Whiskey & Wildflowers

Chapter 16

Älskling = Term of endearment, usually darling or honey

Josie wouldn't admit it to anyone, but when the girls got ready that evening, she took extra care with her makeup and hair. She probably hadn't put that much effort into making herself look good since the night Lucas and Henrik arrived, and she stared at the row of outfits lined up in her cupboard for at least ten minutes before choosing a slim-fitting white minidress with cutouts that would ensure all eyes would be on her.

It crossed her mind that it was a good thing the boys were the ones who went to Casa Amor instead of the girls. If Henrik had been the one to pack a suitcase for her, she couldn't imagine what sort of selection she'd be working with. He would try his best, she was sure, but fashion wasn't that boy's strong suit.

Not like his brother.

She bit her lip at her own reflection in the mirror as she imagined what Magnus's reaction to seeing her tonight might be, and the thought sent a burst of butterflies fluttering throughout her stomach. All day, he'd been flirting with her, and not only did she love the attention from someone as hot as him, but it was fun. He was so cocky and suggestive, but not pushy. There was always a sparkle in his eyes when he spoke, yet there was a layer of seriousness to his words, too. Like they were an invitation, but one that was fully up to the recipient to decline without any consequences.

After finishing packing the boys' suitcases, they'd had the rest of the day to get to know the new boys. But while Josie had tried to make an effort to get to know the others, it proved difficult when Magnus was around, drawing her attention wherever he went. He carried himself like a rockstar — which she supposed he was, after all — and had the sort of magnetism that made his presence impossible to ignore, and the end result was that she still didn't know what any of the other guys' names were. But she knew what they looked like now, at least.

Priya catcalled her from across the dressing room, snapping her out of her thoughts, and she turned from the mirror to smile at her friend.

"You look great," she said as Priya spun in a circle, showing off an orange dress that hugged her curves. "Noah's missing out."

"Pfft. He spent plenty of time missing out on this when we were in the same villa; a few days more won't hurt."

"True."

"Girls," Hope said, clapping to get everyone's attention. "I just want to say that while the last few days have been... interesting, to say the least, I feel like this is an opportunity to hit the reset button." She looked at Priya. "Obviously, I don't like what you did, but it's as much on Noah as on you — if not more. He's the one who should've had loyalty to me and treated me with the respect I deserve, but he didn't. And since he's not here right now, I'm willing to put all that aside for now. We were friends before, and right now we need to band together and just enjoy this mini-break away from the old boys and our old problems. So... truce?"

Priya looked like she was going to cry as she stepped over piles of discarded clothing on her way over to where Hope stood, throwing her arms around her. "Truce! Of course, I still want to be friends."

"Hear, hear!" Lottie held up an imaginary champagne glass. "Girls first!"

"Girls, girls, girls!" Chelsea added.

Josie rolled her eyes when Lottie wasn't looking, but inwardly, she was relieved. In their weeks in the villa, she'd formed good friendships with a number of the boys, while things had been rocky at times with the girls. With the boys gone, it would be that much more important for the girls to get along.

She decided to speak up. "Let's all just have fun the next few days. I'm sure the guys are having a blast wherever they are, so we should do the same. Forget about them, forget about the drama, and enjoy ourselves."