Eternal Longing ✓

46. One Truth

JAYA

Since the guys crashed our girls' trip travel plans, it isn't very surprising they took it upon themselves to also crash our humble but depressing plans to huddle up at the two-star motel five blocks from the beach.

As soon as we landed and told them about our plans, they gave us a hard look and shook their heads because we wouldn't be staying at the death motel.

Apparently, just twenty minutes away from the crusty motel, there was a Barton Hotels suite overlooking the beach that the guys deemed more appropriate and less likely to require us to get a tetanus shot after a weekend stay.

While Sera grumbled and complained at their audacity to step all over our plans and in favor of a sleek hotel suite with separate rooms, kitchen, bathrooms, and large windows overlooking a private pool, the rest of us girls accepted our upgrade with excited yelps.

Yet, as I survey the rooms in search of my friends after waking up in an empty room, Sera appears to have settled with our fate quite well. Her legs and arms are sprawled out on the plush queen-sized bed, and she's snoring the morning away, looking quite pleased with herself.

When I notice a figure hunched at the side of the room, ruffling through Sera's suitcase, I let out a screech. The figure stands up with a hanger and T-shirt in hand and turns to look at me with a blank face.

"I'm putting her stuff away," Aristide replies in a low, dry voice without a trace of embarrassment at the fact that I just caught him going through Sera's luggage. "She was exhausted last night and crashed as soon as she finished dinner so didn't have the time to do it herself."

I nod at the obvious phrase, remembering last night after we all ate dinner around the table downstairs, laughing and messing around until everyone slowly started heading up to their rooms.

Sera was the first to pass out, moving to the couch after eating her weight in food and dozing off even with how loud we were being. Promptly, Aristide scooped her up and carried her sleeping form to the room.

"She hates living out of a suitcase," Aristide states to my silent question before hanging another one of her shirts.

I nod obligingly with a smile, and when he fixes another one of Sera's tops on a hanger, I quietly slide out of the room. Theirs is a weird relationship, and though he's always cordial to me, it's easy to tell that Aristide is a dangerous man. A dangerous man I do not want to upset.

As I begin making my way downstairs, I hear loud voices from downstairs and something clattering on the floor, making me hasten my steps.

"You're so useless, please step aside!"

Something else falls to the floor, and this time Rochelle groans in annoyance while Gage laughs as if he's not five seconds from being knocked upside the head with a spatula.

She's one of the smartest people I know, and she'll make a kickass surgeon one day, but the girl is still working on her patience at the moment. Gage is seriously walking on thin ice.

"Morning!" I greet the two with way too much cheer when I enter the kitchen, trying to dispel the murderous energy radiating from Ro and distract Gage from his innate need to goad her.

His eyes jump to me and his smirk transforms into a smile and I already know he's about to say something smart. "Morning, Jayabug."

Yesterday, I made the mistake of speaking to my parents on speakerphone, and Gage took my childhood nickname and ran with it.

"You know you don't have to call me that, right?"

"Had a good night, Jayabug?"

"She's Jaya to you. Don't fucking call her that." A muscled, sweaty, glistening Fin enters the kitchen by Gage and slaps the back of his head before grabbing an apple and biting into it.