They notice

I was twenty-two years old, standing waist-deep in the warm, clear water of an Australian cove on what was supposed to be a perfect beach day with my friends. This whole trip had been my idea. I’d been the one who said we had to go to the beach while we were here, even after we realised it was clothing-optional. The boys in our group had been so excited. The girls had been thrilled. I hadn’t wanted to be the one to ruin it.

Now I was ruining it for myself.

The four of us girls had ended up clustered together in the shallows, the sun beating down on our bare skin, the ocean stretching out turquoise and endless behind us. It looked like a postcard. Except I was the part of the picture that didn’t belong.

Everyone else looked so confident.

I couldn’t stop my eyes from moving.

Mia stood right beside me, one hand on her hip like she was posing for a magazine. Her breasts were full, heavy D-cups that hung in a soft, natural teardrop shape, the undersides full and round. Water droplets clung to them, sparkling before sliding slowly down the gentle curves and dripping from her nipples. Those nipples were dark and slightly puffy from the cool breeze coming off the water, standing out against her lightly tanned skin. Every time she laughed at something one of the boys shouted from deeper out, her chest bounced with a heavy, unapologetic sway. She didn’t even seem to notice. Why would she? She had nothing to hide.

Sophia was on my other side, closer, her arm brushing mine whenever the waves shifted us. Her breasts were a perfect, perky C-cup, high and firm, the kind that moved with a soft, lively jiggle when she gestured or turned her head. The sunlight caught every bead of water on her skin, tracing shining paths down the valley between them and over the soft swell of her belly. She had a tiny silver piercing in her navel that caught the light. A single freckle sat just above her left nipple. I found myself staring at that freckle longer than I should have.

Ava stood a little ahead of us, arms crossed under her bust in a way that pushed her own full C-cups up and together, creating a deep line of cleavage the water couldn’t hide. Her nipples were smaller and darker, tight from the cool ocean. She had the same wide hips and soft tummy I did, but on her the curves looked lush and intentional instead of just… bottom-heavy. She caught me looking and gave me a little smirk, like she knew exactly how out of place I felt and was enjoying it.

And then there was me.

Bethany. Short. Wide hips. A soft little pooch to my stomach that refused to flatten no matter how hard I sucked it in. And my breasts — my pathetic little A-cups — looking almost boyish next to theirs. They were perky, sure, but there was so little there. My nipples had tightened into hard, sensitive little peaks from the water and the wind… and, if I was honest with myself, from something else I didn’t want to name. I felt painfully exposed. Like every woman on this beach could see how inadequate I was.

I looked them up and down again. Couldn’t help it. Mia’s heavy breasts swaying as she shifted her weight. Sophia’s perky C-cups bouncing softly with her laughter. Ava’s arms pushing her chest up, the water lapping just beneath them. Their skin glowed. Their bodies moved like they had every right to take up space. I felt the hot knot of humiliation in my stomach twist tighter… and underneath it, something warmer. Something that made my thighs press together under the water and my face burn even hotter.

A larger wave rolled in. The water surged up, splashing higher, and Sophia’s breast brushed against my arm — soft, warm, full. I sucked in a sharp breath.

Sophia turned toward me, her breasts shifting with the movement, water sliding down the curve of one and dripping from the nipple. Her eyes met mine, curious and a little teasing.

“You’ve been staring a lot, Beth,” she said, voice light but with an edge that made my stomach flip. “Everything okay? Or are you just… really appreciating the view?”

Mia and Ava both looked over now, their confident, beautiful bodies still completely on display, casual and relaxed like being topless among friends was the most natural thing in the world.

My heart was hammering. My tiny nipples were so tight they almost hurt. The boys’ laughter carried across the water. I had to do something.