“Good morning,” Ava greeted as I slid into a seat at the counter.
“Morning,” I mumbled through a yawn. Ava placed a plate in front of me—eggs, avocado, greens, and toast.
“Your friends were just telling me about your wild college days,” Hazel said casually, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “I didn’t know you played chess.”
I choked on my toast, coughing violently. Hazel grinned at my reaction, while I shot Alex a murderous look.
“What exactly did he tell you?” I asked, feigning calm.
“Justwhyyou got so good at it,” she replied, her tone teasing. “Like those interesting bets you made. Running naked around the campus, for example.”
Hazel walked to the cupboard, her back turned. I turned to Alex.
“Oh, boo-hoo. You found someone new to embarrass me in front of. Let’s not forget your first time smoking weed in college wasn’t so graceful either.” I stuffed my mouth with eggs to avoid cursing at him.
“Ah, college. The good old days,” Alex mused.
“Well, in ten years maybe this vacation is going to bethe good old days.” Hazel chimed in, setting a coffee cup in front of me. Her words hung in the air, stirring a shift in the mood none of us had expected.
“You’re probably right.” I let my eyes linger on hers a moment too long before flicking to the cup, then back to Hazel.
“Extra shot and cinnamon,” she whispered, gently bumping my shoulder. I couldn’t help but smile as I brought the cup to my lips. Sweet mother of God. It was even better than at home.
But as I glanced at her again, I knew it wasn’t just the coffee. It wasthe coffee maker.
I let my gaze drop, and I could finally read the tattoo on her forearm that I had noticed before. It said ‘choose to be kind’in an old typewriter font. Every cell in my body fought the urge totouch the inked skin.Wasn’t I just in the shower dealing with these feelings?
Somehow, those words on her didn’t surprise me.
“So, what’s the plan for today?” Hazel asked.
“Tour of Lisbon,” Ava said. “And since the weather’s perfect, surfing in the afternoon.”
“When do we leave?”
“In an hour.”
“Since we have some time, I’ll head to the beach for a swim,” Hazel said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing her rosy cheeks.
“We have a pool,” I reminded her. “It’s not the same. I like to get salty.” She smiled, and I swallowed the sudden fantasy that forced its way into my mind.I’d love to get you salty.
“I’ll join you,” Ava said. The two of them headed upstairs to grab their things.
“Look at our girls, vibing,” Alex said, grinning as he leaned on the counter.
“Keep it in your pants, Quasimodo,” I shot back, annoyed, and smacked one of his elbows to throw him off balance. He just laughed and started humming a tune to himself.
* * *
Lisbon was breathtaking. We explored the Belém district, wandered through Alfama, and visited Saint George’s Castle. Sintra was on the list, but we saved it for another day. That kind of beauty deserved more time.
However, nothing, and I meannothing, could’ve prepared us for Norah’s dramatic reactions to every piece of architecture in the city.
“Incredible! Look at this masterpiece. I’d have loved to live in this era.”
“But then you wouldn’t have met me,” Logan said, stealing a quick kiss that made her linger.
“Ugh, get a room,” Ethan muttered, earning a light slap on the face from Summer.
