The next day, I dragged Andy out to the beach to teach her how to surf.
Today was the last night in Ecuador, and I think it was safe to say that I would miss this place a lot. Brody and I haven't had much time to go out lately because we were both studying for the remainder of our finals. After tonight, we would be leaving at six in the morning to head back home. Valerie and Brody have been keeping in touch, and even though Brody claims that his mother is the one always texting him, I was almost positive it was the other way around.
Brody Parker was a Momma's boy.
It was eight o'clock in the evening when Andy rushed into our hotel room breathless.
"Get dressed." She ordered. I anxiously got up from my bed, eyeing her carefully.
"I am dressed," I replied, looking down at my pair of shorts and my t-shirt.
Andy shook her head, sighing loudly. "No, I mean like dressed. A hot dress and some pumps, fix your hair, because we're going out tonight." She huffed, rummaging through her dresser drawers.
I scurry towards my dresser, looking through all of my clothes. I knew I had at least one nice dress because Anden and Cora slipped one in my suitcase without my acknowledgement on the day the girls came over.
Finally, after a few moments of searching, I found it.
The dress I wished Cora and Anden had left alone, buried at the bottom of my closet. The dress they stuffed in my suitcase was a red, off-the-shoulder, high-low dress. It was gorgeous, but I had never worn it because I didn't find an occasion to wear it. It was such a formal dress that I never even thought about wearing it before, considering the fact that I gotten it from Collette as a moving gift.
It was beautiful, but I had no use for it - up until now, I guess.
I watched Andy as she ran into the bathroom with her dress and a bag of makeup in hand. I quickly changed into the dress and a pair of nude pumps I had stashed. In the window beside me, the sun gleamed, reflecting off of the ocean beautifully. I was left breathless at the sight.
"Gracelynn, we have to hurry!" Andy sighed, her toothbrush hanging out of the side of her mouth.
I took a deep breath before I rushed alongside her into the bathroom to finish getting ready.
---
We walked together out of the hotel, Andy dressed in a pair of jeans and an off-the-shoulder ruffled long-sleeved crop top. Our heels clicked against the concrete confidently, but I wasn't feeling confident. I felt a bit off, like someone was missing.
And I don't even feel embarrassed admitting that the person who was on my mind was Brody.
Brody was missing.
Brody was missed.
Okay... I missed Brody.
Andy grabbed my arm and dragged me into the plaza we had seen when we went on that tour a few days ago. Before I can question anything, Andy leads me up the stairs and opens the large doors. Immediately, Latin music fills my ears. I could hear a mariachi band somewhere off in the distance, probably practicing for their time to get up on the stage.
"Why are we-" I managed before I was pulled around a corner.
My eyes were immediately captured in a pair of stone eyes.
Brody.
He was dressed in all black, making his eyes stand out even more so than usual. In his hand was a single thornless rose. Andy let go of my arm finally and turned to me.
"Don't be back at the room until at least midnight. It's now nine, so there. See you." And with that, she runs off and blends into the crowd watching the performers.
Brody approaches me slowly, making my heart beat quickly. "You look absolutely stunning, mi amor."
I blushed as he handed me the rose. He looked down at me, in a confused daze. "Do you know what a sign thornless rose means?" He questioned, his fingers lingering lightly on my knuckles.
My breath hitched at the odd question. "N-No," I stuttered, wracking my brain for any possible explanation as to what it meant.
I came up short with nothing.
Brody chuckled, then took my hand, jerking me close to him. My other hand flew out, landing on his chest. I looked up, flushed, to meet his gaze.
"Do you know how to salsa?" He asked just as the mariachi band came up on stage. They played fast-paced music, and people around us began to dance to the beat.
"I do not, but I have a feeling you're going to change my answer after tonight." I replied, clutching Brody's hand tighter.
He plucked the rose from my hand and put it in between his teeth, wriggling his eyebrows as he does so. I giggled as he pulled me closer, closing the proximity between us. He took the rose out of his mouth and put it in his suit jacket.
My breath caught in my throat as Brody told me the steps. "First, step forward with your left foot. You're going to alternate your feet with each step, okay?" He made the first move, stepping backwards. I followed pursuit, earning a proud grin from Brody.
"Yes, like that! Don't forget to sway your hips as you do so, like this," He showed me how to do the next steps, and after I stepped on his toes many, many times, I finally got it.
"I did it!" I shouted gleefully as I finished the last of the steps in order.
Brody chuckled, one of his hands leaving mine. The feeling of his feather-light touch of his fingers travelling down the side of my spine, finally resting at the small of my back, made me shudder. My head lowered, unable to hold his gaze any longer. It was obvious that there was some sort of tension between us, but I wasn't up to figuring out how he felt about that tension just yet.
Suddenly, the music stopped. I looked over to the stage where Andy was. She had a drunken look on her face as she stumbled over her own feet. "HEY GUYS! DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN FIND A GRACELYNN AND BRODY? I AM IN NEED OF A WALK HOME!" She shouted, giggling at her words. "Woah, I sound weird over this thing," She tapped on the microphone multiple times, causing feedback to sound all throughout the room.
Everyone around us put their hands over their ears, wincing in the process. My hands dropped to my sides as I made my way over to the stage, Brody right behind me.
When we made it, Andy looks down at us. Her face lit up. "BRODY! GRACELYNN!" She screamed, then jumped down. I was planning on getting squished because I put my hands up in defense. Andy squealed as she came in contact with something. I opened my eyes to reveal Brody holding her squirming body with an amused look on his face.
"Let's get her out of here, she's wasted." Brody began to head to the door. I followed, becoming upset.
Does Andy realize that she's underage? She could get into some serious trouble! What was she thinking?
When we got back to the hotel, I held Andy's hair back while she threw up. Behind me, Brody had stood there leaned against the door frame, laughing.
I scowled. "If you're not going to help, then you might as well leave," I grumbled while Andy puked her guts up in front of me.
"All right all right, I'll just wait until you're no longer occupied by our lovely, drunk friend."
"You do know, Andy hates you," I retorted.
"Yeah, I do! I hate you Brod-" Andy tried to manage, but was interrupted by another spill.
I wanted to laugh at her. I had never been in this situation before, and quite frankly, I was relieved to witness this funny side of Andy.
After she finished, I got her dressed in the bathroom and helped her into bed. Brody sat on my bed, staring out of the window. Andy groaned as she fell onto her bed, her face hitting the pillow. I picked her upper body up by her shoulders to keep her breathing.
Brody turned to us expectantly, a small, distracted smile on his lips. "I guess I better get to my room. I'll see you guys on the plane." Brody walked past me briskly on his way to the door. I got Andy settled before I followed him out.
"Hey, Brody! Wait." I watched him stop abruptly, then turn around to face me. He was frowning. My eyebrows knitted together I confusion.
Why was he so upset?
"What's wrong?" I asked, taking a step forward. I was around seven feet away from him, but I could feel his intense gaze burning me from this distance.
"Here," He took out the rose from his suit and held it out for me. I slowly walked up to him and gently took the rose out of his hand. Before he could even react, I pulled Brody into a tight hug. I reached up on my tippy-toes to wrap my arms around his neck, burying my face in his shoulder.
His hands froze at his sides, but they slowly trailed up my back and squeezed me tightly.
We stayed like that for what seemed like hours, just holding each other.
My mind was racing, and so was my heart. When I pulled away, my mouth was already open to speak.
"Brody, I-" I love you.
"GRACELYNN, TIME TO GO SLEEPY-TIME!" Andy yelled from our room door, cutting me off completely.
Brody seemed flustered at our interruption.
I turned towards Andy and told her to wait a few seconds before I returned to Brody. His eyes held something fragile, hopeful.
"You what?" He asked, his hands resting loosely on my waist.
I mentally slap myself for almost dropping such a bomb on him.
Of course, I always knew that these overwhelming feeling couldn't be anything but love, I just didn't know how to repress it any longer.
And I didn't want to.
But now was not the time.
"I...I just wanted to thank you for such a great night." I replied shakily.
Of course, Brody and I both knew that wasn't what I was going to say. The disappointment in his gaze told me everything I needed to know.
His hands dropped back to his sides. His face morphed into a blank expression. "Yeah, of course. See you later."
And with that, Brody left me.
---
Oh, the agony!
AGONYYYYYYYYY
plz someone get that^😂
Another edit by the lovely trinny_ash
Anyways love you guys and thank you for 21k!!
XOXO,
elizabeth-archer.