58. Chapter Fifty-Seven
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Scarlett
Itake Trick’s arm when holds his hand out for mine. It’s weird to feel so connected to a guy I just made out with. It’s almost like being a little too drunk. The kind of drunk where you want to tell your friends you love them, and it’s feels so incredibly important in that moment.
I’m not bursting to tell him that, exactly, but I don’t hate the idea of getting to that point with him.
It’s so not me to be this into anyone.
If Sapphire saw me right now, she’d never believe it.
I’m clinging to his arm as we walk, and my perfume is in full bloom.
If we didn’t have other things to worry about, we’d still be in the lake right now.
And as fun as that sounds, I’m kind of glad Xane interrupted us.
No matter how Trick has made me feel, I’m not ready to be fated to anyone.
I didn’t think this would ever happen. I wasn’t expecting to ever have my perfume triggered, and I definitely wasn’t expecting to ever actually meet Chaos Burning, either.
This whole thing is crazy.
By the time I get back home, I’m going to have one hell of a story to tell, no matter what.
That’s what I cling to as we get back to the jet.
“I’m not going in there,” Riley complains, standing near the steps that lead inside, with a bottle of beer in his hand. He waves his free hand at the entrance, then he looks back at us, and his eyes start to narrow. “Hey, that’s my shirt!”
I let go of Trick’s arm. “You want it back?”
I start to lift the front, ready to whip it over my head.
Kian’s low gasp tells me he’s looking my way as I start to show more thigh.
I’m taking my time to give Riley the chance to change his mind, but he stares at me, unblinking, like he’s daring me to go ahead and do it.
My underwear isn’t super scandalous. It covers everything it needs to cover.
I’m fully ready to call his bluff.
Xane puts his hand over mine quickly, pushing it down gently before I can get any less clothed. I can’t say I’ve ever fantasized about having him stop me from undressing, but at the same time it’s kind of sexy that he’s trying to protect my modesty.
He’s not even the guy I just made out with.
“Riley, shut up about your stuff. I’ll buy you a hundred T-shirts once we get to Golden Sands.”
Xane moves his hand from mine, and I let the shirt’s hem drop back down.
I guess I’m not about to get more naked in front of my idols.
That’s too bad. It might have been fun.
“Yeah, right,” Riley grumbles, looking away from me.
“Is that another beer?” Xane asks, before he takes a step forward.
“What?” Riley puts his hand down, hiding the bottle behind the pocket of his cargo shorts.
Xane snatches it away from him and tips the contents out onto the ground.
Riley groans. “What the fuck, Xane? It’s not like we have an unlimited supply …”
“I’m not carrying you through the jungle because you’re too drunk to walk,” Xane tells him. “You’re drying out, starting now.”
“What are you even talking about?” Riley snorts and walks away, clearly heading back to the beach, where the rest of the beer is still sitting in a cooler.
“I’m surprised he didn’t knock you out for that,” Kian mutters.
Xane sighs. “Yeah. I expected a bigger fight.”
“You guys know there’s a cooler full of beer on the beach, right?” I ask, raising an eyebrow at Xane.
If he really wants Riley to dry out overnight, he should probably realize that.
Xane groans. “The fucking cooler.”
“Leave it,” Kian suggests. “There are a few bottles left, and then we’re really out of beer. He’s gonna be pissed off either way.”
Xane seems to think about that before deciding Kian’s right.
“Okay. Ki, what supplies do we actually have?” Xane asks.
“There should be a good few days worth of water for all of us,” he starts. “I think there’s fifty bottles in the box, plus a few more in the cabin’s fridge. There should be some soda in the cabin fridge, too.”
“I should go grab my purse,” I tell Trick. “I could make a list in my notebook.”
Xane nods. “That’s what we need to do. Make a list. Trick, go with her and bring back the sandwich cooler when you’re coming back. We need to know what we’re working with for food, too.”
“No problem,” Trick says, smiling at me before I tug his arm and lead him out back toward the beach.
“No detours!” Xane yells after us.
I can hear him muttering about having enough problems as we walk away.