"You ungrateful bitch. I keep a roof over your head, and this is the thanks I get?"
"You could have killed her," I retort, trying to muster up confidence that I don't possess. "What if she goes to the cops, Dad? That bruise on her face is enough to...
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The cabin is even more beautiful than I envisioned.
With an elegant timber frame, a porch that wraps around the house, and no other dwellings for miles, it's an introvert's dream. I can already imagine coming outside to watch the sunset, a book in one hand and a cup of tea in the other.
The interior of the cabin is just as stunning. The farmhouse kitchen has rich mahogany floors and blick-lined walls. The lounge area looks unbelievably cozy, with a suede L-shaped couch and several armchairs with matching ottomans. A massive flatscreen is mounted on the wall, which I'm sure Cordelia's family never watches. From what I know about rich people, extravagant appliances like giant TVs and thousand-dollar espresso machines are more for show than actual use.
"Alright, there are six bedrooms," Cordelia announces. "Declan and I already have dibs on the master, but the others are up for grabs."
As if she just waved a flag, everyone races up the stairs two at a time. Aside from Declan and Cordelia, there are seven of us and only five bedrooms.
A blonde girl and a guy with shaggy brown hair slip into one room, quickly closing the door behind them. Another boy claims the chamber adjacent to theirs.
There are three rooms remaining, but four of us. Jose, Effie, Damian, and I stare at each other, unsure of what to do.
Before the panic sets in, Effie loops her arm through mine and says, "You boys pick the rooms you want. I'll bunk with Layla."
I shoot her a grateful look as Damian and Jose choose their sleeping quarters for the week. We take the last room and begin to unpack our suitcases.
"The bed's big enough for both of us," Effie says, "but if you want me to take the floor, I will."
"We can share the bed," I reply, glancing at the queen-sized mattress. "Thank you, by the way, for offering to stay with me. My other options were my ex-boyfriend and—"
"The guy you're madly in love with?"
My mouth hangs open as I struggle to form words. "Wh-what?"
"It's obvious to anyone with eyes that you two are head-over-heels for each other," she states, shrugging her shoulders.
"Damian and I are just friends," I say for the millionth time.
"Layla, I was the one who found you half alive in the cemetery, remember? I sat with Damian in the waiting room of Starkton General for hours. Boy, was he a mess."
"Yeah, because we're friends."
"He told me you had a smile that could cure cancer. Do 'just friends' say that?"
I stop unpacking and turn to her. "Wait, did he actually use those words?"
