Cold Sweetness

❆ chapter seven

Their breakfast the next morning consisted of cereal and the remaining bananas left in the fruit bowl that sat on the counter since the first day they had arrived. Nevada took a seat at the table, Alicia and Cassidy joining her. While they had returned late, they showed no signs of a hangover. Their eyes were bright, and they practically bounced in their chairs in anticipation for the day to come.

Carter, on the other hand, looked a little worse for wear. His hair was ruffled, the hint of shadows underlying his eyes. To his credit, he had been awake when she stumbled into the kitchen, already trying to pull himself out of the throes of his hangover.

The four ate their meal in silence for the most part. It wasn't until Sam wandered in a half hour past ten that it was broken, Carter laughing at the sight of him. Compared to Carter, Sam was a disaster. His normally bright blue eyes had paled, dark shadows prominent beneath his gaze. He hadn't bothered running gel through his hair yet, so his blonde locks fell flat against his forehead rather than sticking up straight as they usually did. Even his movements were sluggish, his body emitting a long sigh as he pulled out a chair at the table.

"You look awful, bro," Carter said, his statement blunt. "I thought I looked bad."

Sam dragged a bowl in front of him, tipping the box of Cheerios into it. "Thanks for dragging me into drinking games, you prick."

"Not my fault you're a lightweight. You would think someone of your body type could handle his alcohol."

Sam met his gaze with a glare before returning his attention to the cereal. He spilled the milk in, dropped the spoon inside, and began his breakfast while the rest finished off their own.

"Thanks for fetching him, Nevada," Carter said, tipping his head towards her. She froze at the sound of her name. "He would've stayed in the bathroom vomiting for the rest of the night if you hadn't gotten him."

"She shouldn't have come to get me," Sam cut in through a mouthful of Cheerios. "You know I'm bad at beer pong."

Carter shrugged, though his grin faltered. "Sorry."

The conversation stalled as the awkward moment passed, the only sound being Sam's spoon clinking against the side of his bowl.

Alicia leaned forward, bracing her elbows on the table. "What plans do you guys have today?"

"Recovery," Sam muttered.

Cassidy snorted. "C'mon. You two can't just stay here all day nursing your hangovers."

The two leveled her with a look that dared her to watch, and Cassidy harrumphed. It hadn't taken long for Cassidy to grow used to bickering with them. While Sam was rarely unnerved by her, she had a tendency to get under Carter's skin, irritating him in a way only she could. It was the reason he had been so set on challenging her again, even though she had beaten him before. Their relationship had an unusual dynamic, she decided.

"There is a town a bus ride away," Alicia said. "I could look up the bus times, and we could head over."

"What would we do there?" Carter asked.

"I think there are gift shops there. A public skating rink too. There are probably a few places to get lunch there." She fished her phone out of her pocket to do more research. After a few taps, she discovered a tourist website that detailed all the information she needed. "It's called Bunker. Yeah, there are a few cutesy cafes and stores." She paused to look up at them. "What do you say?"

Carter and Sam exchanged looks before the former shrugged. "Sounds okay to me."

"I'd rather do that than stay here all day." Cassidy stretched her arms over her head, a satisfying crack following the movement. Nevada had realized that Cassidy wasn't someone who liked having nothing to do. She thrived off of human interaction, and her idea of a fun afternoon wasn't a lazy day in.