As the pilot announced the plane's arrival to Mexico, I exhaled a breath of relief. Not only was the flight long, but boring. My phone had died about half way through, cutting off the music that flowed through my earbuds and casting me into a lonely state. I'd tried to sleep every now and then, but each time the route got bumpy, nasally wails erupted from all sides of the plane.
I turned my head out the window and watched the ground get closer and closer. Tall green-leafed trees tickled the canopies and I wondered what kind of wildlife took shelter under the tall structures. Within seconds, my eyes were torn away from them and forced to look at pavement as the plane smoothly landed on the airport runway. Although the pilot had made a clear note to keep seat belts fastened as the plane pulled up to the gate, I could still hear the soft sound of buckles being slid out of place.
Another baby sounded off and I glanced backward in annoyance before Calum nudged my side with his elbow, asking me if I was going to finish my fruit snacks. I looked down at my lap and saw the bag half-eaten. I thought for a moment before taking the plastic in my fingertips and tossing it over to him. He beamed at me with a cheeky smile.
"Thanks, Lukey," he said and plucked one of the treats out of the bag and popped them into his mouth. I smiled lightly at him and looked out the window as the airport building got closer. It was strange seeing a plane just drive around the runway lots and I pictured an airplane casually rolling down the highway. Calum nudged me and I snapped my attention to him. "Watch'a smiling about?" he asked and started looking around the plane. "Are you smiling at that girl over there?" he questioned. I shook my head and denial immediately. "Good, because Ashton's been gazing at her for the past hour."
Although we were all going on a little vacation during our break between tours for fun, I had a feeling it also had something to do with hooking up with girls. When we arrived at the airport in Sydney, they pointed out girls. Boarding the plane, they pointed out girls. While they had their fun winking and chatting with them, I stood back and watched like the wallflower I am.
A soft ding echoed throughout the large plane and I unbuckled my seat belt and stood up, stretching my legs as I followed Calum into the aisle. We grabbed our bags from the overhead bin and then walked out of the plane, meeting with Ashton and Michael inside the airport. I could feel the humidity clinging to my clothes as we walked through the foreign atmosphere. We found the exit and the doors slid back, exposing hot air to our air conditioned lungs. We looked around for our ride and Ashton pointed out a tall man holding a sign with '5SOS' on it.
We approached him and he greeted us cheerily before grabbing our bags and placing them in the back of a black limo. Michael opened the door and we crawled in. I saw Calum staring at something built into the side of the limo. His fingers reached over and brushed a small handle, as if testing it's strength, before pulling it open. Chilled air leaked into the limo and I caught sight of stacks of mini water bottles. My dry mouth throbbed at the sight and I read a sticker stuck to the inside of the door that read, 'Complementary.' Instantly we all plucked a bottle from the top of the pile.
I screwed off the lid and raised the top to my lips. I held the cool liquid in my mouth for a moment before an elbow caught my ribs and I was forced to swallow. I gasped in a breath of surprise and looked to my right where Ashton looked guilty.
"Sorry, but look!" he said and pointed out the window. Michael and Calum were both staring out the tinted glass and I leaned forward, looking around curiously. "Not there, there!" Ashton corrected me. I followed his finger carefully and saw the back of a brunette and a blonde haired girl walking down the sidewalk with shopping bags in their hands. He quickly rolled down the window and rippled a whistle from between his lips. Instantly the two girls looked toward the limo and giggled innocently. Ashton beamed at them and I sunk back in my seat, staring out the window on the opposite side of the vehicle.
Once again an elbow met my ribs but I paid no mind. I pretended like I didn't feel it, until it came again, sharper. "Ow!" I protested and looked over. Out the window was the sign to our resort. "Finally," I breathed. We pulled up the drive and stopped just in front of the main doors to the hotel. The driver got out and opened the door for us and we got out as he placed our bags at the bottom of the steps that lead up to the doors. We thanked him and Calum pulled a twenty from his pocket before we grabbed our luggage and walked inside.
Festive music played as we glanced around, glowering at the orange walls and colorful tile. In the center of the room was a fountain, it's base shimmering with wishful pennies. To the left was the entrance to a bar called "La Cabana" which Calum translated as "The Hut." On the other side of the room was a sliding glass door that lead to the pool, and to the right of that was a hallway filled with gift shops and a mini grocery store. On the right wall was the front desk, and we strolled over there with our luggage and checked in. The concierge explained how the resort towers surrounded the large pool, and that our resort tower, Building D, was between the pool and the ocean.
"So we'll get an ocean view?" Michael asked as we walked away from the front desk with our room keys in our hands. I held tight to mine, since the concierge had said that any thing we had to pay for in the hotel could just be charged to our room using the key.
"Sounds like it," Ashton said. To get to Building D we had to walk out the doors to the pool area. While we passed many basking beauties, I kept my eyes off their bums and more on the slippery surface beneath my feet.
We crossed the pool area and walked along a pathway that ran along Building D until we arrived at an elevator. We took it up to the sixth floor and walked to our room, D612. While Ashton began opening the door, I turned around. The hallway leading to our door was open, a waist-high railing letting us gaze out at the pool simply by walking out our door. The door beeped quietly followed by a soft click as it unlocked and Ashton pushed it open. Immediately as we walked in, we were introduced to a narrow kitchen area. We kept walking straight and found ourselves in a wide square room that served as a living area, and just on the other side was the sliding glass doors that lead to the balcony. On each side of the living room was a small hallway. Attached to each was a bathroom, and a room filled with two queen sized beds. Calum and I took the room to the right, while Ashton and Michael took the room to the left.
We grabbed our suitcases and hauled them up on the bed as we began to unpack our things in the dresser that held the TV.
"I'm sleeping in a queen sized bed and I don't even have a queen to share it with," Calum moped and I chuckled at the clever statement. "Will you be my queen, Lukey?" Calum asked and suddenly he was directly next to me, and he poked my cheek. I shook my head and he pouted out his lip. "Why not?" he whined.
"You're too good for me," I stated with a playfully smirk.
Calum shrugged his shoulders pitifully and let out a breathy sigh. "What you say is true, Lucas," he stated and I shook my head with a soft laugh as I finished my packing. I walked back to the living room and walked out onto the balcony. The tile was sticky with humidity and I walked to the black railing, looking out at the blue ocean as the waves gently brushed at the shore. Below people walked while others ran and a select view tried to start up a volleyball game that was destined for failure. The elderly would miss their canes soon enough.
I retreated back to the room, which was fairly cold compared to the outdoors. The difference made me eager to slide in my swim trunks and head to the pool. I walked to Calum and I's room and, although the door was wide open, Calum was boldly changing in the middle. He looked unfazed as he watched me enter.
"Sup," he said cooly. I didn't respond. I shook my head with a soft chuckle and walked to the dresser, pulling it open and going through my different trunks. He grabbed a grey pair with light blue on the sides and walked past the nude Calum and entered the bathroom. I slid into the trunks, leaving my t-shirt on for the trip I had to endure to get to the poolside spot I had imagined laying out in the sun.
I walked out and headed to the living room area, securing the room key in the pocket of my swim trunks and slid a hand through my hair. I sucked in surprise and quickly walked back to the bedroom. I'd nearly forgotten my phone and earbuds: my only chance to survive boredom. I walked back to the living room and gripped the smooth silver doorknob to the door as a voice sounded behind me.
"Going so soon?" Michael questioned. He wasn't dressed in swimwear, but he had changed. Sort of. He was wearing his tank top, but his pants were no where to be seen.
"Yeah, I'm gonna see if I can get us some chairs," I explained. Gentle panting came from the doorway and I turned to see Calum hopping into his boxers, his shoulders clumsily bumping into the doorway. He supported his weight there to keep himself from falling before tying the strings of his swim trunks. His torso was bare and ready to jump into the pool.
"Don't leave without me!" he commanded as he slowly started walking over, his mind concentrating on his long fingers tying the strings together.
From the other side of the condo came another shout. "I'm coming!" Ashton called. He walked in, his hands adjusting the hem of the tank top he'd just slid on. Then they ran up to his hair, concealed by a blue bandana.
"Don't leave me here by myself," MIchael pouted.
"Go change then," Ashton said and Michael ran back. He came back a moment later, his tank top hugging his shoulders and a pair of grey trunks hanging from his hips.
Each of us grabbed our room keys and I opened the door. We walked out of the room, instantly faced by the pool below. We walked to the elevator and rode down, then strode toward the pool. The water was inhabited by several different types of people. Elderlies breaststroked around the edges. Toddlers sloppily paddled back and forth between their parents, and a few couples dotted the waters in a smooth embrace.
I tore my eyes off the glistening waters and watched my feet as we walked around the slippery sides of the pool. We finally found three chairs and I gripped my phone and earbuds tightly in my hand. I set down my things on the small table beside a chair and grabbed the back of my shirt, lifting it up over my head and encasing me with the color of the fabric. I then pulled it off all the way and held the discarded clothing in my hand as I stared blankly at the three boys who'd taken the chairs. I looked around for another chair, but there were none.
"Aw, don't be so glum, Lukey," Calum said and I turned to face him. "We can take turns. You can walk around the pool 5 times, and then Michael will switch with you."
"Hey!" Michael protested, but Calum just smirked at him. I shrugged my shoulders and decided to leave them there. I slid off my sandals and began walking.
At the center of the pool, pressed against the edge, was a pool bar. The stools sat underwater, the countertop just 6 inches from the surface of the water. On the other side of the counter, blenders were lined up, along with different types of alcohol. On the back side there was a staircase leading into the small bar for the workers, and waiters zig-zagged up and down the steps, carrying trails filled with various drinks as they served the residents of the hotel. I'd maneuvered around five by the time I was 20 feet away from where the boys laid, sunbathing.
Once again I stared down at my feet, watching my feet kick small puddles of pool water. Out of the corner of my eye I censored movement. I looked up, but it was too late.
A girl was doing the same as I was, staring down at the tile surrounding the pool, holding a silver bracelet in her hands. I hadn't even heard her coming. Now I quickly stopped, but she kept walking and bumped into my chest. She backed up in surprise quickly, her feet slipping out from underneath her. She twisted her body around to catch herself, but the movement caused her to slide in the air and she landed with a soft splash into the pool.
I heard soft snickering and looked over to see Calum and Ashton in riots of laughter. Michael looked like he was already asleep.
I quickly turned back to the scene and watched the girl surface, her cheeks red as she heard laughter directed toward her. Her once dry hair and clothes were now soaked with chlorine and I felt guilt building in the pit of my stomach. She neared the edge of the pool and I stuck out my hand to help her up, but she looked at it and shyly glanced away.
"That's okay," she said. She began to get out of the pool and I quickly turned to where Calum and Ashton continued to giggle. I signaled for them to quiet down before turning back around. The girl was standing now, heading toward her chair. On her cheeks were droplets of water, and I figured it was from the pool. That is, until I saw her elbow scraped rapidly with rich red blood threatening to ooze out at any given moment.
I quickly rushed over to her, the ball of guilt exploding into every square inch of my body. I touched her shoulder awkwardly and she spun around with a look of fear in her face.
"What?" she asked and I could sense a pinch of annoyance in her tone. Maybe going back to her wasn't a great idea.
"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry," I stammered out quickly. She shrugged her shoulders and suddenly looked down at her elbow. Her eyebrows centered in concern, but she quickly placed it back to her side and rotated it at an angle where I couldn't see the gashes which were my fault.
"It's fine," she said before brushing past me, obviously wanting nothing to do with me. I watched her go with a small sigh before walking back to the boys.
"I'm not walking anymore," I said and glanced back. "I just made a mark on a girl."
"That's the whole point of this vacation!" Calum blurted out smartly and I shook my head.
"Yeah, but my kind of mark bleeds."
"Well, Lucas, if that's your kind of kink, go ahead," Ashton retaliated. I stared both of them down before shaking my head.
"I think I'm gonna head to the beach," I said. "Anyone wanna come?" The other boys just shook their heads, excluding Michael, who sat in the chair sleeping. I sighed and walked back to the table near the chairs and grabbed my phones and earbuds before walking between a few buildings, down gently sloping stairs and finally, onto the white grains of sand.
The volleyball game had finally kicked into full swing, the seniors stepping back to let the young adults play on the smoothened court. I carefully stepped around the marked barriers, so not to protrude into their game. My feet lead me down to the shore line where the crystal blue waters licked the shore and turned parts of the trampled sand dark. Patches of seaweed dotted the waves and I felt the temperature with my toe. I watched a young, hairy male carry a female passenger on his back as he sliced into the waves. The two laughed as they toppled over into the water together.
I sighed and backed away slowly. How much fun could you have by yourself? I began walking along the shoreline. Everyone here was either walking with their lover, or an elder. They walked hand in hand or hand in cane as I swerved around them. Just as I reached the end of the resort property, I heard soft panting behind me. I assumed it was just a jogger until I heard the breathless mutter of my name. I whirled around and looked at Calum with a questioning look.
"We're going up to the room to change," he explained.
"But we just got down here," I bickered with a frown. "Shouldn't we at least touch the pool?"
"Yeah, but by the time we take showers and everything, that bar in the lobby, La Cabana, is hosting a welcoming party for guests that arrived in the last week," Calum said. "Now come on!"
After a moment of hesitation, I left the ocean for our hotel room and quickly slipped inside. Calum let me take a shower first, so I quickly jumped in, warm water budding from the shower head as I washed my hair, my fingers rubbing the shampoo into each strand. I rinsed and conditioned, then washed my body with a small washcloth I found outside the shower curtain.
After a little bit of confusion, I managed to figure out how to turn off the shower and I stepped out, water dripping from my body onto the sleep floor. I hovered over the toilet and grabbed my towel that hung just above it, then walking to the sink. Water droplets slid off my arms and onto the smooth porcelain counter top. Then I wrapped the towel around my waist and opened the door, steam billowing out into the cool room.
Calum stood outside the door, waiting. He had his towel ready in one hand and he walked past me as I entered our room. Before I could slide on my boxers, Calum yelled for me.
"Lucas!" he shouted. I slowly walked over, curiosity building my nerves. "What the fuck is this?" he asked with a slightly amused tint in his tone. Pools of water gathered on the tile. I looked around the bathroom and admired how I'd even managed to get water droplets on the walls. "You fuck-tard," he said and elbowed me gently. I laughed and then went back to the room and changed into shorts and a black tank top.
I walked out of the room and through the living room, peeling back the sliding glass door and strolling onto the balcony. The easy sea breeze ruffled my hair and I decided to let it naturally dry. I sat in one of the lounging chairs next to the balcony and stared down at the white sand as people snoozed in the sun that was starting to tint their skin red, while the volleyball game was wrapping up. The salty air made me smile and I leaned back in my chair, presuming watching the people of the beach curiously.
The door opened behind me and Michael stepped out, running his hands through his dried hair. He greeted me and walked up to the railing beside where I sat, gazing out at the beach. "Woah," he said, his eyes glistening with desire.
"I know, the ocean's beautiful," I said with a confident smile. I stood up and joined him at the railing. I felt his eyes staring at me and turned my head to see him giving me a questioning look.
"I'm not talking about the ocean," Michael stated. I frowned and looked out at the volleyball court and to the umbrellas, trying to see what he was talking about. His hand gently found the underside of my jaw and he carefully tilted my head down to see a girl walking in only a bikini. She was walking away from the beach, back to the pool, and pretty soon she disappeared beneath the tunnel that separated the two. "You alright Luke?" he questioned.
I looked over at Michael suddenly and realized I'd been biting my lip. "Oh, yeah... it's just that.... that's the girl I knocked into the pool," I said, feeling the singe of guilt once more burn into my chest.
"Aw, don't feel bad. You were gonna get her wet sometime anyway," he smirked and I felt a smile rising on my lips, causing a dimple to pop out. Feeling a bit better, I let a joyous laugh leave my chest and we walked back into the air conditioned suite to find Calum and Ashton waiting for us.
We grabbed our room keys and our phones and walked out of the suite, down to the elevator. Upon reaching the ground floor, we walked across the pool area. As we passed the area where I'd knocked the girl into the water, I saw a gleam of silver from the bottom of the pool.
"Hold up guys," I said and they turned and looked at me. I crouched down and leaned over to see the silver bracelet the girl had been holding in her hands before the impact. I looked over and saw some kids playing. "Hello, excuse me?" I asked, trying to be polite. The girl, maybe seven or eight, looked up at me and stared. "Could you swim down and get me that bracelet?" I asked. She gazed down at the water curiously.
The girl's mother came up from behind her. "Hey there my little scuba diver," she beamed. The little girl giggled and hugged her mother. "What's that I see? Buried treasure?" she questioned playfully, pointing at the water. Instantly the girl came alive and sloppily jumped into the water. She resurfaced momentarily with the beautiful silver bracelet gripped in her tiny palm.
She swam back to her mother and gave it to her mother. "Thank you, angel," she smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Now why don't you and your brother go dry off and we'll go finger painting in the Crafts Center." The girl and her brother, who couldn't be much older, lifted themselves from the pool as the mother waded over to the edge of the pool.
"Thank you so much," I beamed as I gently took it from her and gripped it in my palm.
"It's no problem," the mother smiled. With that I stood and gazed at the bracelet as the mother waded toward the pool ladder. The clasp, the string and the beads were all silver, but in the beads were different designs made with blackened grooves.
"Come on, Luke," Calum said and I looked up from the jewelry to see them several feet ahead. I stuffed the bracelet in my pocket and speed walked to catch up. We walked up the stairs to the lobby and were once again blasted with air conditioning. We turned to find a large crowd gathered around La Cabana's entrance.
To the left of the entrance was clipped a sign that read, "Must Be 17 or Older to Enter."
"Wow, Luke, you barely made it," Michael stated. I smiled lightly and chuckled lightly before someone from the inside opened the doors and people spewed in.
We followed, but considering we were in the outer edge of the crowd, by the time we got in, there were no empty tables. Calum pointed at a round table with three girls sitting at it.
"Why don't we go sit with them?" Before I could answer, he turned to me. "Look, Lukey! It's your friend from earlier," he grinned.
"Yeah, I don't think we should go over there," I said and quickly looked around for more options for seating.
"Come on," Michael said and I slowly trailed after them as they made their way to the girls.
"Hello there," Ashton greeted charmingly. "Mind if we sit with you?"
"Sure, go ahead," one of the girls beamed upward at him.
The boys started taking their seats in three of the four empty chairs at the girl's table while I stood for a moment. The only available seat left was next to the girl whom I'd pushed into the pool. Pushing past the wall of hesitance, I sat and stared at the edge of the table while the boys tried to make conversation.
"I'm Calum," the brunet smiled. "And these are my friends, Ashton, Michael, and Luke." He pointed at us as he called us by name. "I believe you've met Luke before, haven't you?" As he said that I shot him a hateful glance.
"Yeah," the girl seated next to me said. Her friends gave her puzzled looks. "He's the guy who I ran into at the pool earlier," she explained.
"That reminds me," I said, looking up for the first time since we'd seated at the table. I shoved my hand in my pocket and pulled out the silver bracelet.
"Oh my gosh! My bracelet!" the girl exclaimed in excitement. I gently handed it to her and she observed it, as if checking for damage. "Thank you so much, I was looking everywhere for this! I thought I'd lost it in the ocean or something."
"Nope, I found it at the bottom of the pool," I said and smiled weakly. She carefully latched it around her wrist and threw her arms around me.
"Thanks so much, this was my grandmas," she smiled. "I'd die if I lost it," she said. She pulled her arms back and I could feel the pink blush glowing on my cheeks.
"It's no problem," I smiled lightly and she held out her hand.
"I'm Y/N," she introduced herself. I burned the name into a large portion of my brain. I shook her hand gently.
"Nice to meet you," I said with a sweet smile.
"And these are my friends Amy and Sam," Y/N said, pointing to the brunette and the blonde.
"Hi," they introduced themselves.
"So where are you from?" Michael asked curiously.
"We're from (Your Hometown)," Sam smiled lightly. "What about you guys?"
"We're from Australia," Ashton said.
"That makes sense, that's a very cool accent," Amy smiled happily.
"Thank you," Ashton grinned. "So did you three come here alone...?"
"Nah, me and Amy tagged along with Y/N and her family," Sam stated and I looked over at Y/N.
"Who all's in your family?" I asked.
"There's me, my parents, and my older brother, Y/B/N," Y/N stated with a smile. "We came here on a family trip, but my parents let me bring some friends."
"Oh, that's cool," I smiled lightly before the conversation was abruptly interrupted by the M.C. tapping the top of the mic impatiently. When all was silent, he greeted the guests.
"Hello, everybody and welcome to your Mexican paradise!" he greeted them and applause and cheering echoed throughout the room. "We're going to be serving free drinks in a moment, but there's quite a few of you here so please be patient. We'll be playing the greatest songs from across the globe, so let's get this party started!" he cheered and all around people cheered once more.
Someone approached the table with a big bottle of Smirnoff vodka. He lined up our glasses and expertly filled each small glass to the rim before passing the glasses back, not spilling a single drop. All though the age for drinking is 18 in Mexico, they'd probably even serve a 16 year old alcohol. If you look 18, that's good enough for them.
While everyone else dipped their heads back and downed the shots smoothly, I played with the small glass in my fingertips. On the side of it was the name of the resort and I traced the letters with my fingernail.
"Luke, you alright?" Calum asked. I looked up and saw them staring at me in confusion. I raised a brow. "You didn't take your shot."
"I'm just not thirsty," I explained. Calum opened up his palm in suggestion and I slid it across the table over to him. He scooped it up and threw the vodka to the back of his throat.
"So how long are you staying?" Sam asked as Calum set down the emptied glass on the table with a small 'clink.'
"A few days," Michael said. My fingers tapped along the table as the others conversed. It was mostly just the girls and my friends talking, so I excused myself to go to the bathroom. I scooted back my chair and walked away casually. I turned the corner and walked right past the bathrooms, and out the door back to the lobby. I went out the back to the pool area, where a gap between the hotel buildings gave a teasing shot at the sunset.
I walked across the pool, its inhabitants collecting their belongings to head back to the room. I walked between the buildings and down to the beach, the sand sliding between my flip flops as I made my way down to the shore. The sun was half-eaten by the vast blue ocean, the sky a thousand shades of orange, pink and purple.
I sat in the sand, close enough to the ocean so that on every other wave the salty water came up and seeped around my toes before retreating. I hugged my knees and rested my chin between them. Out on the horizon, a cruise ship was passing once more. Something shot from the deck, a piercing light in the sky, before exploding into fireworks. I could just barely hear the loud cheering from the passengers on the ship over the waves striking the sand, and it was no doubt they were celebrating something. Perhaps a wedding.
I looked to my right and Calum was standing next to me. He sat beside me in the sand and caught me up on what I'd missed: Amy and Ashton had gone to the room, for "alone time," and Michael and Sam were going back to Sam's room for "alone time" which I had a feeling meant sex. "I'd tried to get Y/N in my bed, but she said she was interested in someone else," Calum explained. "Bummer, I'd give her the highlight of her vacation," Calum joked and I laughed weakly. "So what happened to going to the bathroom?"
"The ocean is my bathroom," I joked and moved my arms out to gesture to the wide body of water that stretched for miles and miles to the left and to the right.
"Yeah, right," Calum said with a small smile. "Seriously though?"
"I don't know... it was kinda loud in there, I didn't really feel like partying," I explained.
"Well that's a shame. Ya know, there's a beautiful girl in there by herself... awaiting attention from some nice boy," Calum offered. I looked over my shoulder and back at Calum.
"You mean Y/N? I don't know, she might still be mad at me. I mean, she does have a right to. After all, I did push her in a pool," I said.
"Are you kidding? After you handed over the bracelet she looked like she was about to straddle you right then," Calum said, which made me laugh.
"Alright, alright. C'mon, let's head in," I said and he walked back to the lobby and reentered La Cabana. The tables were empty and now many people were standing on the dance floor, grinding to the music. My heart sunk when I saw her with another boy, but was instantly corrected as I realized that wasn't her.
She was standing in the corner, looking down at her phone.
"Go get her, Tiger," Calum mumbled in my ear. I chuckled and walked over to Y/N. Her eyes lit up as she saw me coming.
"Thank God, I was so alone," she said with a little laugh. "Where'd you go? You were in the 'bathroom' for quite a while there," she said with a knowing smile.
I shrugged, a small smile escaping my tight lips. "I went down to the beach to get some fresh air," I simplified. She nodded understandingly.
"Yeah, I was gonna go do that, too. It's a little crazy in here, and it smells like puke and whiskey."
"We could go to my room?" I offered. She started to think and I urged her on. "It doesn't smell like puke, I promise." She laughed and nodded her head.
I smiled and she let me hold her hand as I lead her up to the hotel room. I opened up the door to the hotel room and Ashton and Amy were sitting at the dining room table. Their hair was a mess, their clothes sloppy and wrinkled as they shared pizza.
"Hey Luke," Ashton said with a proud smirk.
"You got laid, didn't you?" I asked. Ashton and Amy looked at each other and started to laugh, which I took as a yes. I lead Y/N out to the balcony and we stared out at the ocean. I looked over and the seabreeze was gently ruffling her hair, sending it back from from her shoulders. Her eyes were brightened by the light of the setting sun as it breathed its last gulps of air before gliding under the waves. Her fingers gripped the black railing and I bit my lip.
"I.. I haven't stopped thinking about you today," I admitted. I looked away from her and stared down at the railing. To be more exact, the strip of railing that separated our hands from touching. I could tell she was looking at me, and I was nervous to create eye contact. When I did, I just admired those beautiful eyes she had.
"I haven't stopped thinking about you either," she admitted with a small smile. I beamed and then gently took her hand in mine. I pulled her close and our lips attached. I held her there and as we parted, we stared at each other.
Then I lead her back inside, past Ashton and Amy and to Calum and I's bedroom. I shut and locked the door and kissed her again, this time roughly. She fell back on the bed and I followed. Then she parted our lips and backed up.
"Luke, we can't do this," she said softly.
"Why not?" I asked, staring at her blankly.
"I'm leaving tomorrow," she said. "I don't wanna start something I can't finish." I frowned and slumped slightly on the bed. I stared down at the mattress as she gently held my hand. "I'm sorry."
I looked back up at her and gently kissed her cheek. "It's fine," I mumbled and looked up at her. "Could we at least cuddle then?"
We ended up falling asleep like that; our legs entangled with her back pressed against my chest. One of my arms supported my head while the other was loosely draped across her hip. When we woke in the morning, I slid my arm away so she could turn in toward me. I smiled at the sight of her and she leaned in, pressing a simple kiss to my lips.
"I really wanna see you again," she said as she curled into my chest. I breathed in the sweet smell of her hair and pressed a kiss to her nose.
"You will, I promise. And this time, I won't knock you in a pool."
