Isla reaches out and touches my hand. “Thanks, D. I just …” She lets out a long sigh.
“You don’t have to say a thing, I get it.”
She gives me a warm smile. “Guess I wouldn’t be surprised if you had, seeing as our friends have been known to bed hop amongst each other.”
My eyes narrow on her. Which people is she talking about? I need to know. “Are you talking about Oscar and Stacey?” It’s a stab in the dark because they are the freakiest out of the group, but I don’t know who they would have hooked up with. Wouldn’t have been Finn? No, Stacey would never do that to Isla.
“Right? Can you believe she’s hooked up with Axel, Jackson, and Olivia! When Finn told me, I couldn’t believe it, and the fact that Stacey has kept it to herself. Oscar was hardly going to tell me.” She chuckles, rolling her eyes.That cheeky bitch.We are going to have words, and then she is going to have to give me details, lots of them, as is Olivia that saucy minx. “Guess everyone was feeling frisky in Monaco.” Monaco! This happened then? That’s been months, and Stacey has been keeping this a secret since then. I’m hurt. I thought we were friends. “It must have been good for Axel to be hung up on Olivia like he was.” Isla laughs.
“Olivia definitely put a spell on Axel.” I smirk. “I haven’t been told specifics, just that it was a wild night, but do you think Olivia and Stacey …”
Isla is nodding. “Yep. They did. Finn said his brother told him it was the hottest thing he’s ever seen. Apparently, Stacey’s hooked up with Axel loads of time before Monaco.” Stacey and Axel! My mind is blown. “I don’t know when Jackson joined the picture.”
“You haven’t hooked up with anyone else?” I ask her, because I wouldn’t be shocked now after this bit of tea has been dropped.
“What! No. One, Oscar would kill them, two, I couldn’t do that to Finn, and three, they are like brothers to me. Only people in the group-ish are Tyler and Wes.”
“Tyler is so cute.” I gush.
“He’s a sweetheart under all that ego and tattoos.” She chuckles. “How are things with Chance?”
“I don’t hate the guy, just not going to date him. The boy has his demons,” I tell her.
“Those demons being drugs,” she says quietly.
“He never did them around me, but I wasn’t stupid nor blind, I could tell when he had taken them. He wasn’t himself,” I explain.
“Well, I’m glad you two aren’t dating anymore. You deserve more, someone who doesn’t have an ego.”
I chuckle. “Not sure where I’m going to find one of them in Hollywood.”
“So true. I’m kind of glad to be leaving this place for a while, it has a funny way of chewing you up and spitting you out if you let it, and I feel like that was me.”
“Are you telling me I should get on the next plane to Europe?” We both burst out laughing.
“I’m going to miss you too,” Isla says, hugging me tightly.
“I’m only a phone call away,” I remind her.
She nods. “And I’m going to keep an eye out for hot, eligible Spanish men for you.”
“You’d better. I’ll be on the next flight over to see you when you do.” I chuckle.
Tears well in Isla’s eyes. “I’m doing the right thing, aren’t I?”
“Yes! You can always come home, but you will never know if you don’t go. What’s the worst that can happen? You sleep with a hot Spanish chef.” I smirk, nudging her shoulder.
“I would never sleep with my boss,” Isla chastises me.
“Really?” I ask, raising a brow at her. Think she is forgetting Finn is technically her boss.
“Fuck.” She curses. “I won’t sleep with Sebastien.”
“I’m only teasing. Have fun, babe, please. Go explore Europe and find what you’re looking for. Look at Sienna and me, if we hadn’t accepted Vanessa’s request to help with the Dirty Texas tour, I wouldn’t be working in Hollywood as a stylist, nor own one of the hottest clothing stores in town with my bestie. Imagine where your life could be in a couple of months, or six months, or a year. You don’t know what the universe hasplanned for you. Take this opportunity and run with it, the worst that can happen is you get to live in Spain and eat amazing food cooked by a handsome man.”
“You’re right. I’m overthinking everything,” Isla states.
“Look, it’s scary, but you are strong enough to do this, Issy. I have faith in you. Also, Finn isn’t going anywhere. If anything, you not being at his beck and call might make him finally do something about his feelings toward you.” She gives me a‘Yeah, right,’look. I have hope. Finn loves Isla, but he loves Oscar, too,not in that way. He probably couldn’t have done anything sooner because of the band. He wouldn’t have done anything to jeopardize that, but now that they are retired as a fivesome, maybe he can finally grow the balls to tell Oscar that he is in love with his sister. “Well, I have hope, the old romantic that is buried inside of me thinks that when he sees you again, he is going to declare his love for you and be on one knee.”
