Please, for the love of God, let this not be laced with LSD.
As I sip the tea quietly, the others begin introducing themselves to the group. Their voices blur together as I half listen, not quite ready to engage.
I’m extracted from my thoughts when the space falls silent. I blink, realising the everyone is expectantly staring at me.
Anna nudges me with her elbow. “This is April,” she announces. I force a small smile and give a brief nod. That’s all they’re getting from me.
A small, pale, middle-aged woman leans over to me.
“Hi, I’m Moira,” she offers with a sprightly smile. “Is this your first time?”
I nod silently.
“This is my third retreat with Rose and Gary. They’re amazing. It’s a real awakening journey…”
I nod along, feigning interest while my mind drifts. Her words fade into background noise, just like everything else around me.
Rose joins us at the table, clapping her hands and rubbing them excitedly. “Alright, team! We’re going to start with some sound healing before giving you a short break. Tonight, we’llcommence the fire ritual, and tomorrow morning we’ll dive into breathwork. Who’s excited?”
What the fuck is a fire ritual?
The guests nod and murmur their enthusiasm, offering enthusiastic smiles. Moira looks like she’s about to come in her pants. I glance sideways at Anna and Gemma, both of whom are beaming. Without excusing myself, I stand and slip away. I head inside the cabin where I crawl into the small bed, pulling the covers over me. As soon as my head hits the pillow, I fade into sleep.
I wake to wan daylight. Rolling over, I tap my phone screen, checking Instagram, DMs, message requests, emails—anything. Desperately hoping that somehow, Lucas has sent me a message, some small sign that he’s thinking of me. But nothing.
Needing to distract myself, I decide on a long soak while the girls are still at their sound healing. I trudge into the bathroom, open a pink bath bomb, and fill the tub. Dropping it in, I watch as it fizzes, releasing ripples of pink and glitter across the surface. I strip off my clothes, the scent of raspberry floating through the warm room. I dip my toe in to check the temperature before I immerse myself.
Reaching over to my phone, I press play on the audiobook I started weeks ago, hoping the soothing voices will drown out any loitering thoughts of Lucas. I close my eyes and tip my head back to let the audiobook lull me into relaxation, when suddenly, the front sliding door flies open, groaning on its tracks as a metallic hiss reverberates through the cabin.
The girls are back.
Anna strides into the bathroom, unfazed by the fact I’m naked and covered in pink glitter. She raises her eyebrows at me, surprised. “Hey! You’re out of bed.”
“Obviously,” I say, pulling the bubbles higher over my chest so I don’t flash her my nipples. “I’ve seen your tits, April. Don’t be shy. They’re great,” she says, waving her hand in front of her. I stare at her, waiting for her to explain why she’s barged in, but she just stands there as a few seconds pass before she speaks again.
“How did you sleep?”
“Well. I think,” I say.
“Good.” She nods. “So, sound healing was fucked.”
“What?” I sit up a bit too fast, sending bubbles sliding off me, nipples now making their grand appearance.
Before I can cover myself, Gemma barges in, leaning against the door-frame with a grin. “You’re up!” she says.
“I was just telling April about sound healing,” Anna says.
“Oh God. That wasnotsound healing,” Gemma replies, rolling her eyes.
Curiosity gets the better of me. “Why? What happened?”
My audiobook pipes up in the background.
“Oh, Damian. Yes. Right there. Fuck, I love it when you fuck my tits with your big, throbbing cock.”
The three of us freeze.
“Nice choice in relaxation material,” Anna says, raising an eyebrow and looking impressed.
