Soon after Caleigh yelled, "EVERYONE RUN INSIDE THE HOUSE! WHATEVER ROOM YOU GO INTO IS YOUR ROOM!"
Izzy quickly added, "There are only six rooms and seven of us, so someone will have to sleep downstairs on the couch."
"READY, SET, GO!" Vic yelled, and with that, we all bolted towards the house, pushing and shoving through the living room, kitchen, and hallways to get up the long staircase. But nobody took the elevator.
Caleigh was the first up the stairs, claiming the master bedroom, the biggest room. The rest of us scrambled for the remaining rooms.
In the chaos, I was pushed and tripped on the stairs, twisting my ankle painfully. I limped back downstairs, tears streaming down my cheeks from the pain, and sat on the couch. I rummaged through my purse, finding some ibuprofen, and took it to ease the throbbing in my ankle. I couldn't help but start crying again, the pain too overwhelming.
Izzy must have noticed because, the next thing I knew, she was kneeling beside me, her face etched with concern.
"Aww, Eve, are you okay? What happened to your ankle?" she asked, her voice full of worry.
"I tripped running up the stairs trying to get a room," I replied, wiping my tears away.
"Okay, let's go," Izzy said firmly.
"Wait, what? Where?" I asked, confused.
"We're going to kick someone out onto the couch. This is my fucking beach house; you're not sleeping on the fucking couch," Izzy said, her face serious and determined.
"No, that's really not necessary. I'm fine on the couch, really," I insisted, not wanting to cause any more trouble.
"FINE," Izzy yelled, "THEN I'M TAKING THESE." She grabbed my bags and stormed upstairs.
Wincing in pain, I followed slowly behind, taking the elevator because my ankle hurt too much to use the stairs. As I reached the top floor, I panicked, thinking Izzy might actually kick someone out of their room. I hurriedly searched for her and found her sitting on a bed at the end of the hall, my bags beside her.
"Izzy... who the hell did you kick out of their room?" I demanded, breathless.
Izzy looked up, her expression softening. "Nobody. This is my room. I'm going to sleep on the couch. I'd rather it be me than you. You need your privacy."
As Izzy started to walk out, I reached out and grabbed her shirt. "Well, I'd rather it be me than you sleeping on the couch. So you have two options: one, you sleep in here with me, or two, I sleep on the couch or even outside for all I care."
Izzy turned back, her eyes widened with surprise. "Eve, you don't have to--"
"I mean it," I interrupted, my voice trembling but determined. "I'm not letting you sleep on the couch."
The room went silent, thick with tension, the air electric with unspoken emotions. Izzy looked at me, a mix of annoyance and concern on her face.
Izzy took a deep breath. "Okay," she said softly. "We'll share the room."
My eyes softened, relief washing over me. "Thank you," I whispered.
We settled into the room, an unspoken agreement hanging in the air. The sun had fully set by now, casting the room in a gentle twilight glow. Izzy helped me onto the bed, propping my injured ankle up with pillows.
"Are you comfortable?" Izzy asked, her voice gentle.
I nodded, a small smile playing on my lips. "Yeah, I am. Thanks to you."
Izzy sat down next to me, our shoulders brushing. "I'm just glad you're okay."
I looked at Izzy, my heart swelling with gratitude and something more. "Izzy... I really appreciate this. You didn't have to do any of this."
Izzy shrugged, "I care about you, Eve. I couldn't just leave you like that."
The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. I felt a warmth spread through me, a mix of happiness and something deeper that I couldn't quite name.
As we settled in for the night, the room filled with a comfortable silence. I turned to Izzy, I could see her eyes shining in the dim light. "Goodnight, Izzy."
"Goodnight, Eve," Izzy replied, her voice soft.
We lay there, side by side, the world outside the room fading away. In that moment, it was just us, it felt as if the house was empty.
