Meant To Be (Sashay | AU)

Chapter 22 Tormented

The group has decided to head to the restaurant before 11. Ian will meet them there, Archer said it's okay to bring him along. Everyone is excited about sailing, except Shay. She is looking forward to spending some time with the girls and of course, Archer, whom she owes big time. However, she's not excited about seeing Cece again. She still hasn't figured out how she will act when the other blonde is around. She wants to play it cool and not think about their steamy one night stand, even though she doesn't remember much about it. However, she is finding that pretty much hard to do. It's like her conscience is taking over her brain and is just nagging her about her stupid mistake. Is she just feeling guilty, or is there something else? These thoughts keep on swimming inside her head and Shay is finding it harder and harder to concentrate and "play it cool."

Shay shrugged her worries and decided to focus all her thoughts on Sasha. She doesn't want to ruin this for her girlfriend. Speaking of her gorgeous girlfriend, the two of them walked hand in hand as they head down to the restaurant. She looked at the blonde beside her, she is just mesmerized by those dimples and deep blue eyes. Sasha's beauty is truly breath-taking, she is an angel. Shay knows that being with Sasha is the best thing that has happened to her and she is not going to do anything to ruin what they have.

"If that's the case, you better tell her about your sexcapade." Whispered the small voice in her head. Shay knows that the voice inside her head is right, and she has to do something about it. Shay was brought back to reality when she felt Sasha's hand grip her tightly as if asking her if she's okay. She offered up her widest smile and kissed Sasha gently on the lips.

"Did you text Archer to tell him we're heading to the restaurant?" Shay asked Sasha, desperate to make conversation.

"Yes, he said they'll meet us there and eat lunch with us," Sasha responded with a smile. The elevator reached the lobby, they all head out and walked straight towards the restaurant.

"This is just great!" Shay thought to herself.

As they entered the restaurant, they were immediately greeted by a very excited and eager Archer.

"Hey, sexy?! Are you and your friends ready?" Archer said as he rushed and hugged Sasha.

"Ready as we'll ever be, handsome," Sasha responded and hugged Archer tightly.

"Thanks for inviting us," Shay said as she reached out and offered her hand to Archer.

"What's this boo? Your girl offering me a handshake?" Archer teasingly said and turned to look at Sasha.

Sasha started laughing. "Easy, boo."

"Just kidding. Come here, Shay. After everything, I believe we deserve more than a handshake," Archer said and offered a warm embrace.

Shay smiled and hugged him tightly and whispered to his ear, "Thanks for this and everything else."

Archer understood what she meant and winked at her as a reply.

They all settled in at a corner table, and Shay can't help but notice that Cece is not around. She does not want to ask about the other blonde, it would be too suspicious. Keegan and Tyler both sat beside Troian and Ashley, clearly happy to see the girls. Shay also noticed that Dylan is not with them, so she saw this as an opportunity to ask Archer.

"Archie? Where's Dylan?"

"Oh, he's with Cece. There was a slight change of plans. They had to check the yacht before we can sail, so we'll meet them there."

A wave of relief flowed through Shay's body. This means, she has at least an hour before she has to face Cece, and she's totally good with that.

Everyone ordered their meals and chatted while waiting. Keegan and Tyler are getting to know the girls, while Lucy and Ian are in their own little bubble. Shay, Sasha, and Archer are talking nonstop, where Archer is sharing some embarrassing moments he had with Sasha. It was just a positive and good vibe all around.

It is very evident that they're excited about this trip, so when the food arrived, silence suddenly fell on their table. All you can hear is the sound of their utensils making their way across the table. Everyone's eating very fast making sure that they get to the marina before 1 PM.

After having a delicious lunch, the group headed out to the parking lot. They'd be driving separately; the girls will be using Troian's car, while Archer and his group will ride in his car. After a few minutes of driving, they have reached the marina and were greeted by Dylan who's waiting for them at the entrance.

As they stepped out of their cars, Shay saw Cece walking towards the group. "This is it, keep it cool Mitchell. Forget everything." Shay said to herself. She walked hand in hand with Sasha and the rest of the girls close behind them.

"We are so excited that you'd be joining us," Dylan greeted them, as he reached his hand for Archer.

"Thank you so much for letting us tag along," Sasha said.

"It's a pleasure, plus the guys are excited to hang out with your friends," Dylan responded, making sure the girls heard him.

"I assure you, my friends are equally excited," Shay said, making all of them laugh.

"Hey! We're not!" Troian said.

"Speak for yourself," Ashley said, with a laugh.

"What's going on here?" Tyler said as he popped up beside Dylan.

"Nothing, nothing. C'mon. Let's head to the yacht," Dylan said in response.

Cece was talking to Lucy and Ian, which made Shay relax a bit. She needs to stop acting paranoid about the situation. She decided to just enjoy the trip and make the most out of the time they have. When they reached the yacht, everyone was amazed by how beautiful it is. It's all-white exterior and the overall aesthetic is just perfect. The girls looked at each other and giggled as they all make their way into the yacht.

"This is so beautiful," Sasha said as she held Shay's hand.

"I'm glad you like it. I am the one that chose this. When I laid eyes on it, I knew it's the perfect gift for my best friend and Archer," Cece said as she caught up with them and walked beside Sasha.

"You have good taste," Sasha said in response.

"I guess, you're right," Cece responded and as she said this, her gaze landed on Shay.

Shay felt uneasy as Cece gazed at her. She quickly looked away and pretended to be admiring the place. Cece then averted her gaze and continued walking, guiding the group inside.

Ashley, who's just behind them noticed this exchange. She also noticed how uneasy it made Shay, so she made a mental note to ask her best friend about it.

When everyone has settled comfortably in the very lavish yacht, they are now ready to sail. Their afternoon is about to be filled with food, booze, good music and everything else.

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Sorry it took me a while to update the story. I've been busy with personal stuff. I just want to thank everyone for patiently waiting for the story to continue. I will try my best to update more often, with more chapters. This story is special to me, since writing this is my way of coping. Let's face it, The Perfectionists, being cancelled was a very sad news. I just wish they allowed us to know what happened to Emison and the girls, who killed Nolan and who the professor is. A lot of questions left unanswered. Plus not seeing Alison, Mona and the OGs by extension, is really sad for me. I might incorporate some characters in the story, just to make up for it. Anyway, thank you so much again for taking your time to read this. Let me know if you want me to add new characters from the perfectionists. I will definitely be introducing some of my favorite characters from the original cast in the new chapters that are coming. So I hope you guys will like that too. 

all my love, Fephzie