I narrow my eyes even more as they head toward the stairs. They haven’t noticed me and are whispering together and… what are they up to?
If it’s payback on Nix, I definitely want to see that.
But I don’t think it will be. Charli wouldn’t let that happen. Would she?
I pick up my pace, trying to keep my steps light so they don’t notice me, but Charli glances over her shoulder when I reach the top of the stairs and gives me a tight smile.
“Hey.”
“Morning,” I greet her, following them into the kitchen.
The mood in the house is kind of somber. Darian’s bringing everyone down with his shitty attitude over a really funny prank. It’s an eyebrow, for fuck’s sake. It’ll grow back.
It could also be the fact that half of us are hungover. My head’s got a dull, fuzzy ache, and Ben’s looking worse for wear. I didn’t realize he got wasted last night. In fact, I hardly saw him at the party. Wasn’t he tucked away with his woman?
Where is she now?
I glance around the space, then watch the way he’s preparing food for one. Has she left already?
Checking Ben’s face, I’m suddenly wondering if he’s not hungover at all. Something must have happened with her this morning or sometime in the night. Did they have a fight?
Should I ask about it?
What? No! Mind your business, man.
I turn away from the guy and open the fridge door, pulling out milk for my cereal. I may be a grown-ass man, but I still like me some Cocoa Puffs. Don’t judge. I wouldn’t eat them during the season. They’re just a vacation food.
Plunking down at the table, I pour myself a massive bowl and soak it in milk before crunching down the chocolatey treat. My eyes dart left and right as I quietly assess the room. I’ve been doing that my whole life. It’s a good way to gauge what battle you’re in for each day or who wants to use you for their latest scheme.
But no one seems to be talking. Sawyer’s cooking eggs, Jimmy’s doing his Tai Chi shit on the deck, and Nix is on the other side of the room, sipping something hot and ignoring everybody.
There are still a few party stragglers milling about, and Adonis is muttering under his breath and rubbing his forehead like he was hit with a baseball bat.
“Advil’s in the bathroom.” I point to the one downstairs, and he heads toward it, moving like a snail.
Seriously. People really can’t handle their liquor around here.
“So, what’s the deal with today? When’s everyone heading home?” Sawyer starts dishing up eggs for him and his buddies. “Are we gonna do something around here first or?—”
“We need to allow time for cleanup.” Ben takes a sip of his drink, then plunks into his seat, his lips turned down.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll call the cleaning service who deals with this place,” I tell him.
Ben frowns and looks around. “It’s a mess in here, man. I wouldn’t want to leave anyone to have to deal with this on their own.”
I shake my head and assure him, “They’re a team of people, and I’ll pay them extra. They won’t mind. Seriously.”
The guy looks doubtful, and I roll my eyes. I guess he can clean shit if he wants to, but I’m not doing it. And the cleaning team who comes here gets paid really well. I’ll never take people who do that kind of work for granted. They’ll appreciate the bonus. At least, I think they will. I’ll definitely pay extra.
“I’m not quite ready to leave yet.” Charli darts her eyes at Darian. “We should stick around. Go for a hike or play some games or something.”
Someone on the floor groans, like the idea of any of that lame shit is too much.
Charli rolls her eyes and looks at Darian again, giving her head a quick shake.
He lets out a soft snort through his nose and takes the plate of eggs Sawyer hands him.
I watch them carefully, my suspicions rising even more when Charli starts up a game of Would You Rather. People unenthusiastically get involved, but my hunch spikes when she starts throwing out questions like “Would you rather spend your evenings studying so you’ll ace your grades or partying until three in the morning?” or “Would you rather cook a smelly curry or burritos?” or “Would you rather listen to death metal or rap?” or “Would you rather watchThe Big Bang TheoryorThe Office?”
