Chapter twenty Three

GAGE

The sound of my alarm barely registered this morning as I woke up. I had spent most of the night surfing the internet, determined to make my girlfriend proud this year. With a couple of hours before the others woke up, I decided to go for a run.

As I jogged, I suddenly heard a whiny voice beside me. It was Harlan, trying to get my attention. Irritated, I asked her what she wanted. She attempted to flirt with me, but I quickly rejected her advances. Harlan stormed off, and a few minutes later, I noticed her friends coming out of the woods, putting their phones away. It was clear that Harlan was trying to gather some information on me to cause trouble with Dakoda.

I continued my run, eventually reaching the beach where Dakoda and Mac were surfing. Dakoda was doing well, but Mac seemed to be struggling to stay balanced on her board. I decided to head back home after a few more minutes.

Once I returned to the house, I quickly showered and got dressed. As I made my way to the kitc