The Sun in My Eyes

22 Got Scared When the Lights Went Low

**THIS CHAPTER IS STEAMY. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED**

There was a welcome party for Henrik and Lucas that night. Buckets of champagne on ice decorated spindly lawn tables. Electronica thumped from the speakers. The garden glowed with neon sculptures and hanging lights pulsing in time to music.

But that was the only thing that glowed.

Bobby pretended to sip his champagne so he could look at Lili. Marisol and Hope were animatedly discussing a true crime podcast they both loved. Lili stood with them, nodding, but not contributing to the conversation. In fact, she'd been nearly silent since she returned from her date with Lucas.

Which was fine as he'd been avoiding her.

He'd been trying to sort her out in his head all afternoon. She was unhappy after he'd told her about his numbers. But then he brought her tea and afterward she'd been so sweet, stroking his arms, holding his hand, like she couldn't get enough of his touch. But when she left for that date, things went pear-shaped. She'd been upset when he told her to have fun. Should he not have said that? He wasn't sure what she wanted, and he hated not knowing how to clear out his fog and bring back her warm light.

So when she returned he stayed out of her way.

Priya gave him a questioning look and gripped his arm, dragging him into the fray. Lili looked over at him and then her gaze slipped away.

"Rahim's making drinks over at the bar," Priya said. "Come get a drink with me, Marisol. You too, Hope!" She yanked them away, leaving him alone with Lili. Dammit, Priya.

He cleared his throat. "Lil, you are looking as hot as gas mark 10."

She smoothed the skirt of her strappy black dress. "Thank you," she said, her voice falsely chipper.

He took a step closer to her, wanting so badly to cross the icy bridge that separated them. "I was—"

"Hey!" Rocco clapped him on the shoulder. "How are your stars aligning, Bobby?"

Pure perfect. Just what he wanted to discuss.

Lili looked around, as if searching for an escape. Suddenly she waved her arm. "Come join us!" Bobby barely held onto his cheerful smile as Henrik and Lucas jogged over, showering Lili in grateful smiles. Well. That was just great.

For ages, it felt like, Henrik gibbered about rock climbing, while Rocco looked more and more put out that he was no longer the villa's only adventurous hippy. It turned into a dick measuring contest between them, which Henrik won by nattering on about climbing giant boulders and nearly killing himself for the fun of it.

Lili appeared a bit bored by the whole thing. Maybe that dumb prank he pulled earlier could do some good and make her smile. He was absolutely willing to look like an idiot for one of her smiles. So he shifted dramatically, and bit his lip, looking antsy-in-the- pantsy until Rocco gave him a confused look. "Are you alright?"

"Notice anything different about yourselves?" He shifted his gaze back and forth between Rocco and Henrik. They both shrugged. "I switched your underwear around when you weren't looking! You're wearing each other's pants!" He laughed like an unstable hyena.

No one joined him. Until Lili gave an amused snort. "It's not going viral anytime soon."

"I was under pressure!"

"Well we didn't fall for it," Rocco said.

Henrik smiled. "We just thought they'd changed our cupboards round."