Crushing On The Enemy

32- top secret

Soraya's POV

"Girl, what was Nathan teaching you yesterday?" Natalie groans as she watches me struggle with a stroke. "Because seriously what are you even doing?"

She's been patient up until now, but I can tell my lack of progress is starting to test her limits. It's safe to say Nathan completely failed at convincing his sister to let him continue as my swimming instructor.

I flick the water off my face and shoot her a look. "Excuse you, I'm doing exactly what I was taught, and I think I'm doing pretty good. So what are you trying to say?"

Natalie's lips twitch like she's trying to suppress a smile. "I mean... it's not bad," she teases, her tone softer now. "Don't mind me." She swims a bit closer, her eyes assessing my form. "You're actually doing pretty good for someone who had their first lesson yesterday."

I can't help but feel a tiny swell of pride. "Thanks, Natalie." I flash her a smile, and she nods, a hint of approval in her gaze.

We spend a few more hours practicing, going over techniques, and testing my endurance. By the time we finally decide to call it a day, my muscles are pleasantly sore, and I'm more confident in the water than I was yesterday.

After we climb out of the pool, Natalie leads us to one of the luxurious hotel rooms to get changed. The moment I step inside, I'm awestruck by the elegance of the place—the plush carpets, the sparkling chandeliers, the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city skyline. I can't believe I'm here.

"Wow... this place is stunning," I murmur, running my fingers over the soft fabric of the couch.

Natalie grins, catching the look of awe on my face. "Yeah, it's one of my favorites. Dad really outdid himself with this hotel."

Right. Nathan and Natalie's dad owns this place. It's easy to forget just how wealthy their family is when I'm with them—until we end up somewhere like this.

We get changed quickly, and as I'm pulling on my shirt, Natalie brings up the upcoming party. "Abena is supposed to put up a poll soon to finalize everything. Have you decided what bikini you're going to wear if we end up having this pool party?"

I shrug, a small smile tugging at my lips. "I've been too focused on learning how to swim to think about it."

Natalie rolls her eyes, grabbing her phone and scrolling through a few pictures. "Girl, please. That's what I'm here for. I'll bring over a couple of options tomorrow, and we'll make sure you look absolutely stunning."

I eye her warily. "Natalie, your idea of 'stunning' is probably me in some barely-there bikini I'll be afraid to move in."

She bursts out laughing. "Hey, trust me! I've got a few looks that'll turn heads but still keep you comfortable. No wardrobe malfunctions, I promise."

"Fine, fine. I'm trusting you on this," I say, shaking my head with a grin.

"Well, that's if we even rank highest on the poll," Natalie mutters, staring blankly at her reflection in the hotel room mirror. She fidgets with her bikini strap, sighing softly.

"Hey, don't be like that," I say, swinging my legs off the bed and giving her a reassuring smile. "We're definitely going to top that poll."

Natalie shrugs half-heartedly, the smile barely reaching her eyes. I need to distract her with something—anything to get her mind off this. Suddenly, I remember the rumor I heard a few days back.

"By the way, was the rumor about Micah and Sedinam's break up true?"

She scoffs. "Nope. People say they've been seeing them together during the holidays."

"Hmm... well, not that we care, right?" I say quickly, trying to backtrack.

"I do care, Soraya," Natalie blurts out, and then her expression tightens. "But not because of Sedinam or any of that stuff. It's just—"

"If only he noticed you?" I say softly.

Natalie's eyes widen, and she turns to me, mouth slightly open in shock. "Wait... how did you know?" she whispers. "I never told anyone about that."

I give her a small smile, shrugging lightly. "I've been sensing it for a while, Nat. The first time I really noticed was at the basketball game last semester. The way you looked at him—"

Her face crumples as she stares down at her hands. "I can't believe it was that obvious," she murmurs. "I've liked him for so long, Soraya. But he's never looked at me that way... even when we were friends. He always just took me as a little sister, and I hated it."

"Nat..."

She shakes her head, a tear slipping down her cheek. "I thought all these feelings would go away after what happened two years ago. But no, I still do like him. It's like I'm stuck in this cycle, and it feels so... stupid."

"It's not stupid." I reach out, giving her arm a gentle squeeze. "You have a big heart, and you've been carrying this for so long. Micah's a jerk for not noticing what's right in front of him."

She lets out a bitter laugh, quickly swiping at her tear. "Yeah, well... try telling that to my heart."

I take her hand and squeeze it gently. "You deserve better than someone like him, Nat. He's not worth all this hurt."

Natalie sniffs, glancing at me with a faint, wavering smile. "I know. I just needed to say it out loud. Thanks for... knowing."

"Anytime," I say softly.

She takes a deep breath, and then a familiar mischievous glint flashes in her eyes. "You know what? I need a distraction. Let's go down to the café and get some ice cream or something."

"Sure!" I say, brightening up. "My treat."

"Please." She rolls her eyes, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "You do realize the café is in my dad's hotel, right?"

I laugh, glad to see her humor return. "Alright, fine. Your treat."

"Damn right," she says, linking her arm with mine. "Now, let's go eat our weight in ice cream before the party on Saturday. I need something sweet to drown out all this bitterness."

"Deal," I say, giving her a quick squeeze. As we walk out of the room together, I hope this is the start of Natalie finally letting go and finding her own happiness—one scoop of ice cream at a time.

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Natalie likes Micah??? Oh boy

Seems like there's so much to be discovered.