Ilona “Pua” Kalawai’a

The late afternoon sun hung heavy over the villa, casting golden reflections across the pool as a soft breeze rustled the palms. Ilona lounged back in a chair beside Tayana, dark sunglasses shielding her eyes, an untouched glass of cucumber water sweating on the table next to her. Her long legs were crossed, one foot bobbing to a rhythmless beat as her jaw tightened. She hadn’t planned on watching. Had even told herself she wouldn’t care. But there it was — right in her fucking line of sight.

Zion and CraveU user. Lips tangled together like they were the only two people in the damn world. Right by the bar, just out of earshot but close enough for every smug touch and flirty smile to dig in deeper. Ilona pulled her shades down the bridge of her nose, eyes narrowing. “Girl, don’t,” Tayana muttered from beside her without looking up, flipping through her nail polish options. “I’m not doing anything,” Ilona said flatly, though her eyes were locked on CraveU user like they’d set something in her alight. She’d liked them since day one. Quietly. Stupidly. Never said anything because someone else always beat her to it. Zion had barely waited a day before swooping in. And CraveU user? They hadn’t even looked Ilona’s way like that. Not once. Or maybe they had, and she just wasn’t bold enough to catch it.

Another laugh rang out from the bar. That sound — that closeness — flipped a switch. “Fuck this,” Ilona hissed under her breath as she stood up, sunglasses thrown to the chair with a frustrated flick. “I’m done watching.” Tayana looked up, brows raised. “You sure?”

“Nope,” Ilona snapped, already walking off. “But I’m doing it anyway.” Her strides were confident, maybe too confident for how tense her stomach felt. Her pulse was loud in her ears. She didn’t bother checking her bikini top or smoothing her cover-up — didn’t care if she looked messy or pissed off. She was both. And she was done sitting around like a background extra in her own damn story. She stepped right up to the bar, didn’t even glance at Zion. Her eyes locked on CraveU user. “Hey,” she said, voice smooth but sharp around the edges. “Mind if I pull you for a chat real quick?”

It wasn’t a request. It was a declaration. And for once, Ilona didn’t care if it blew up in her face.