“Um…I don’t think I brought anything fancy to wear with me. This was supposed to be a casual trip.” If we were back in Raleigh, there are several upscale restaurants I’d take her to in a heartbeat. I hate that we’re essentially being relegated to some uninspired dining options.
“Yeah, I’m kind of the same. I have another dress with me, but it’s almost identical to the one I wore last night. Drats.”
I float over to the ladder and climb out of the pool, opting to stand beside her as I dry off. “We don’t have to stay in Cape Breeze either. If there are options within, say…thirty minutes of here, I’d be open to that. What about you?”
“I guess so. I was just going for convenience.”
Gently, I nudge her before I sit down on the edge of the lounge beside her, and we scroll for what feels like hours, trying to find a place with a good menu and reservations.
Eventually, we settle on a little seafood place about forty minutes away. The only problem? The only available times are super early. Still, Olivia makes the reservation, and we head inside to get ready. She goes to her room to shower, and I head up to mine to do the same. And I’m just about to strip off my bathing suit when my phone dings.
Shit.
Please don’t be Mike. Please don’t be Mike. Please don’t be Mike.
But naturally, that’s who it is.
Mike: Hey! What’s going on over there? Any word from Roxie?
I want to ignore it and pretend I didn’t see the text, but that’s not who I am. Besides, it’s not like I’m mad at anyone. I just really wanted tonight for me and Olivia with no one horning in on it. And I have a feeling if I respond, it’s going to open the door for Mike and Loren to invite themselves to join us.
So, I make the conscious decision to put the phone down and take my shower.
But fifteen minutes later, I’m drying off and I end up casually picking up my phone—you know, in case anyone else texted—and I find three more messages from Mike.
Mike: Loren and I are going to stay at the hotel for one more night.
Mike: I wish I had packed up some of my own stuff. We had to go shopping because she didn’t want to risk coming to the house and seeing Roxie.
Mike: Is it just me or is all this drama freaking exhausting?
“Not just you,” I murmur, and can’t help but reply.
Ash: Hey! Vanessa’s driving back with Roxie tomorrow. No idea of an ETA yet.
Mike: What about Zayne??
Ash: He’s following them in his car.
Mike: So, are you and Olivia living large with the house all to yourselves? Lol
Ugh…why did I engage?
Mike: I’m not asking for specifics…just curious what it’s like to have such a baller house for just the two of you!
Ash: It’s been kind of nice. We’ve had time to talk and get to know each other. Time we wouldn’t have had with everyone here.
Ash: Although, we still wish things hadn’t turned into such a shitshow with everyone.
Then I hold my breath because I’m dying to know how he’s going to respond and if he’s going to put any of the blame on Loren.
Naturally, he doesn’t respond, so I pad back into the bathroom to finish getting ready. I’m brushing my teeth when my phone starts blowing up with rapid-fire texts and I’m pretty sure I’m about to get a lecture.
Mike: Yeah, the whole thing got out of hand, but it wasn’t just one person’s fault.
Mike: Roxie’s in a bad space right now and really should be going to therapy. I’ve talked to her about it, but she isn’t ready to open up to anyone other than her friends.
It’s easy to blame the person with the most baggage, and I swear I just lost a little respect for my friend.
