I nodded. "The room is huge; the beds are far apart. Besides, Eden gets up at like five AM to do yoga. Believe me, it's annoying."
Simon smiled; my heart lurched at the way his eyes lit up. "Okay. Only if you're sure?"
I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure. We're all adults here."
We climbed into our respective beds, leaving our lamps on. The light was low enough not to bother our eyes. Although, I could see that he was on his phone. Probably sexting someone.
I tossed a little bit before resting on my back with a small sigh. Despite my tiredness, I couldn't fall asleep. I was starting to regret suggesting that we share a room; it was making me a little self-aware.
Simon placed his phone on the bedside table and laid back on the bed, his hands behind his head.
"Rain's stopped," I whispered—my feeble attempt to fill the silence.
"Yeah," his deep voice vibrated through me. "Barr and I are hiking up Coopers Trail in the morning."
I laughed. "This was supposed to be a wedding getaway slash bachelor and bachelorette party. But it seems like you and Barron are spending the majority of time together," I joked.
Simon was silent for a fraction. "What can I say? I've missed my cousin."
I went silent at that admission. I could hear the sadness and regret in his voice.
I turned to face him, placing my hand under my cheek. "Eden told me that you two cleared the air."
I watched the shadows play on his face as he stared at the ceiling. "It was long overdue." He turned to meet my stare with a smile. "I'm happy that she and Barr got back together. Selfishly, it absolved some of the guilt I felt. Like I had something to do with their break up."
"Um...well, you did," I retorted.
Simon laughed, shaking his head. "Trust you to keep me honest," he quipped.
I sighed before admitting something I never thought I would tell him. "Truthfully...I know neither Barron nor Eden blames you for any of that shit. When we were young, it was easy to shift the blame. Eden always held Barron accountable for his actions."
Simon was quiet for a long time, soaking in my words as he took a few deep breaths. When the silence became too much, I turned onto my back again, tapping my fingers against my hand.
"I'm glad they found their way back to each other," I murmured. "I truly believe they're soulmates."
I heard him shift around on his bed. "You really believe in that stuff? One person for life?"
"That's what my parents had."
"Yeah?" His voice was prompting, curious.
"They had a love story for the ages," I softly confessed, a small melancholic smile played on my lips.
"Tell me," he invited. I turned my head to him. He was leaning on his elbow, watching me curiously. I looked back at the ceiling, my insides twisting as I battled with my growing connection with him.
"My dad was raised Mormon," I started softly. "He was very devout. In the Mormon faith, if you feel compelled to, you can put your name forward to serve a mission for two years - spreading the Good Word. Anyway, the President of the Church called on him to serve his mission, and he was assigned to serve in Samoa."
"Wow. Lucky him."
I smiled. "Well, yes, he was lucky in the end. Anyway, he was placed near the village my mom is from - Fagamalo on the island of Savai'i." Tears filled my eyes, as always, whenever I spoke of my parent's love story. It made me feel closer to my dad.
"One day, he went for a walk alone, which was rare since he always had to be with a male companion. But unfortunately - or fortunately - my dad's chaperone came down with a really high fever and had to seek medical help."
"Anyway, during his short walk, he stumbled across my mom. He watched her cut a coconut in half with a machete and drink the juice." A watery smile crossed my face. "Said he was a goner for her the moment he saw her. Just straight up knew that she was the one for him."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that," I confirmed.
