✧˖*°࿐ •*⁀➷
011. RULES
REAL LIFE
vinnie woke up to aria zipping her suitcase up on the bed next to him, the girl dressed in one of his shirts. "good morning, ri."
"finally, you're up. we're leaving soon, you know. please tell me you finished packing up back in your room."
vinnie sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. "yeah, i should be fine, i didn't bring that much stuff anyways."
"okay," aria sighed, plopping down on the bed, her shoulders relaxing as vinnie reached over and started to massage them. "i would have slept in the other bed, but you wouldn't let go of me."
"sorry, i was super tired last night," vinnie mumbled, although he wasn't very sorry about it at all.
when they has started sneaking around, aria had come up with a list of rules that the two of them had to follow. and one of the rules was that they weren't supposed to sleep in the same bed overnight.
vinnie hated that rule. he wanted to hold aria as she fell asleep, and listen to her soft breaths, but he didn't push it. he knew it would take time, and he was willing to wait.
"it's fine, vin, i'm sure you were. um, i'm going to go hang out with the girls, and you can leave after you brush your teeth or whatever, okay? and congrats on the win, again. i'm proud of you."
vinnie nodded, watching as aria walked out, leaving him alone in the room.
•*⁀➷
"i'm surprised to see you still walking," brielle said as aria walked in.
aria rolled her eyes, but laughed. "you are hilarious, bri," she replied, plugging her phone into one of the chargers and scrolling through instagram. brielle smiled and went into the bathroom, carrying a towel and a change of clothes.
"so, how was last night?" celeste asked, jumping onto her bed. "we didn't hear anything."
aria shook her head. "it was great. don't ask for anymore details."
"you two are cute together," celeste hummed. "don't you think-"
"no," aria interrupted, "i don't think."
"you don't even know what i was going to say!" celeste said, moving so she was laying on her bed like a starfish.
aria sighed. "i'm pretty sure i do know. and i don't want to talk about it. anyways, what's going on with you and jack?"
"we're just talking right now," celeste replied, "taking it slow, especially after everything that's happened. i just want him to know i'll be there for him, you know? just like how vinnie's there for you."
aria hummed in response, "that's really sweet of you, cel. it's good to know jack has someone like you."
"and it's good to know you have someone like vinnie," celeste replied, gauging aria's mood. "you guys are like, dating."
"no, we're not," aria shook her head, her eyes not leaving her phone. "why do you and brielle keep saying that? she was texting me about this a few days ago."
"be honest with yourself, aria, do you really not like him?"
aria put her phone down, turning to face celeste. "it doesn't matter, okay? we came up with rules, and we're following them."
"you didn't answer my question, ri."
aria sighed, shrugging. "i don't, okay? i don't like him. and i'm not ready for another relationship."
•*⁀➷
"how was last night?" saul asked vinnie, wriggling his eyebrows. "reggie told me you went to your sneaky link's room. who is she?"
vinnie's eyes widened, the boy looking around the hotel's restaurant to make sure no one else heard him. "how the fuck did reggie know?"
"well, you weren't in your room, i think it was obvious to him."
vinnie rolled his eyes. "oh."
"well? how was it?" saul smirked, "and who is she? i wanna know."
"it's called a sneaky link for a reason, saul," vinnie replied, "and my sex life is none of your business."
"well," saul continued, ignoring vinnie. "let's think about this. it can't be some random girl, because it's an established sneaky link. i don't think anyone would've flew in to miami unless they were already planning to be here, so that leaves... a bunch of tiktokers and youtubers that you know. i'm gonna say it's a tiktoker, so that leaves... oh my god, you're hooking up with aria?"
vinnie elbowed saul, making the older boy groan in slight pain. "shut the fuck up."
"oh my god, i was right? you are hooking up with her!"
"who's he hooking up with?" aria asked, standing next to saul, who turned around, eyes wide.
"uhh..."
"plane leaves in four hours, and we haven't even gotten to the airport yet," she said, glancing at saul before looking at vinnie. "do you want me to take your suitcase to the van? we're leaving after bri gets some breakfast."
"um, sure," vinnie replied, handing aria his room key. "the suitcase is right by the door, thanks, ri."
"mhm," she replied, nodding at both boys before walking off.
"i almost shit my pants, where did she even come from?" saul asked, shaking his head. "anyways, i know i'm right."
"how?" vinnie asked.
"she didn't even ask you how to get to your room. that means she's been there before, hasn't she?"
vinnie sighed, knowing there was no way out of this one. "yeah."
•*⁀➷
"are we boarding now?" celeste asked, shifting uncomfortably in her seat at the terminal.
"our plane is delayed," aria announced, walking back to the group after talking to a flight attendant. "david said that it would be at least a half hour before the plane gets here."
"who's david?" vinnie asked, looking up from his phone for the first time in a while, making brielle smirk.
"are you jealous, vin vin?" she asked.
"no," vinnie said quickly, rolling his eyes. "i am not."
"well, there's nothing to worry about," aria said, laughing. "david's in his fifties. i like men who aren't twice my age. unless it's chris evans."
"i wasn't jealous," vinnie huffed. "i just want to go home. maybe we should've gone with bryce in his little private jet."
aria made a face. "mmm, no. i don't think i could handle six hours in an enclosed space with bryce hall."
celeste nodded. "he's annoying."
"well, we have thirty more minutes of waiting. does anyone want starbucks?"
•*⁀➷
