HER BODY IS draped over my own.
Her soft hand rests on my chest, just above my heart, as her body is curled into mine and her head is tucked into the curve between my neck and shoulder. Her leg is thrown across both of mine and her red hair is spread out across my shoulder and down my chest. Even in her pajamas, I can feel every inch of her soft body pressed against my side.
Starting out on the opposite side of the beds, her facing away from me, I woke up to find her tangled around my body, somehow having made it from the whole other side of the bed to my side. She is definitely going to re-instate the pillow wall after this.
I let out a content sigh as I reach down to rest my hand over her own, playing with her fingers and I smile as she in her sleep moves her arm to rest fully across my chest, her hand now resting on the other side of my neck.
I play with her hair, running my hand through the tangles and she lets out a soft hum at the feeling. Letting go, I reach over to my phone, seeing we need to get up as I have a surprise for her.
"Gabs," I softly hum, reaching over to place my hand on her hip to shake her awake. She moves but doesn't wake up, instead her body moves more onto my body. "Gabs, wake up."
She lets out a hum and I feel her head move in the crook of my neck. I can tell as soon as she realizes she is cuddled into me as her body tenses up. She lifts her head, groggily blinking, as she looks at me. Then takes a moment to look at our position and she pulls her hand back like it is on fire.
"The pillow wall is going back up," she mumbles as she detangles herself from my body and I immediately miss her warmth.
I smirk. "You know, I think you made that pillow wall for you. After all, you made it over to this side of the bed and hugged me like a koala."
She sends me a glare as she pushes her hair away from her face, looking around the room, and I take a moment to look at her in the morning.
That morning I left for the tour, I had taken a moment to admire her. Her hair was in a mess everywhere on her pillow, the cute little expressions she made in her sleep and the way she curled herself up.
Now her hair curls down her body and her eyes seem to shine brighter in the morning. It makes it hard to not take her into my arms to hug and kiss her, wanting to hear sweet little sounds come from her as I do.
"What?" Gabi asks, looking at me weirdly and I shake my head to snap myself out of it.
"Nothing," I say, sitting up and swinging my legs out of the bed, stretching, and I feel her eyes on my back as I do. "You might want to get ready. I have a surprise for you that starts in an hour."
I untie my Durąg, taking it off my head as I stand up and walk to my suitcase.
"What surprise?" she asks. I can hear the curiosity, excitement but also hesitance in her voice and I turn around.
"Get dressed and you'll find out," I say, smiling. She gives me a look to say she doesn't trust me before she gets up and heads to the bathroom.
The next hour is spent between us, rotating as we get ready for the day. We pretty much work in silence, one of us taking the bathroom while the other gets ready in the bedroom. It's a domestic feeling. Gabi gave me a little smile and thanked me as I had gone out to make us coffee and handed her one.
Before we know it, we're ready. I'm sitting on the edge of the bed on my phone as she finishes up in the bathroom and she walks out in a summer dress with her curly hair tied up in a ponytail.
"Will you tell me where we are going now?" she asks with her hands on her hips and my lips twitch at how cute she looks.
"We, in fact, all of us," I say, nodding towards the door where everyone else is. "Are going to a Koala rehabilitation centre."
A wide smile appears on her face and she lets out a little squeal, making me laugh.
"I don't even care that I have to hold your hand and play the part of your girlfriend today. I just want to see the koalas," she says and I shake my head.
"Let's go," I say before opening the bedroom door and she walks out before I walk out after her.
"You two are the last two to be ready. Do we even want to know why?" Cole asks, wiggling his eyebrows and I roll my eyes, but a blush comes over Gabi's cheeks. They probably think it is because of something else, but I know it's because she is remembering the fact she woke up draped over me.
"Shut it. Are we going or not?" I ask and they all agree as we make our way to the Koala Center.
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Gabi is practically bouncing with excitement the entire ride to the rehabilitation centre. Animals have always been a big part of Gabi's life, and not just the sea life either. I knew she would appreciate this centre as it really takes care of the injured Koalas, nursing them back to health before they are released back into their natural habitat. Not kept in enclosures like a zoo.
It is not a place that is open to the public all the time. There are guided tours to show schools, potential donors to show the good this place does.
As soon as we step out of the car, we are greeted by the woman who runs the center, ready to give us a guided tour. I reach down to slide my hand into Gabi's and, although she is enamored by the surrounding scenery, she takes a moment to look down at our hands.
"Welcome everyone. I hope you are ready for a guided tour and feeding the Koalas." The woman beams as she gestures for us to follow her. Gabi and I walk hand in hand as we all as a group follow her.
"How did you find this place?" Gabi asks me, as we walk at the back of the group.
"I've been to Australia a lot, we're always finding different things to do, so I came across it quite a few years ago now, I make some donations here and there and I knew you would like this place," I say shrugging and she smiles.
The woman guides us around the outdoor center and she explains to us all what they do here, how they make sure the Koalas are in a safe environment, she explains how they take in endangered or hurt Koala's nursing them back to health before releasing them.
She lets us look around for a while and soon enough Gabi and I are facing a large grassy area where the koalas are located. The ones who are almost ready to be released.
"I love this place." Gabi beams. "They really seem to take care of them before they release them."
I nod my head before leaning on the wooden barrier. "Thought you'd like it. Am I forgiven yet for the incident at the beach?"
Gabi gives me a side look. "Maybe, but don't mistake my forgiveness for stupidity."
I hold my hands up in defense. "I would never."
I slip my hand back into hers and squeeze as she looks at me and smiles.
"You know, you have a good one," Hallie says as she walks over with Fiona. "East wouldn't shut up about how we had to go to the Koala place because you would love it."
"Oh, really?" Gabi asks, taking a quick glance at me, and I shrug sheepishly.
"I've been on tour with Hallie for years now and I never thought I'd see the day Easton settles down, but it's clear in the way he looks at you and does all this he cares more about you than any of that in his past," Fiona says, smiling.
"What do you think of the tour so far?" Hallie asks.
"I don't know how you all do it so much. Between the jet lag and constant flying I'm wiped," Gabi tells them, laughing. "But I have to admit it has it perks."
"So are you the person we come to for any dirt on Easton when he was a kid?" Fiona asks Gabi, who smirks at me.
"Well, Easton's grandmother and our other best friend are flying out to the California competition with Thalia. I'm sure June would love to tell you stories," Gabi says, and I nudge her.
"Please don't encourage my grandmother. They won't need to ask before she starts talking. I'm worried about what will end up in the magazines," I say, shaking my head.
"I can see it. Easton Moore slept with a blankie until the age of seven," Gabi says, and I poke her sides as she laughs.
"You're a cruel woman," I say, but keep my arm around her.
"How is Thalia?" Hallie asks, and Gabi nods, smiling.
"She is great. She is looking after my coffee shop while I came on tour with East," Gabi explains.
"Easton mentioned you are a marine biology major, says he is going to take you diving in the different countries," Fiona says smiling as she looks between us.
"I am. I made him promise me if I came I had to go diving to see more than what lays beneath the waters of Sandy Cove," Gabi explains.
"Match made in heaven, a surfer and a diver," Hallie says before pointing at me. "Don't screw this up. We like her."
"Wouldn't dream of it," I say.
Before we know it, we are being led into the grass area to feed and interact with the Koalas. We are given eucalyptus leaves to feed them and we sit down on the grass, placing the leaves on the grass to allow the Koalas to go for the food.
Holding koalas can be stressful for them, and this center does not allow an untrained person to hold them for that reason.
I smile as I watch Gabi gaze at them as they come over. Taking my phone out of my pocket, I manage to snap a few pictures of her with the koalas in the picture and post on my social media.
The way she looks at me and smiles makes me want to be the one who puts that smile on her face forever.
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A U T H O R N O T E
We all knew they were going to wake up together...
Honestly I want someone to look at me the way Easton looks at Gabi!!
Did some research into Koala's and all the places in Australia, I had seen some news articles which made me look into this before writing it, but of course if anyone is very knowledgeable on the subject, maybe from Australia, please feel free to comment or even send me a DM if there is anything incorrect.
Thank you all so much for 10k reads!!