One week. All eight of them.
And somehow, Ody had a feeling this trip was going to change everything.
Chapter 34
Bags dropped onto seats, phones came out, and the excitement still buzzed through the group.
Ody stood up. “I’ll go grab some coffees. Does anyone want anything else?”
“Hold on, man, I’ll come with you,” Steve said as he rose from his seat.
The others drifted into their own conversations. Mano stayed quiet, eyes glued to his phone.
A little later, Ody and Steve returned, each carrying a couple of drinks. Ody set a medium freddo espresso in front of Mano. Mano lifted his eyes to him for a moment, then looked back down.
“We’ve got three hours ahead of us,” Christina said as Ody sat down again and Mano picked up his coffee.
“Guys, the hotel is amazing.”
“Did you see the bathrooms? They’re incredible.”
Everyone started talking at once.
“I checked restaurants and bars, so we’re prepared.”
“We’re exploring the island, right? We’ve got cars.”
“Of course.”
Ody glanced at Mano, who still looked detached from the excitement. “How’d you do on that last exam?” he asked, leaning slightly toward him, his shoulder brushing Mano’s.
“Fine,” Mano muttered, barely looking up from his phone.
The ship lurched as it pulled away from the dock, a slow sway settling under their feet.
Mano’s hand tightened around the edge of his seat. “Why is it moving like this?”
Ody blinked at him. “What do you mean? We set off.”
Mano shifted, his foot adjusting like he couldn’t find balance. “It’s swaying a lot.”
“Is this your first time on a ship?” Ody asked, studying him.
Mano turned, jaw tight. “Yeah.”
“You never traveled by ship since you moved back to Greece?”
Mano let out a short breath. “By ship, no. Where would I even go?”
Before Ody could answer, Anna leaned across the table, her arm brushing his. “Baby, how much was the discount on the room?”
Ody leaned back. “Twelve percent.”
“Thought so,” she said, satisfied, turning back to the girls.
When Ody looked at Mano again, he was already pushing his chair back and getting to his feet.
The door swung shut behind him.
