Ella Sullivan is an 18-year-old high school senior with a sharp wit and a penchant for sarcasm. Her life revolves around her close-knit group of friends and the love for her dog. But her world is thrown into disarray when she encounters Ms. Catherin...
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———༺✵༻——— POV Ella ———༺✵༻———
The door creaks softly as I push it open, my heart pounding a little faster than it should. My bare legs feel exposed under the dress, and with every step, I'm reminded of the fact that I'm not wearing any underwear. It's ridiculous, really, but Catherine ripped them last night, and I didn't exactly have a chance to grab anything on my way back.
I pause, holding my breath, and listen to the room. It's early—too early for anyone to be awake, or so I hope. Maybe I can slip in, change, and pretend like I've been here the whole time. The hotel room is warm, with the AC barely making a dent in the Roman heat, and the only sound is the quiet whir of the air conditioner. For a second, I think I might actually get away with it.
But as soon as I turn, I see it: Jess, propped up on one elbow, watching me with that smirk that says she knows exactly where I've been.
My stomach twists as her gaze flicks over me, taking in the wrinkled dress, the faint glow of sweat on my skin, and probably the way I'm moving a little slower than usual. There's no point in hiding it. Jess already knows.
I let out a quiet sigh and glance over at Abby, who, unlike Jess, isn't in on the secret. She's sitting up in her bed, her blonde hair sticking out in a messy tangle, but her blue eyes are wide awake, watching me with curiosity.
She's not going to let this go.
"Where were you?" Abby asks, her voice cutting through the silence of the room. She doesn't sound suspicious, just... curious. She's always like that—always asking questions, always wanting to know what's going on.
I shrug, moving toward my suitcase and pretending to dig through it. "Out."
It's not much of an answer, and I know it. My fingers sift through the clothes, but I'm barely paying attention to what I'm looking at. All I can think about is how awkward this is going to get if Abby presses me too hard.
"Out?" she repeats, her voice tinged with disbelief. I can feel her eyes on me, like she's piecing things together. "That's all you're going to say?"
I pull out a clean, cute top and lay it on the bed, still not looking at her. I can feel Jess's knowing gaze from the other side of the room, like she's just waiting for me to slip up. I bite the inside of my cheek, trying to play it cool.
"Yeah," I say, standing up and stretching a little, trying to shake off the weird tension I feel. "Just out."
Abby isn't buying it. She shifts on her bed, pulling her legs up underneath her as she studies me. "I saw you yesterday at the Forum Romanum," she says, her voice a little slower, like she's carefully piecing the words together. "With that girl. The blonde one. Were you with her?"
I blink, my mind scrambling to catch up. Mila. She's talking about Mila, not Catherine. I feel the tension in my chest loosen, just a bit, but it's still there. Abby doesn't know. She can't know. As much as I love her, she might let it slip somewhere and I can't take that risk.
