Chapter 7
ALINA
Waking up never felt so good. My body is sore, but the good kind of sore, the one where it feels good to stretch out and yawn.
I do exactly that, the warmth of sunlight spilling through the windows and hitting my exposed legs.
Opening my eyes, I see day has risen—I don’t know how long ago—and the sky is a striking hue of blue, cloudless and perfect.
The sound of crashing waves is the perfect lullaby to fall back asleep.
I can’t do that, unfortunately. We leave today, back to college and the usual stress of good grades and the lack of an internship. I don’t know what time it is, and though we don’t have any schedule, we still have to drive back.
Even if I don’t want to. Even if I wish this vacation would go on forever. No worries, just Lance’s warm body against mine, his lips claiming me, his hands making it clear he owns me now.
I breathe in and turn to my side, missing his skin against mine. He’s not here. The bed is not only empty but also cold to the touch. He must have gotten up a while ago. My stomach flips with expectation. Breakfast in bed? Maybe. I grin against my better judgment, my heart skipping beat after beat.
I wait and wait, but he doesn’t come up, and my bladder’s two minutes away from exploding.
Begrudgingly, I get to my feet, put my clothes back on, and march to the bathroom.
After my business is done, I open the door and peek outside.
The other bedrooms are all open, the sunlight pouring into the hallway.
Gen is up, too. Maybe they’re having breakfast, but I would bet my chips my best friend’s spending all available time swimming.
After picking up new clothes—a comfortable pair of shorts and a flared t-shirt that I tuck into my waistband—I find my way to the bathroom and shower. Damp hair hanging behind me, I peek into Lance’s room again. He isn’t back. I cross the threshold, do the bed, and then make my way to the kitchen.
No delicious smells hit me. The stove is empty, and the island is deserted. Someone used the blender and there’s a dirty glass inside the sink. Gen, definitely. She loves drinking some vitamins for breakfast. Craning my neck, I find her leaving the ocean, body dripping as she looks for a towel.
I meet her halfway. “Hey,” I greet, smiling.
She sees me, her eyes glittering, and she jumps on me, slinging her arms around my neck. “How did my new stepmother sleep?”
I push her off, my face burning as I brush my hands down the now-damp shirt. “Quit that, Gen. I’m not your stepmother.”
“Well, you two disappeared. I had to eat ice cream for dinner.”
“Poor thing.”
She grins, patting herself dry. “Usually, I would ask you to tell me all about it, but it’s my dad, so ew. Tell me nothing.”
I chuckle as the two of us walk back into the house. “Where is he, anyway?”
She cocks her head. “Not in the bedroom?”
“No. Not in the kitchen, or any of the bathrooms.”
Gen chews on her bottom lip as she looks around us. Her gaze lands somewhere behind me. “How strange. His car is not here, either.”
I whirl around to the spot the cars were. And there’s only Gen’s car. My stomach plummets. Something bitter climbs my throat. “Odd.”
“Yeah... I mean...” And Gen puts on a fake smile. We’ve been friends for too long for me not to tell when she’s faking it. “I’m sure he’ll show up. He knows we have to leave by noon.”
It’s past ten. Gen and I make our bags, then cook some lunch, then do the dishes. We brush our teeth and put the bags in the car. Noon comes and passes. My heart breaks inside my chest, but my friend doesn’t look happy herself, so I swallow the pain and grip her hand.
“We should go,” I tell her.
“But where is he?” she asks, gaping at her phone. “He replied in the morning, saying he had to go somewhere. But never again.”
My heartbeat picks up. “Do you think something happened?”
Gen shakes her head. “No. He sent me his location. It’s still on. He’s parked back home.”
He isn’t coming back. It’s clear whatever we had yesterday disappeared with the rising of the sun. Lance doesn’t want me. He wanted to pop the cherry of the chubby, innocent girl, then leave. I’m sure he’ll call Gen later and apologize for not seeing her off, but he needed to give me some space.
The more I think, the more obvious it is. He left so he wouldn’t have to see me. So he wouldn’t have to pretend he likes me too. And here I am, in love with a man who’s avoiding me.
My eyes sting with unshed tears, but I shoot to my feet. “Let’s go,” I tell my best friend. “We have a long way back to campus, and it’s Sunday. The curfew is earlier today.”
“I know...” she breathes out, then shoots to her feet too, a brave look on her face. “Listen, Ali. I don’t know what’s in my father’s head, but he won’t give you the cold shoulder. Not like this. I won’t let him.”
I shake my head. “Don’t worry about that. I don’t want to screw up your relationship.”
“I don’t want a relationship with a father who uses my friends and leaves,” she blurts out. And she’s right. She’s so right. A tear races down my cheek, and I wipe it off, but Gen is quick enough to see it. “I’m so sorry,” she whispers, hugging me close. “We’ll figure it out together.”
And I nod, because there’s nothing else I can do. Lance betrayed me. He used me, seduced me, and made promises. Then left. And a small part of me knew that could happen.
Hurt for a day, then move on. I will not allow this pain to overwhelm me, to ruin my plans. Even if he was as bad as I expected him to be from the beginning.