𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝟏𝟔 | 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬

song: flo rida - my house

° ☆ 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐚 ☆ °

I'm so utterly exhausted that it feels like every muscle in my body is begging for rest.

The flight lasted five hours, or perhaps a little more. I can't remember, as I slept for the entire flight. All I know is that I found myself nestled against Kaden's shoulder, and I'm praying nobody saw that.

It's currently two o'clock in the morning, and we've just arrived at our beach house. The owner almost refused to give us the keys due to our insane timing, but Kai managed to convince him. When we disembarked from the plane, everyone was buzzing with excitement about the next seven days, but I was too tired to even open my mouth.

Lilly insisted that everyone takes a look at different rooms, but I didn't care about how ours looked. I simply walked to the nearest one and claimed it as mine for the night - and Lilly seemed to follow suit.

Taking a glance around our room, it feels almost like home - minimalistic and bathed in light brown wood, with white walls. But who cares about the walls? The only thing that matters right now is the bed I see in front of me. It doesn't take me more than ten minutes to doze off into a peaceful sleep.

A sudden gasp jolts me from my slumber, disrupting the tranquil embrace of sleep. With a groggy hand, I sweep away the remnants of dreams from my face, squinting against the onslaught of sunlight flooding into our room.

As I sit up, my bleary gaze falls upon the source of the disturbance. Lilly stands before me, her distressed reflection staring back from the small mirror on the wall. A shattered eyeshadow palette lies at her feet, a casualty of her morning routine.

"Please tell me that wasn't the $50 palette," I mutter, my voice thick with sleep.

"It was," Lilly speaks, her voice a mixture of frustration and despair. "This vacation was supposed to be perfect!"

I offer her a sympathetic smile and tell her she can use mine, before flopping back onto the pillow with a sigh. I hear her exclaim gratefully, her voice muffled as she rummages through my bag.

The sound of frantic rustling fills the room before Lilly gasps audibly once more, prompting me to sit bolt upright.

"Oh, no, did you send the latest project to Mrs. Hart?!" Lilly's eyes widen in alarm, her hand flying instinctively to cover her mouth.

My heart lurches in my chest as I scramble to recall. "Crap, did I?" I mutter, a surge of panic coursing through me.

"Yes, you did, but at least I got you awake again," Lilly responds, a hint of amusement creeping into her voice.

"Lilly, you better start running," I deadpan, a playful threat laced in my words.

"Yup, consider me a pro athlete right now," the blonde quips, darting out of the room with the speed of a sprinter.

Left alone in the aftermath of the morning chaos, I contemplate the mess that awaits me. Though the temptation to sink back into the warmth of the bed beckons, I resolve to face the day head-on. With a stretch of my arms and a slip into my fuzzy slippers, I steel myself for the challenges ahead and venture out into the main area.

"I thought you were dead," my brother's teasing voice breaks the silence, a playful smirk dancing on his lips.

As I glance around, I realize that the entire household is already bustling with activity, the promise of a new day unfolding before us. "We just started planning our day. Would you like to go to the beach with us in about an hour?" Elias turns my attention to him.