“I want steak,” Jade murmurs.
My lips curve up, and having company for lunch makes me feel a hell of a lot better than I did a couple of minutes ago.
A waiter comes, and when Fallon places her order, I say, “I’ll have the same as her, with an orange juice.” I can’t handle the fizzy taste of soda. It makes my teeth feel like sandpaper has been rubbed over them.
Suddenly Noah sits down next to Fallon, muttering, “Ladies.” He pulls a menu closer and quickly glances over it, then he tells the waiter, “A cheeseburger with extra cheese and…” he looks at the drink selection, “Cranberry juice, please.”
“Ugh… I miss Hunter,” Jade says. “I keep expecting him to appear at any moment.”
“Yeah, I’m driving Kao insane with texts,” Fallon chuckles.
“He loves all the attention,” Noah tells her, and he even gives her a warm smile.
Damn, that jealous twinge.
Fallon’s gaze snaps to Noah. “Yeah? Did he tell you that?”
Noah nods, and taking his phone from his pocket, he shows Fallon a message which makes her laugh.
Our food comes, and my eyebrow pops up when I watch Fallon take the garnish from Noah’s plate.
Why can Noah be so close with my cousin, but with me, he’s worse than the Grinch?
‘Because she’s not in love with him. He can be comfortable with her,’ my mind answers the question, and it leaves me feeling torn.
Should I give up? Should I try to find a way to love Noah as a friend? It would be better to have any kind of relationship with him, instead of him running at the sight of me.
It’s not the first time I’ve considered giving up on Noah. I would try for a week, but then I’d see him, and all my resolutions would go up in smoke. But that was before we had to live in the same suite. Now that we’re continually running into each other, my unrequited love is becoming a problem for both of us.
Since Noah rejected me the first time, the cracks covering my heart keep tearing open every time I consider giving up. How do you let go of the one thing you want more than your next breath?
I focus my attention on my meal, glad it’s nothing big because my appetite is missing in action.
As soon as I’m done, I wipe my mouth and get up from the chair. “Catch you all later.” Walking away, I impersonate Dori from Finding Nemo, “When life gets you down, you know what you gotta do? Just keep swimming.” I let out a chuckle, and heading out of the restaurant, I murmur, “Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming.”
Yeah, I’ll just have to do my best to get over Noah. Whether it’s something I can actually do, remains to be seen.
NOAH
I’m not the type to party. Just like my best friend Kao, I’d rather stay in the shadows. It saves me from having to interact with people. It’s not that I’m a hermit like Kao, but rather that I struggle to communicate. I don’t understand people, and they don’t get me.
When Forest mentions they’re staying in, I figure I have to try and be social with them, seeing as we’ll be future business partners. I might not get along with Carla, but damn, I’ll have to work with her one day.
I have to admit, she hasn’t given me any shit since Tuesday night.
“What game are we playing?” Forest asks.
Remembering all the games Jase had us playing, I mention, “We can play fear pong.”
Aria glances at me, and she asks, “Fear pong?”
I quickly explain, “Yeah, we write dares on the bottom of the cups, and you either do the dare or drink. The winning team wins two hundred dollars.”
“Team?” Carla asks, her eyes locking on me. She lets out a chuckle. “God, this is going to be priceless.”
Shaking my head, I ask, “Enlighten me as to why?”
Then she smirks at me. “You and I. We’re on a team.”
Shit. I should’ve thought of that.
Hoping this doesn’t bite me in the ass, I mutter, “Fuck.”
The girls leave to change into comfortable clothes, and the second we’re alone, Forest asks, “Will the two of you manage to not kill each other tonight?”
I let out a chuckle to set him at ease. “Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll take it easy on her.”
While Forest goes to his room to change, I grab the solo cups and whiskey bottle from the cupboard.
Lord knows I’m going to need alcohol to get through tonight.
When everyone is ready, we take our places on opposite sides of the island in the kitchen. The girls check something on their phones, and when they start writing the dares under the solo cups, I begin to worry.
Carla better not write dares like kiss your partner or this game is over.
Forest reads one of the dares, “Tell the opposing team about a dirty fantasy you would never actually do in real life? Seriously?”