“By the way, thanks for the painkillers,” I added. That earned me a confused look from Summer.
“Oh, you mean this morning,” she said.
“No, on the nightstand in my room.” A frown appeared on her face, which slowly morphed into a grin. I turned to Norah, looking for answers. Their eyes met, a silent exchange of understanding.
“Who then?” I asked the rest of them, like the slowest dumbass in the world.
There was a long pause. Norah lay down on the lounger, putting her sunglasses on. “I think you already know.”
I exhaled a heavy breath. I hated how the answer didn’t hit me immediately like it did for the others. The realization came late, and the sting of the truth finally sank in.
Of course, it was her.
Damn it, and just as I was starting to feel better. Hazel was practically an angel, and I treated her like shit. It was like I’d mentally punched her in the face. The memory of her sad eyes this morning hit me like a wave again.
The hours dragged after that. I kept glancing toward the door, hoping she’d walk in. By 7 PM, Hazel still wasn’t back. I sat by the pool, absorbed in a book she’d recommended. Despite its dark tone, it was an interesting read. The others had moved to the couch, leaving me alone.
From the corner of my eye, I saw movement and turned instinctively, but it was Alex, walking toward me.
“Hey, man.” He sat across from me. “You okay?”
I threw him a skeptical look. “I’m fine,” I sighed. Nothing had really happened, nothing was wrong—just mood swings, I guess.
“Yeah?”
I sighed again, this time signaling that I didn’t have a better answer. “Yeah.” He nodded, understanding.
“Listen, is tomorrow’s plan still on?” he asked nervously.
“Yes, don’t worry. It’s all organized,” I reassured him. “You ready?” I asked.
“Hell, yeah, I’m ready,” he smiled, still nervous.
“Good.”
A loud cheer cut through the air. We both looked toward the entrance and saw Hazel on the patio, chatting with the others. Anxiety and relief both emerged in my chest. She looked happy and chipper. The usual sunny Hazel.
We all gathered on the patio couch, and Hazel’s eyes met mine. Her cheerful smile seemed as if this morning hadn’t even happened. I gave her a sheepish smile. I wanted to pull her aside and apologize, but I didn’t feel like I deserved it—not yet.
“Okay, guys, sit down, sit down, I have something to tell you all,” Hazel announced. We all settled on the couch. She stood in front of us, looking graceful with a mysterious look in her eyes, as if she had a secret she couldn’t wait to share. Her eyes sparkled.
“I have good news and great news.”
“My favorite kind of news,” Norah chimed in.
“Okay, the good news.” She turned to me, and I stilled. “Watson agreed to meet with you. He needs to check his schedule, but definitely during this trip. He’ll let me know.” I stared at her, stunned, unable to find the words.
I felt Ethan’s gaze shift to me, but I couldn’t look away from her.
“Hazel,” I murmured, amidst the clapping and cheering. She lightly jumped to her feet in joy. I closed the distance, and she grabbed my arms, holding onto me for balance. The girl was so much more excited than we were. How was that possible?
“Thank you so much,” I said, wanting to hug her. All my emotions—anger, excitement, happiness, guilt, and lust—swirled together like a milkshake.
“You’re the best, Hazel,” Ethan said, standing to hug her tightly. I almost did it too, but my hands found my thighs instead, sliding down my shorts in a motion that felt safer than reaching for her.
“Now I need to know the great news,” Alex said.
“Okay, listen, I usually don’t do this. Not on my own, at least. The only reason I dared to do it here was because of Logan.” Everyone looked at him, confused. If Logan could look at himself, he’d probably do the same thing. He threw a bewildered look at us, then landed on Hazel. “‘Cause he’d bail me out, hopefully. I’m not even sure if y’all want to do this, but...” She reached down her purse and dug out three massively big joints.
