"I'm dying. All these secrets and lies are slowly suffocating me."
Grace Hart is suddenly torn away from her old fairytale life, stranded on a deserted island with nine other girls. She expected nothing but wellness and luxury, yet the "Dawn of Eve"...
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------ twenty-one ------
They finally found Eden. After days of defeat and downfall they arrived in the garden. Immediately, Grace and Toni sprinted to the splendid tree that carried enough fruit for all of them. The girls wouldn't have to kill the animal anymore. Martha would be ecstatic. She had been so flustered when they considered killing the goat to ensure their survival.
Grace hadn't liked lychees beforehand, but at that moment they had been her favourite fruit. They tasted heavenly. At that point everything did. The two girls ate as many lychees as they could. "If we end up hurling after this, it'll still be worth it," was their new motto.
"God, I wouldn't wanna be here with anybody else," Grace admitted as she ate another fruit. It was the truth and she wanted Toni to know that. "You're an amazing person to be stuck on an abandoned island with, Toni Shalifoe. You're funny, kind, passionate; my little firecracker. And, let's be honest, you're a secret softie."
Grace's gaze travelled to the brunette's face. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was about to say next. "That's why I care so much about you." Out of all the reactions Grace had thought of, Toni laughing at her wasn't one of them.
"What?" the blonde queried, looking at the other girl in disbelief. "Did I say something wrong? I shouldn't have said that. I made things weird between us, didn't I? Oh my God, I'm sorry. Believe me, I didn't mean to." The girl's insecurity grew as her rambling went on.
Toni could only stop her, when she gently took Grace by her shoulders. "No, Gracie. You're fine. You didn't do anything wrong, okay? I really care about you too," she laughed. This time her laughter made the other girl smile. It had become her favourite sound over the course of the past few weeks. It gave her peace.
"It's just that you've got a--" the brunette leaned towards the cheerleader and brushed a piece of lychee off Grace's face. Their eyes met and Grace got lost in a sea of chocolate brown. She always had a thing for brown eyes. She enjoyed the warmth they held. Toni's eyes were a summer in Verona.
Before she could think twice, her lips met Toni's. It was a sweet and gentle kiss, much like the ones they had shared before. When Toni pulled away, Grace wanted more. "Can you kiss me again?" she breathed out.
Their second kiss held more passion. A calm summer day turned into a magnificent firework in a matter of seconds. The kiss grew more heated. Grace wanted to taste more than just the other girl's lips. She lightly tucked on Toni's shirt.
But the brunette stepped away from her. "Are you sure?" she asked. Grace answered her with another soft kiss. Never had she been more certain. The blonde smiled when Toni took off her shirt.
------ twenty-one ------
"The other girls said you and Toni didn't arrive at camp that night. They said you two weren't there the entire day." Dr. Faber proceeded to ask her for more information. "What happened after you split from Shelby and Martha?"
