Hunting Royalty

37. Red-handed and Revelations

Once the sun sets, Sam lights the bonfire in an impressive display of pyrotechnics.  Show off.   The boys drag over a few of the larger driftwood logs to circle the bonfire. We toast sausages then marshmallows in the fire for dinner. The heat from the fire dries the remainder of sea water from my body leaving a fine coating of salt on my skin.

My hair has dried in beachy waves and is tousled gently in the wind, a definite improvement on the drowned rat look I was sporting earlier. I set my marshmallow on fire and pull it back towards me. I blow it out then remove the burnt shell so I can eat the gooey center, I wipe a gooey bit from my chin and lick it off my finger.

Sam eyes my discarded burnt marshmallow bits in the sand. "Probably a good thing Nate dumped you, you are not princess material," He jokes.

"What are you taking about, this is how I get all the boys," I put the next finger in my mouth and make exaggerated moaning sounds before laughing at his disgusted face.

"I need to find you another cat."

"You're a mean drunk," I pout, little does he know that I have the ability to make sure I don't end up alone, I can choose the future I want.

I jump up from my seat and careful not to step in my discard pile, I walk around to bonfire to talk to the less annoying Westmore.   Cassy and I start a drinking game where we take a drunk each time Eva touches Nate and he shrugs her off but it soon expands to include each time Michaela or Nadia say the phase 'like totally' and when Sean and Cole fist bump. It doesn't take us long for us to go through our drinks a few times over.

I giggle as I take our glasses back over to a footman to ask for a refill. I breeze blows past me and I shiver in the night air. I head back to the house to get something warmer to wear. I rely heavily on the rail to stumble my way upstairs; I use my hand to steady myself against the wall. I open the first door I come to and burst through it.

I stop cold, this isn't my room and it's already occupied by two people. They spring apart but it doesn't erase what I just saw. They were kissing like there was no tomorrow, hands everywhere, far more exposed skin than I ever wanted to see. I blink a few times, maybe I drank more than I thought. They search for their clothing while I stand there dumbstruck. Nope, this is really happening.

"We were just..." Sam says before trailing off unable to think of an excuse. Suddenly a lot of things he said about his secret relationship make a lot more sense. I switch my focus to the other person in the room.

"What he said," Dec replies blushing faintly.

I can't help the grin that take over my face, "You guys are cute." Sam throws a pillow at me and I duck, "My lips are sealed, you to go back to whatever you were doing with yours." I shut the door before the next pillow hits me. I seal it with magic from the outside so no one else can interrupt them.

I feel oddly happy for them. I find my way to my own room and find a cardigan before heading back to the beach. Sam and Dec are a couple; another wide smile overtakes my face. I can't believe it; I laugh as I remember their guilty expressions, I don't think I've seen Sam so flustered.

"What has you in such a good mood?" Nate asks meeting me halfway back to the bonfire.

I giggle in response, "It's a secret," I whisper drunkenly pressing one finger to my lips.

"Alia, I wanted to tell you something..." Nate begins seriously before his gaze shifts over my shoulder and his words trail off.

I look over my shoulder to see what has his attention, Sam has followed me out from the house but he hasn't managed to get all his clothing back on, he has his shirt slung casually over one shoulder and his pants are still unbuttoned and hanging low on his hips.