Tangled Hearts

Chapter 9

Puzzled, Jennie turned to me with a furrowed brow. "Did you invite her?" she whispered.

I shook my head, equally puzzled by Rachel's sudden appearance. "No, I didn't. Did any of you?" I whispered back, glancing at Kam and Nate, who all shook their heads in confusion. Shawn shifted uncomfortably, and Finn spoke up, saying, "I did," as he walked towards Rachel.

Rachel's smile widened as Finn approached her. "Thanks for the invite," she said brightly, her tone cheerful and polite. "It's been ages since we've hung out," she exclaimed, moving to embrace him in a hug.

Pulling out of the hug, Rachel continued, "We haven't been apart like this since I moved houses when we were little," she laughed, lightly hitting Finn's side. "Even then, we'd sneak off to the playground," she smiled, reminiscing.

Finn laughed as well. "I know, it's been a while," he turned back to us, "the more, the merrier, right?" he said, glancing at me.

Jennie frowned, glancing around the cabin. "Hate to break it, but we're kind of tight on space here. There's not really any room for another person."

But Rachel simply waved off Jennie's concern with a dismissive smile. "Oh, don't worry about me. I can crash on the couch in the living room. It'll be like a slumber party!" she exclaimed clapping her hands, her tone cheerful and carefree.

Nate, ever the peacemaker, smiled and interjected, "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm beat. How about we call it a night and get some rest?"

"Yeah," Kam said as she dragged Jennie and me upstairs. "See you later, Rachel. Ask Finn to catch you up on our itinerary," she smiled as we headed upstairs to the room Jennie, and I shared.

Closing the door behind us, Kam seethes "That bitch is fake".

Jennie nodded in agreement. "She gives off a weird vibe. I mean, nobody is that nice," she said as she sat on the edge of the bed.

I smiled weakly, taking off my top and changing into something more comfortable. Jennie did the same, removing her makeup and fixing her long black hair into a bun.

"Alright, change of topic. What's up with you and Finn?" Kam asked. "And Nate," Jennie chimed in.

"I mentioned it to Jennie before," I begin to explain, recounting the conversation I had with Jen earlier about my feelings toward Finn.

"As for Nate," I laughed, "He's so unserious." Jen and Kam both laughed. "But I don't know if I have feelings for him. I won't deny there's something," I sighed.

"Ugh ... this was meant to be a fun trip. Why is everything getting all tangled?" I said, falling on the bed and covering my face with a pillow.

Kam sighed and sat on the bed beside me. "Okay, drama queen," she teased, turning to me as Jen scooted closer. "I totally get where you're coming from – feelings are a total rollercoaster. But guess what? Take a deep breath, trust your instinct, everything will work out in the end, right, Jen?" she smiled.

"Yeah," Jen started softly. "I know it's scary, but you can't let fear dictate your happiness. Sometimes, the best things in life come from taking a chance, from opening your heart to the possibility of love."

"I love you guys," I say, my voice choked with emotion. "I needed to hear that."

"Also..." Jen trailed off, "having two hot guys basically swooning over you, oh, to be Lily for a day," she said, laying dramatically on the bed.

"Piss off," I mustered a smile. "There's that smile," Jen laughed, hugging me. "Don't forget me," Kam jumped on us.

We all burst out laughing.