His Flower [DISCONTINUED]

41: Cottage

February passed by in a blur of fleeting kisses and spontaneous hangouts. I didn't quite know what Antonio and I were–just that we really liked being around each other. We kept our affection private from others, although I was positive our friends knew something was up. They could tell we liked each other, even if we didn't say it.

Alongside my friends, I spent the evening lazing around at Papa's Diner. From my seat next to the window, I caught sight of the budding trees. As the season changed, the weather was warming and the flowers were blooming. There was certainly a newfound optimism in the air. It was this, that caused Romano to spring up with a suggestion.

"Any plans for the March break?" he curiously asked us.

"Nope," I chirped.

"No," Antonio quipped, lazily slouched.

"Not that I know of," Lily slurped on her milkshake.

"Me neither," Tabitha replied, offhandedly inspecting her manicured nails.

"I'm getting another car," Benny spoke in a rather casual tone. The girls and I exchanged looks of shock, although Antonio and Romano didn't bat an eye. Sometimes, I wondered if the boys were even aware of their own wealth.

"Rich boy," Tabitha whispered in amusement, although we all heard her.

Benny coyly grinned. "Your rich boy."

They leaned in for a kiss.

"Yuck," I wrinkled my freckled nose in disdain.

"PDA much," Antonio rolled his dark eyes.

We shared secretive grins, knowing we'd done much worse in private.

Meanwhile, Romano straightened up almost eagerly. "Moving on... It seems like no one's busy over the break. Why don't we all head up to the cottage?"

He had now gained our full attention.

"Cottage?" I curiously repeated.

"Yeah, right by the beach. You'd love it. It's small and cozy and private and–"

"You had me at beach," Tabitha cut him off.

I giggled in agreement. "How long would we stay for?"

"The guys and I go every spring break–we usually stay for three days or so," he answered. Then, a smirk fell onto his face. "On day three, we–ouch!"

Antonio had kicked Romano under the table. I suspiciously glanced between the mischievous pair of cousins.

"On day three, you what?" Lily curiously asked. Clearly, I wasn't the only one who'd noticed their odd behavior.

"We play board games," Romano squeaked, an overly innocent smile on his face.

Unconvinced, I crossed my arms. "What am I missing?"

Benny didn't hesitate to fill me in. "On the last day, they like to get black out drunk and go skinny dipping."

"Benny," they groaned in annoyance.

He merely chuckled and continued. "More often than not, Antonio tries to get laid. Of course, no one with eyes would wanna get with–"

"Alright, that's enough," Antonio cleared his throat.

I nonchalantly bit my lip. No one was able to see the tornado of thoughts evolving in my head. Antonio was undoubtedly charming, although I'd never actually seen him flirt with other girls–not since I'd met him, at least. Was he going to flirt with other girls at the cottage? Did I have a right to feel annoyed if he did? After all, we'd never put a label on our relationship, meaning we weren't exclusive. Was I simply his fling? I certainly hoped not, because he meant so much more to me than that. A queasy feeling formed in my stomach.