The sun had already set, and the sky was immersed in deep blues and blacks. A few stars twinkled above them, while the sound of waves played a soothing melody. The bonfire crackled softly, casting warm, flickering shadows on the faces of the four friends sitting around it.

Taylor and Harper shared a large, soft blanket wrapped snugly around their shoulders. Harper leaned lightly against Taylor, a gentle smile on her lips. "It's so beautifully quiet here," she said softly. "No crowds, no hustle. Just us and the sea."

Taylor nodded, taking in a deep breath of salty sea air. "Yeah, it really is perfect. I'm glad we did this. You'd think the beach would be more crowded."

"Not at this hour."

At the other end of the fire, Colby and Charlie were tossing an old soccer ball back and forth. Colby's laughter echoed across the beach as he gracefully received a particularly difficult pass from Charlie and returned the ball. "Come on, dude! Show me what you got!" he called challengingly.

Charlie laughed back and kicked the ball with full force. "Ready for a real challenge?"

Colby skillfully intercepted the ball with his foot and juggled it a few times before kicking it back. "Anytime, my friend. Anytime. But so far, I haven't seen it."

Harper watched the two guys with an amused glance, then turned back to Taylor. "So, ready for tomorrow?"

Taylor pushed the blanket aside a bit and pulled her knees up to sit more comfortably. "Honestly, I'm a bit nervous," she admitted. "It's been a while since I've taken such a big trip."

Harper nodded understandingly. "I get it. But you'll see, it's going to be amazing. Hawaii, the beaches, the food... and of course, Colby by your side." She nudged her best friend with her shoulder.

Taylor smiled. "Yeah, he makes everything easier." She watched him as he suddenly got hit in the face with the ball from Charlie.

"Just you wait, you rascal!" he yelled playfully and charged at Charlie, who couldn't stop laughing.

"Aaand now they're fighting," Harper explained with a grin.

Colby lunged at Charlie, and the two guys ended up laughing in the sand. They rolled around, each trying to overpower the other. Despite being in his ghost form, Colby still had impressive physical strength, which he seemed to deliberately hold back to make the game more exciting. Taylor could tell, even though she couldn't see his opponent.

"Men," came from Harper.

"You say it."

Charlie managed to get Colby in a loose headlock, but Colby just grinned broadly. "Is that all you got?"

"Nowhere near!" Charlie tried to tighten his grip, but Colby effortlessly wriggled free and playfully tossed Charlie aside.

"Come on, bro, you gotta be more creative!" Colby called out as he got back on his feet and shook off the sand.

"What are you two gonna do while we're in Hawaii?" Taylor asked, still watching the scuffle.

"To be honest, no idea. I'll probably try out several hobbies, just like Charlie. Eventually something will click. Something I want to do in my life."

Charlie got back on his feet and attacked again, but Colby skillfully dodged and brought him down with a quick leg sweep. This time, Colby sat on Charlie's chest and playfully held him down.

"I'm sure you'll find something. I mean, your personality isn't just about Colby."

"Actually, it kind of is. Or was."

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"Okay, even better. You've got a whole world of possibilities to explore now. Isn't that exciting?"

Harper grinned slightly. "Sure is."

"I give up! I give up!" Charlie exclaimed, laughing and raising his hands in surrender.

Colby grinned triumphantly and stood up. "That's what I thought," he said, reaching out a hand to help Charlie up.

Charlie took the hand and easily got to his feet. "You're a beast, you know that?"

"Beast. I like that."

Charlie shook his head. "I think I'll stick to soccer. At least I can win occasionally."

Colby still grinned. "Keep dreaming, bro."

The two guys returned to the bonfire and joined the others. Colby grabbed a bottle of vodka and took a big gulp before leaning back relaxed.

"Don't overdo it, big guy," Taylor said, playfully taking the bottle from him with sparkling eyes. "Forgot? We're flying tomorrow."

He put an arm around Taylor and pulled her closer. "Living Girl, I can handle quite a bit. Some cheap vodka won't knock me out, don't worry."

"I'm not carrying you onto the plane tomorrow. I'm stressed enough without my drunk ghost boyfriend."

The ghost laughed and caught his girl in a playful embrace. "I promise, I'll be completely sober tomorrow. You'll see, I'll be your perfect flight attendant."

Taylor rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile. "I'll believe it when I see it."

The friends sat around the bonfire for a long time, talking, laughing, and enjoying the peace and each other's company. It was a perfect night on the beach.

But suddenly, footsteps broke the silence. Taylor was startled as she turned around and saw a middle-aged man standing not far away, staring at them. His gaze was cold and eerie.

She exchanged a nervous glance with Harper, who seemed equally unsettled. Taylor then took Colby's hand, who was watching the man intently, as was Charlie.

"C-could we help you?" Harper shouted nervously, but the man didn't respond. His stare sent a chill down Taylor's spine.

"Don't worry, your boys are here," Colby whispered tensely, never taking his eyes off the man. "He can't fucking touch us." Taylor nodded, albeit slightly, hoping the man wouldn't notice.

Charlie stood up, his stance firm and resolute, ready to defend if necessary.

"I-I said, can we help you? Hello?" Harper repeated nervously, but the man continued to remain silent, his gaze unchanged and foreboding.

Then, suddenly, he began to approach them slowly.

Now, the others stood up too. The man clearly didn't like that. Because suddenly, he started running. Aggressively.

"Oh no, asshole, not with me!" Colby snapped his fingers, and the sand around the man seemed to grab him. He fell to the ground in shock.

"W-who are you?!" Harper yelled.

"Hey girls," he said startled, getting up. "No worries. I just wanted... to see if your toes were long."

"Oh hell no, straight to prison!" Taylor thought, but she didn't dare say a word.

The man groaned again, his eyes fixing Taylor and Harper in an eerie way. "I really just... wanted to see if you needed help," he mumbled unsurely, but his excuse sounded hollow and unbelievable.

Harper was the first to find her voice again. "What the hell are you talking about? Get away from us!" Her voice trembled, but she tried to sound determined. She hated feeling so scared. She promised herself she'd never feel that way again after this night.

Suddenly, the man grabbed himself by the crotch and made eye contact with Harper. Then he licked his lips, turned around, and ran away.

"What a pig," Charlie growled, watching him until he was no longer visible in the darkness.

"Our boys are here," Harper murmured.

"What?" Taylor said, holding onto Colby again.

"I-I was terrified." Harper crossed her arms. "But our boys are here."

Harper's words echoed in the darkness as the group slowly sat back down. The tension in the air was still palpable. Taylor gripped Colby's hand tighter, grateful for his quick reaction that had temporarily incapacitated the creepy man.

"I don't understand. Is everything really okay?" Charlie placed his hand on Harper's shoulder, but she quickly pulled away.

"Don't touch me. I-it pisses me off. Why do women need strong men to feel safe?" Her voice trembled with anger and frustration.

Taylor looked sympathetically at Harper, pondering why she too had to rely on the guys to feel secure. It was a feeling of helplessness she despised, but it seemed like there was no other way to defend herself in this world.

Colby broke the silence, speaking calmly: "Harper, you're right, no one should have to rely on another person or ghosts to feel safe. But it's okay to support each other in moments of fear. That's what friends do."

"What if, for a change, I want to protect you guys? That's impossible? Hmm? It just feels like we women aren't enough to defend ourselves. Or others."

Taylor felt a lump forming in her throat. She'd had these thoughts many times before but never really voiced them. Now that Harper had laid her cards on the table, she could feel the urgency of this discussion.

"We are enough," Taylor said softly but firmly. "We just need to learn to trust ourselves and recognize our own strengths."

A gentle smile crossed Harper's face as she looked at Taylor. "I really appreciate that. And I think we can do this, together. But now I know what I'm going to do first while you guys are basking in Hawaii."

"What's that?" Charlie asked.

"I want to learn how to defend myself."

The others nodded in agreement, and the group gathered closer around the bonfire, strengthened by their mutual support.