Sophie's Life

Chapter 17: Unknown Chemistry

It's the last night of the trip, and the atmosphere in the hotel is buzzing with excitement. After everything that's happened, it's hard to believe we're all still here—together, kind of. The hotel has a small party room, and we've decided to make the most of it. Music is playing, and people are laughing, but there's an underlying tension in the air, like something's waiting to happen.

I glance over at James and Abby, who are sitting together on the couch. They're laughing at something, and even though we've made peace, it still feels strange seeing them like that. Sharing a room all week as camping partners hasn't exactly helped, either. I don't *hate* them for it, but it's hard to ignore the knot in my stomach every time I see them together.

Across the room, Riley stands near the drink table, looking irritated as usual. Aaron leans casually against the wall, watching her with that smug grin he always has when he knows he's pushing her buttons. I can see the storm brewing from a mile away.

"You've got that look again," Sasha says, nudging me with her elbow as she hands me a drink.

I give her a confused look. "What look?"

"The 'I'm-watching-things-go-down' look," she teases. "You know, the same one you had the night James dropped his Abby bombshell?"

I roll my eyes but smile. "Okay, fine. But can you blame me? Look at Riley and Aaron. They're like a match and gasoline."

Sasha glances over at them, then shakes her head, laughing. "It's only a matter of time before one of them explodes. But who knows, maybe they'll surprise us."

Before I can respond, I notice Nathan walking over to us, his eyes flicking to Sasha more than once. There's this unspoken chemistry between them—nothing obvious, but enough for me to notice. He's been paying a lot more attention to her these past few days, and she hasn't exactly been cold to him either.

"Hey," Nathan says, standing beside Sasha but clearly aiming his attention at her. "You two enjoying the party?"

Sasha raises an eyebrow, her lips twitching into a smile. "Enjoying might be a stretch. Surviving? Definitely."

Nathan laughs, and there's a brief moment where they just look at each other. I can't help but wonder if something's brewing between them too. Sasha's been more guarded lately, but there's something about the way she's around Nathan that feels different—softer, almost.

Before I can think too much about it, I hear Riley's voice rise sharply from the other side of the room. "Why do you always have to be like this, Aaron?" Riley snaps, crossing her arms, clearly done with whatever conversation they were having. Aaron, still smirking, shrugs. "Like what? Honest?"

Riley lets out a frustrated noise. "You call it honesty; I call it being an insufferable jerk." I glance at Sasha, who shakes her head knowingly. "Here we go," she mutters.

Aaron steps forward, his grin fading slightly. "You know, Riley, you don't have to hate me just because I don't play nice all the time."