my thumb hovering over the call button for a second before I pressed it.

She picked up on the second ring. ”Hey,” I said, exhaling, the weight of the beach’s lightness shifting. ”Sorry, I didn’t—”

”How’s Mendy?” Kayla cut in, her voice sharp, tense.

”Good,” I said, rubbing my neck. ”I mean, I talked to her friend Penelope yesterday. Mendy’s not big on talking to me right now.”

”She fucking tried to kill herself, Evan,” Kayla said, her voice rising, almost a yell. ”What the fuck did you make me do?”

”I’m sorry,” I said, my stomach twisting. ”Richard and I... we’re not talking anymore. I should’ve known he’d pull this shit again. I’m so sorry.”

”Fuck,” Kayla exhaled, her voice shaking. ”We nearly killed a girl, Evan.”

”Yeah, I know,” I said, my voice low, guilt creeping in. ”I had no idea Mendy would do something like this. I’m sorry.”

”Did you visit her?” she asked. ”How was she?”

”Bad,” I said, leaning harder against the car, the sun burning my shoulders. ”I went to the hospital, but then Richard showed up, spewing unhinged shit.”

”Can’t even imagine...” Kayla paused, her voice dropping. ”No, fuck, I can imagine what that bastard said.”

”We should visit her sometime,” I said, kicking at the gravel.

”No shit,” she said. ”I know. I’ll... I’ll do it. Don’t want to, but I have to. Couldn’t sleep a wink after hearing about Mendy, Evan. Fuck.”

”Hmm,” I muttered, staring at the ground.

”I gotta go. Break’s over,” she said. ”Text me if you hear anything about Mendy.”

”Yeah.”

The call ended, the silence heavy. I shook my head, trying to clear the guilt, and dialed Mendy’s number. The phone rang, and rang, and rang, each tone stretching longer than the last. Finally, someone picked up.

”Yes?” Penelope’s voice, curt and cold.

”Hey,” I said, rubbing the back of my head, the sun glaring off the car’s hood. ”I’m Evan.”

”I know.”

”How’s... uh, how’s Mendy?”

”Bad,” she said, her tone flat, cutting.

”Oh...” I cleared my throat, grasping for words. ”Yeah... can I talk to her if—”

”No.”

”Ah...”

”I’m hanging up,” Penelope said. ”Bye.”

The line went dead. I slumped my shoulders, the weight of it all pressing down. ”Fuck...”