I woke up to the soft warmth of the sun streaming through my window, bathing my face in its golden light. The peacefulness of the moment instantly put me at ease. My sleep had been restful, and the lingering memory of a dream featuring Rudy Pankow was the cherry on top, setting me in a great mood from the get-go.

Stretching lazily, I threw on some comfy, loose-fitting pants and grabbed a bra-an absolute necessity in this house full of guys. No way was I risking that kind of embarrassment. I pulled a big, oversized T-shirt over my head, brushed my hair back into a messy bun, and gave myself a quick once-over in the mirror. Not bad for a lazy summer morning.

Feeling refreshed and happy, I opened my bedroom door with a spring in my step. That feeling lasted all of two seconds.

Standing across the hall, leaning casually against his doorframe, was Mason. Of course, Mason. And, of course, he had that same cocky, mischievous smirk he'd worn last night, the one that had made it impossible for me to forget what had happened in the bathroom.

"Morning, shortcake," he said, his voice smooth and teasing as his eyes flicked over me, lingering just long enough to make my skin prickle with annoyance-or was it something else? Either way, I refused to let him see it.

I rolled my eyes in response, determined not to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. Instead, I walked past him without a word, ready to tackle the day-or at least the week-on my own terms.

The sound of Luke's voice practically reverberated through the walls as I approached the kitchen.

"MASONNN, MY MAN!" Luke bellowed, his voice far too loud for the early morning.

As I stepped into the kitchen, the sweet, mouthwatering scent of pancakes greeted me. My mood lifted immediately. Aiden's pancakes. A smirk tugged at my lips as my pace quickened, drawn toward the promise of a delicious breakfast.

When I rounded the corner, I saw everyone crowded around the kitchen island. Aiden was at the stove, expertly flipping pancakes, his usual "grumpy chef" expression firmly in place. Mason was rummaging through the fridge, pulling out a carton of orange juice, and Jaden was flexing his arms dramatically.

"You... I forgot my protein!" Jaden exclaimed, smacking his forehead like it was the tragedy of the century.

"For what?" Luke asked, barely suppressing a laugh.

"To keep these guns intact," Jaden said with mock seriousness, flexing his biceps and striking a pose like he was on a bodybuilding stage.

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help smiling at the absurdity of it all. "Morning, guys," I greeted as I slid onto a stool near the island.

"Morning!" came a chorus of responses, though most of them were distracted by their ongoing banter.

"Slept well?" Aiden asked, sparing me a quick glance as he plated another stack of pancakes.

"Yep," I replied with a nod.

"Make sure you call Mom and Dad today," he added with a pointed look, clearly not trusting me to remember.

"I know, I know," I said, waving him off.

"You better. Otherwise, they'll blame it on me," he grumbled, setting a jar of honey on the table.

"Relax, sir," I said, adding a mock salute for good measure.

Aiden rolled his eyes but didn't say anything as he placed a heaping plate of pancakes in the center of the island. "Alright, hungry beasts," he announced, "dig in."

The guys didn't need to be told twice. In an instant, it was chaos. Hands darted toward the plate like they hadn't eaten in weeks, each of them trying to grab as many pancakes as they could before the stack disappeared.

I sat back, wide-eyed, clutching my fork like a lifeline. "What the-? Are you guys serious?" I asked, watching in disbelief as they attacked the plate like a pack of wild animals.

"Survival of the fittest," Mason quipped from across the island, sliding a pancake onto his plate with an annoyingly smug grin.

"This is barbaric," I muttered under my breath, shaking my head as I finally managed to snag a pancake from the dwindling pile.

Despite the chaotic start, breakfast turned into a lively affair. The kitchen buzzed with chatter and laughter as we ate, the conversation flowing effortlessly from topic to topic. Luke recounted another one of his infamous "almost romantic" adventures, complete with exaggerated reenactments and sound effects, while Aiden rolled his eyes at least five times.

As the morning chaos simmered down, we finally settled around the kitchen island to dig into Aiden's pancakes. The stack was quickly diminishing, but the conversations were just getting started. Mason leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smirk on his face, sipping orange juice like he had all the time in the world, while Luke and Jaden argued over who had grabbed the last pancake. Aiden was clearly regretting offering to cook, his usual grumpy expression deepening as he cleaned up the mess we'd all conveniently ignored.

"So, what's the plan for the week?" Luke asked, his mouth full as he waved a fork in the air.

"Beach, since one of us, have jobs like babysitting " Aiden replied pointedly, his gaze landing on me.

"Pfft. Jobs " Luke scoffed. "It's summer, man. Live a little."

"I can't its like having a dog" Aiden shot back, rolling his eyes.

"Excuse me"I said offended realizing it was about me "I can take care of myself"

"Maybe more of a cat "Luke said looking at me making me raise an eyebrow

Cameron smirked. "But speaking of living a little, did you hear about the beach party tomorrow night? It's supposed to be huge-everyone's going."

"Oh, I heard about that!" Jaden said, suddenly animated. "Bonfire, music, drinks-classic summer stuff. We're definitely going, right?"

Aiden groaned, already shaking his head. "No way, the last thing I need is to babysit you idiots while you drink yourselves into oblivion."

"You're such a buzzkill," Luke whined, flopping dramatically in his chair. "Come on, Aiden. It's one night. Plus, the girls will be there-"

"Right!" Cameron interrupted in a cheer

"And Hailey was definitely looking at you the whole volleyball game" Luke tried to cheer up my brother

"She did not"Jaden said

"Totally did"Luuke replied

"It doesn't matter" Aiden said

"Regina..."Luke muttered making the room silent and awkward... Oh my obsession with my brother for what he thinks it was his only love makes me sick

"You should just forget it and live it up"Jaden said doing an awkward laugh

"All the more reason to go!" Jaden exclaimed, trying to reignite the excitement. "As to Alyssa, she can hang with us, right?"

Aiden, who had been quietly sipping his coffee, froze at that. He set his mug down with a deliberate clink and turned to face me. "Absolutely not."

"What?" I asked, frowning.

"You're not going to some wild beach party," he said firmly. "End of discussion."

"Oh, come on, Aiden," Mason drawled, leaning forward with a lazy grin. "She's not a kid. Plus, she'll be with us-what's the worst that could happen?"

"Exactly!" Luke added, jumping on Mason's bandwagon. "We'll keep an eye on her. You can even set rules or whatever. Just don't ruin the fun for the rest of us."

Aiden sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose like he was already regretting what was about to happen. "Fine," he muttered finally.

"YES!" Luke and Jaden cheered, high-fiving across the table.

"But," Aiden continued, his tone sharp enough to cut through their celebration, "if Alyssa is going, she's sticking with me the entire time. No wandering off, no drinking, no stupid stunts. Got it?"

I groaned, already feeling the weight of his overprotectiveness. "Aiden, I don't need a babysitter-"

"You're sticking with me," he repeated, his expression brooking no argument.

"Whatever," I muttered, slouching back in my chair.

"Good," Aiden said, nodding as if the matter was settled. "And if any of you screw this up, we're leaving immediately."

Luke and Jaden exchanged a look, clearly plotting how to bend the rules without outright breaking them. Mason, meanwhile, leaned back in his chair, his smirk as infuriating as ever.

"Looks like it's going to be an interesting night," he said, his eyes flicking to me again.

I didn't bother responding, instead focusing on finishing my pancake. But deep down, I couldn't help wondering just how "interesting" this party was going to get.

The conversation drifted into logistics-who would bring what, what time we'd head out, and the inevitable debate over which playlist would dominate the night. Luke, of course, was adamant about his "legendary" music taste, while Jaden argued for his EDM-heavy selection.

I tuned most of it out, my thoughts lingering on tomorrow. Despite Aiden's hovering and the boys' teasing, I couldn't deny a flicker of excitement. A party on the beach, surrounded by music, laughter, and the ocean breeze-it sounded like the kind of summer night you'd remember for years.

But there was also an undercurrent of unease. Mason's teasing smirk, Aiden's watchful eye, the chaos that seemed to follow Luke and Jaden wherever they went...

"Alright," Aiden said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Everyone clear on their jobs? Luke, you're in charge of the cooler. Cameron, snacks. Mason, don't forget the chairs."

"What about me?" I asked.

Aiden hesitated, then sighed. "Just... pack for the beach. Towel, sunscreen, whatever."

"Wow, so important," I said dryly, earning a chuckle from Mason.

"Hey," Aiden said, pointing his fork at me. "Don't push it."

As the table erupted into more playful bickering, I leaned back in my chair, my pancake forgotten. Tomorrow was shaping up to be an adventure, for better or worse. And with this group, it was bound to be memorable, but that didn't meant it was a positive memory.