Fatal Alliances [✓]

32

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

MALIA

GREETED BY THE SOUND OF LAUGHTER, I opened my eyes and stretched as the realisation sunk in —that I was inside a bed that wasn't mine —in a room that I didn't actually belong in.

I faintly remembered that I had drank a lot of champagne last night, while lounging on the couch. I knew I had fallen asleep there, but it was obvious that no one other than Mateo could have brought me here, unless I had crawled in with my eyes closed and tucked myself in so snugly.

The thought of him only made me think about the fact that we'd kissed each other, or rather he had been the one to initiate it —and it hadn't disappointed me one little bit— not that I was ever expecting to kiss him or like it as much as I did.

Lifting the covers off me, I shook him away from my mind, to approach the windows, where I could still hear that warm laughter all around.

As tiny flecks of dust danced in the shaft of the afternoon sunlight that slanted through the open glass —the streets below shone in the heat of the sun-rays and couples walked hand in hand, and the illuminated buildings pierced the scorching, blue sky.

I whirled around and spun on the spot and revelled in the warmth for a brief moment, before I grabbed my phone, from the bedside table, unlocking it to many notifications and messages from the one person who always seemed to care more about me than I did her.

Imaani admitted that she had attempted to make excuses for her own sanity, though what had been revealed in the last couple of days was a harsh reality that she couldn't escape.

She'd indicated that Romi had left and the true identity of Mateo Costello was out in the open. Imaani didn't seem phased or panic-stricken, because she'd had a hunch all along. I sighed in resignation, exasperated that I could have told her from the start and lightened the load that I was carrying.

She knew. She knew it, but she didn't want to make me feel like I had to tell her anything or expose myself.

Yet it was her final text that had left me wide-eyed and shell-shocked. A solitary 'happy birthday', followed by a swarm of emoticons that I couldn't keep track of as my eyes digested the words.

It was my birthday.

I was so taken away by the day, realising I'd initially intended to be back home to celebrate, that I almost missed the incoming call from an unknown number. Without giving it much thought, I answered the call.

"Hello?" I muttered.

"Nice of you to finally wake up."

"Where did you disappear to last night?" I shot out, "Don't tell me you were too scared after kissing me, because it doesn't mean anything. It was just a kiss, a really rubbish one too, in fact. You're a lousy kisser."