Chapter 54 - Malachi's POV

Saturday, 6:45 AM – Clean-Up Crew and Cover-Ups

The morning haze still hung low, and the sand was cold beneath my feet as I helped MK and Julian gather the scattered soda cans and crumpled chip bags that told the story of a night gone slightly off the rails.

MK yawned and tossed a marshmallow bag into a trash bag. "So... last night was wild."

"Understatement," Julian muttered, rubbing his face like the memory of the dares physically hurt him. "I'm never letting Sway near my phone again."

MK smirked. "Hey, you're the one who took the dare. Should've picked truth, man."

"Not after what happened when Chandler picked truth," Julian shot back. "Girl nearly cried."

"Because Freya asked something too deep," I added as I picked up the remains of a s'mores kit. "We were supposed to be exposing secrets, not digging into childhood trauma."

They laughed, but I didn't. I glanced toward the dunes where Freya and Meg had disappeared a few minutes ago. They claimed they were going to grab more water bottles from the cars, but I knew Freya's posture when she was anxious. She was hiding something. Or maybe worried something would come out.

That had been a theme lately.

Milo's confession last night echoed in my mind. He'd been pushed—just barely—to say he was in a long-term relationship. It was the kind of answer that would've seemed vague to anyone else.

But not to me.

Not to someone who also knew how to keep a relationship secret.

Freya and I had been dating for three years. We knew how to lie with a smile. How to laugh at each other's jokes like friends. How to make sure our touches stayed in the safe zone. But watching Milo squirm last night... it made me wonder how much longer they could keep up the act.

They were good—too good, honestly. The way they always stood close, the way Meg's hand would brush Milo's arm just slightly too long, the way their eyes met when they thought no one noticed. I noticed. Freya noticed.

Julian almost noticed.

But he shook it off. Just like I had for years before Freya finally kissed me at wrap for Zombies 5.

Still, something had shifted last night. Maybe it was the accumulation of risky dares, maybe it was how raw everyone was getting. Milo's voice had cracked when he said he'd been with someone long-term. That wasn't just performance fatigue. That was a man fraying at the seams.

And if he cracked... Meg would fall with him.

"Malachi?"

I turned. MK was holding out the trash bag for me to tie. "You zoned out, man."

"Yeah," I said quickly, grabbing the bag and securing the knot. "Just tired."

MK nodded. "Same. That bonfire messed up my sleep schedule. Worth it though."

We dumped the trash and started heading back toward the trailers where most of the others were slowly waking up or rehydrating. I passed Chandler sitting on a log, braiding her hair, and Kylee standing next to her scrolling through something on her phone. Both looked up at us but didn't say anything.

Then I spotted Freya walking back with Meg. They were both holding water bottles, and Meg had that 'I just over-thought myself into a spiral' look on her face.

Freya saw me, and something passed between us—just a flicker of acknowledgment, a silent check-in. I nodded once, subtle.

But Julian was watching them too. I saw him glance from Meg to the spot where Milo was now sitting alone, hood up, sunglasses on, head bent toward the sand. Julian's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Then he shook his head and walked off toward the food table, muttering something about bagels.

Close.

Way too close.

I caught up to Freya as she passed by me and handed me a bottle. "You good?" she asked low, her voice casual.

"Julian's thinking again," I murmured.

Freya groaned under her breath. "He's got good instincts. We should start throwing him off."

"Already tried. He's stubborn."

She looked toward Meg. "We may need to start covering for them."

"I think Milo's about to hit his breaking point."

Freya was quiet for a beat. "Then we really need to keep him steady."

I nodded. But I also knew the clock was ticking.

Secrets only stay secrets if you never let the pressure build.

And right now? Everyone was teetering on the edge.