Cuddle Application

16 - Attention, Lovers

I try not to be hurt by the statement. I didn't think I'd been that busy. Oliver certainly wasn't taking up that much time in my life that I could've been ignoring my friends... right?

Or had I been inadvertently distancing myself from Cora and Lina, too distracted by a boy of my own?

"Sorry," I just say, forcing a smile onto my face. "So tell me about him. When did you meet?"

Cora stares at me for a second, hands fiddling with the lace of her dress, before her lips turn up in a slow smile. "I saw him at the beach, looking like a flawless Roman sculpture - like the ones I saw on that family trip to Italy last year. And I swear to god his abs were glistening -"

"She's got it bad," Lina smirks. We both laugh.

It's nice to see Cora happy, I think.

"Well," Cora says, "shall we get a move on?"

I hike the handle of my bag onto my shoulder and head towards the door. "I'll call you when I get there, mom!" I yell behind me as I follow my friends outside.

"I love you," she calls from the kitchen.

I yell it back and close the door, running to where my friends are already seated in the car. I hop in and we drive.

Later, we're on the highway, zipping past town after town, trees dancing past us as we fly down the road. I lower the window from my spot in the back seat, sticking my head out to feel the wind on my face.

It almost feels like I'm back on Oliver's motorcycle.

"Skylar!" Cora yells over the wind rushing into the car from the open window.

"What?" I yell back, finger pressing down the button to close the window. It slides shut, silencing the wind.

"Park went on a date last weekend," Cora says.

Something inside of me feels tight. My brows lace themselves together, my expression confused, along with another emotion I try not to name.

"He what?" I ask quickly, before straightening my face, fingers attached to the hem of my shirt, pulling. "I mean, who was the lucky gal?"

Cora smirks, fingers tapping on the steering wheel. "I know. Who would've thought the day would come when dear old Parky would move on?"

"Move on?" I ask. A thread comes loose from the fabric of my tshirt.

Lina laughs. "Please, Skylar. He's been in love with you since you met, you've just been too stubborn to admit it."

I frown. "He is not in love with me," I start to say, but the car rounds a turn and suddenly we're in front of a large cottage made of white brick.

"Here, bitches!" Cora yells, sliding on her sunglasses and exiting the car. The other car carrying Scott and Brandon slides in behind ours.

The driveway of the large vacation home cuts up a hill, through looming trees, and wraps around the house to the back, where there's a garage, pool house, and infinity pool. The cottage sits higher than any other on the lake, per Mr. Creevy's request. It looks like something out of the Great Gatsby.