[Excerpt]:
"Does it bother you?" He asked, after an incisive moment of silence.
"Does...what bother me?" I immediately returned, unable to decipher the objective behind the closed-ended question.
"The way I stare. At you." He pondered, as his dark...
"I know right. The two were literally inseparable and Ahmad still won't let me forget how much my entire family absolutely adores him. Here, can you cut these for me? And the carrots when you're done?" She asked, carrying a cutting board and pack of washed potatoes to where I stood on the counter.
It seemed my late arrival had momentarily interrupted her from the task of preparing the meal she was currently working on, alongside a load of recently-purchased groceries. Rolling up the sleeves of my yellow blazer, I offered her a hand in slicing some of the carrots and potatoes lying on the countertop.
It was a mystery to me why none of the other women had offered to help Coco, while she toiled away in the kitchen. When I asked her about it, she revealed that she had volunteered to cook everyone dinner. Her reasoning for taking on such a laborious task had something to do with wanting to impart a good impression on Ahmad's friends. Apparently, they were all college buddies.
"Time truly flies. Do you remember when you first met Ahmad and you were panicking? Told you there was literally nothing to worry about with him. He is quite literally perfect. I'm not sure how you got so lucky." I continued, though Coco now began to eye me skeptically.
"Mhmm, whatever you say, Sasha. Though I know you haven't been entirely honest with me about your love life. I hope you know I have eyes and ears and make it my mission to keep up with the latest news on the blogs." She said, pausing her actions to wipe off her hands on her apron and place them expectantly on her hips.
When her eyes narrowed begrudgingly at me, I knew she'd learned of Kendall and I's relationship. It was dumb of me to assume she wouldn't, when my relationship with him was literally plastered all over the gossip sites.
"Look, Coco. I'm sorry, I wanted to tell you but it just felt like you and Patricia were way too close of friends." I confessed, guilt seeping through my tone.
"Fuck that. You and I are literally sisters. You should have known you could trust me with anything." She picked up her cooking knife again, the hurt in her eyes slowly wallowing away at my heart as she resumed slicing her steak bits.
"I know and again I'm so sorry. But, there's also another reason I didn't tell you about Kendall and I." Years ago, I had confided in Coco about my past. She knew all about Austin and she had actively supported me through all the trauma I'd endured from my broken relationship with my mother.
"Ok. Still waiting for you to make it all make sense." She delivered impatiently.
"Well..." From there, I told her everything. Not leaving out a single detail about the events leading up until now. When I finished, I begged her not to say a word to anyone about it. Particularly, Patricia.
"No. Fucking. Way. So, that's really him, huh?" She chanted, her jaw nearly dropping to the floor after realizing how far intertwined Kendall and I's pasts were.
"Yes, girl. And, I really feel like fate brought us closer together." I cooed, sounding so pathetic but I was more than happy to finally have someone to express my feelings to.
By the time we had finished prepping dinner, it was almost evening time. Even now, Coco and I were the only ones who remained inside the house. From the window, I could see that the sun had just began to set, creating a gentle pink and orange gradient in the sky.
Although the outside of the house was separated by a thick wall padding, I could make out the reverberating sounds of enjoyment originating from a mini beach party appearing to take place along the waterfront. I wanted to join in on the fun and presumably find Kendall, but Coco's voice pulled me back to reality.
"Sasha, can you go pick a room upstairs? I planned a whole dine-in event, with an outdoor movie screening afterwards." She nudged, encouraging me to settle into my room before we began setting up for dinner.
"Okay. And sounds fancy. You really put a lot of work into this." I responded, though my social anxiety was starting to kicking in at the itching thought of having to meet so many new faces all at once. "Where's Kendall?"
"Don't worry, your man is fine. He went with the other men to grab some alcohol for tonight. Apparently, there's this really good Caribbean liquor store down the street."
My heart fluttered at the mention of Kendall and I mentally cursed myself for the arousing effect he still seemed to exude over me. Due to our busy schedules, we hadn't really spoken about the night at his house where we almost...Snap out of it, Sasha.
"Alright, but I'm going to need your help. These bags aren't going to carry themselves." I joked, already beginning to roll the heaviest ones towards the stairs.
"Fine, I guess I'll help you." Coco replied sarcastically, though I knew we would likely spend even more time in my room just catching up and gossiping about the new arrivals.
~~~
Stepping out onto the cobblestone patio, I caught a better glance at the private beach area bordered within the villa's tropical enclosure. The seashore expanded down the entirety of the scenic landscape, eventually blending into the neighboring houses' yards. From afar, I could make out Coco and Ahmad standing beside several unfamiliar faces on the beach—who were likely Sean and Isabella's friends.
As I walked down the stone path, my senses filled with the scent of citrus and peach trees. I nervously touched the petals of the passing flower-covered pathway, wondering how well I'd mesh with this group. From what Coco had told me inside the house, they all pretty much knew each other from their early twenties.
After reaching the flat soil of the rich brown sand, I reluctantly removed my heels and decided to hold them in my hands instead. Walking in high heels on sand wasn't a venture I was ready to take on tonight.
From my view, I could see a group of bikini clad women laying about in lawn chairs, trying to soak up the last bit of sun. When one of the women turned my way, I offered her an unrequited friendly smile.
"Who's that?" She shrugged, gathering the rest of the men and women's attention who had been sprawled out around her.
It was then that I noticed Kendall sitting on one of the ends of a lofted lounge chair. He slowly removed his designer black shades, squinting his eyes to capture a succinct look at me as I approached him. Upon recognizing who I was, he rewarded me with a million dollar smile. His pearly whites sprinkled in the sun, nearly blinding my eyes.
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It still confused me how the man was able to look so obnoxiously perfect during any given moment of the day.
"She's with me."I heard him clarify, causing my face to instantly heat up.
