100 Hours
Page 12
Unease crawls over my skin. Something feels wrong.
Benard wraps his arms around a girl at the front of the group, lifting her off the ground with the enthusiasm of his embrace.
I stare, and in spite of the bright, warm sun, I feel suddenly cold.
“That’s his girlfriend,” Milo says, so close to my ear that I jump, startled. “So, maybe you won’t mention sharing a hammock with him, oui?”
I’m too humiliated to speak. Of course he has a girlfriend. Of course she’s tall and beautiful and graceful, even at a distance.
Of course yesterday was too good to be true.
“We are all adults, non?” Milo says in his stupid French accent.
I nod. That’s the only response I can manage.
He leans down to kiss me on the cheek. “I knew someone as mature as you would understand.”
67 HOURS EARLIER
GENESIS
“Hey.” I fall into step with Indiana, before he can hit the water in his snorkel gear. “We’re going sightseeing. Come with us.” “‘We’?” He looks past me to where Neda is complaining about the upcoming hike, though Nico, Penelope, and Holden are too mired in an uncomfortable silence to pay attention. “All of you?”
“Yeah. Though I should warn you that no one’s really in a good mood today, except for Ryan.” Now that he’s not a raging alcoholic depressive, he could have fun standing on the edge of an erupting volcano.
But Indiana is only looking at me. “What kind of mood are you in?”
“That depends. Are you coming with us?” I’m not flirting—not really. And I feel a little guilty for asking him to come on a trip pretty much guaranteed to end with one of my friends either punching or sleeping with another one of my friends.
But I could really use an ally.
“I’ll get my stuff.”
“We’re waiting for the porters to bring our gear from the cabanas. Meet us in front of the restaurant in about fifteen.”
“Porters? As in, plural?” He raises one eyebrow. “You have enough gear to require professional assistance?”
I laugh. “Admit it. You won’t forget me either.” I feel him watching me as I walk away.
Halfway across the beach, I find my cousin watching the Belgian boy and his girlfriend as they feed each other gooey bites of pain au chocolate. No wonder she was so willing to leave Cabo.
She actually liked him.
Maddie doesn’t notice me until I’m standing right next to her, shading my eyes from the sun with my hand. “The only way to protect yourself is to assume everyone else is lying.”
She crosses her arms over her bikini top. “That sounds like step one from the Conspiracy Theorist’s Guide to Mental Health.”
I nod at Benard. “You can get over it, or you can get even.”
“Karma will take care of him.” But her jaw is clenched and her cheeks are flushed. That Belgian bastard humiliated her.
Maddie may be naive and sanctimonious, but she’s still a Valencia.
“Fine. Call me Karma.” But she grabs my arm before I get two steps away.
“What are you doing, Genesis?”
“What you don’t have the nerve to do.” I pull my arm from her grip. “Teaching him a lesson.” I let my hips swing as I march across the beach toward Benard. He’s still holding his girlfriend’s hand when I spin him around and kiss him like he’s the only source of oxygen on the planet.
His girlfriend sputters in shock, and when I finally let him go, Benard is too stunned for words.
“Last night was great,” I practically purr as I let my hand trail down his chest. Then I turn to the girlfriend. “Don’t let this one get away. He’s a keeper.”
MADDIE
I will never be able to unsee Genesis kissing Benard. Still, that was awesome.
As I head for the restaurant, I glance back to watch Benard’s girlfriend yell at him, and my shoulder hits something firm but yielding.
“Ow!”
“I’m so sorry!” I turn to see who I’ve run into and find myself face-to-face with Luke Hazelwood.
“Hey, Maddie.” He looks disappointed when he notices my backpack. “Where you goin’?”
“My cousin is dragging us back into the jungle.” As if I’m not thrilled to be escaping Benard and his girlfriend.
“Cool. Can I come? It’s just that . . .” He looks really young and needy. Even for fifteen.
“Yeah,” I say, still mired in my own drama. “Wait, what?”
“I’ll grab my stuff and meet you back here.” Luke takes off down the beach at a jog before I’ve even figured out what I just agreed to.
“Wait, Luke! I—” Damn it.
The porter and his donkey have arrived with the rest of our luggage, so I grab my backpack and meet Genesis in front of the restaurant. Domenica, Ryan’s new Peruvian friend, has packed up her tent to join us, and Holden has invited most of the bros and some old guy I can only assume is the source of their supply.
Our group has doubled in size.
“Who’s your new man?” Genesis asks with a grin, and I turn to see that Luke is already awkwardly running toward us in the sand, as if he’s afraid we’ll leave without him. Suddenly I’m very aware of how pale and skinny he is. Of how his goofy grin is as big and awkward as the pack he wears.
I glare at her. “He’s not—”
“He looks like he should be carrying a lunch box,” Neda says.
Genesis laughs. “Or a cute little heart-shaped collar that reads, ‘If lost, please return to Maddie Valencia.’”
“Shut up!” I snap as he jogs to a stop three feet away. “Genesis, this is Luke Hazelwood.” I plead with my cousin silently to just smile and nod, for once. “I know him from school. I told him he could come with us.”
“My parents are fine with it,” he adds, then he immediately looks like he wants to stuff the words back into his mouth and swallow them. Like a poison pill.
“Well, as long as it’s okay with Mommy and Daddy,” Penelope sneers, but Genesis only rolls her eyes. Gen and Pen have been joined at the hip since they were eight, but obviously Genelope couldn’t survive Hurricane Holden.
Benard wraps his arms around a girl at the front of the group, lifting her off the ground with the enthusiasm of his embrace.
I stare, and in spite of the bright, warm sun, I feel suddenly cold.
“That’s his girlfriend,” Milo says, so close to my ear that I jump, startled. “So, maybe you won’t mention sharing a hammock with him, oui?”
I’m too humiliated to speak. Of course he has a girlfriend. Of course she’s tall and beautiful and graceful, even at a distance.
Of course yesterday was too good to be true.
“We are all adults, non?” Milo says in his stupid French accent.
I nod. That’s the only response I can manage.
He leans down to kiss me on the cheek. “I knew someone as mature as you would understand.”
67 HOURS EARLIER
GENESIS
“Hey.” I fall into step with Indiana, before he can hit the water in his snorkel gear. “We’re going sightseeing. Come with us.” “‘We’?” He looks past me to where Neda is complaining about the upcoming hike, though Nico, Penelope, and Holden are too mired in an uncomfortable silence to pay attention. “All of you?”
“Yeah. Though I should warn you that no one’s really in a good mood today, except for Ryan.” Now that he’s not a raging alcoholic depressive, he could have fun standing on the edge of an erupting volcano.
But Indiana is only looking at me. “What kind of mood are you in?”
“That depends. Are you coming with us?” I’m not flirting—not really. And I feel a little guilty for asking him to come on a trip pretty much guaranteed to end with one of my friends either punching or sleeping with another one of my friends.
But I could really use an ally.
“I’ll get my stuff.”
“We’re waiting for the porters to bring our gear from the cabanas. Meet us in front of the restaurant in about fifteen.”
“Porters? As in, plural?” He raises one eyebrow. “You have enough gear to require professional assistance?”
I laugh. “Admit it. You won’t forget me either.” I feel him watching me as I walk away.
Halfway across the beach, I find my cousin watching the Belgian boy and his girlfriend as they feed each other gooey bites of pain au chocolate. No wonder she was so willing to leave Cabo.
She actually liked him.
Maddie doesn’t notice me until I’m standing right next to her, shading my eyes from the sun with my hand. “The only way to protect yourself is to assume everyone else is lying.”
She crosses her arms over her bikini top. “That sounds like step one from the Conspiracy Theorist’s Guide to Mental Health.”
I nod at Benard. “You can get over it, or you can get even.”
“Karma will take care of him.” But her jaw is clenched and her cheeks are flushed. That Belgian bastard humiliated her.
Maddie may be naive and sanctimonious, but she’s still a Valencia.
“Fine. Call me Karma.” But she grabs my arm before I get two steps away.
“What are you doing, Genesis?”
“What you don’t have the nerve to do.” I pull my arm from her grip. “Teaching him a lesson.” I let my hips swing as I march across the beach toward Benard. He’s still holding his girlfriend’s hand when I spin him around and kiss him like he’s the only source of oxygen on the planet.
His girlfriend sputters in shock, and when I finally let him go, Benard is too stunned for words.
“Last night was great,” I practically purr as I let my hand trail down his chest. Then I turn to the girlfriend. “Don’t let this one get away. He’s a keeper.”
MADDIE
I will never be able to unsee Genesis kissing Benard. Still, that was awesome.
As I head for the restaurant, I glance back to watch Benard’s girlfriend yell at him, and my shoulder hits something firm but yielding.
“Ow!”
“I’m so sorry!” I turn to see who I’ve run into and find myself face-to-face with Luke Hazelwood.
“Hey, Maddie.” He looks disappointed when he notices my backpack. “Where you goin’?”
“My cousin is dragging us back into the jungle.” As if I’m not thrilled to be escaping Benard and his girlfriend.
“Cool. Can I come? It’s just that . . .” He looks really young and needy. Even for fifteen.
“Yeah,” I say, still mired in my own drama. “Wait, what?”
“I’ll grab my stuff and meet you back here.” Luke takes off down the beach at a jog before I’ve even figured out what I just agreed to.
“Wait, Luke! I—” Damn it.
The porter and his donkey have arrived with the rest of our luggage, so I grab my backpack and meet Genesis in front of the restaurant. Domenica, Ryan’s new Peruvian friend, has packed up her tent to join us, and Holden has invited most of the bros and some old guy I can only assume is the source of their supply.
Our group has doubled in size.
“Who’s your new man?” Genesis asks with a grin, and I turn to see that Luke is already awkwardly running toward us in the sand, as if he’s afraid we’ll leave without him. Suddenly I’m very aware of how pale and skinny he is. Of how his goofy grin is as big and awkward as the pack he wears.
I glare at her. “He’s not—”
“He looks like he should be carrying a lunch box,” Neda says.
Genesis laughs. “Or a cute little heart-shaped collar that reads, ‘If lost, please return to Maddie Valencia.’”
“Shut up!” I snap as he jogs to a stop three feet away. “Genesis, this is Luke Hazelwood.” I plead with my cousin silently to just smile and nod, for once. “I know him from school. I told him he could come with us.”
“My parents are fine with it,” he adds, then he immediately looks like he wants to stuff the words back into his mouth and swallow them. Like a poison pill.
“Well, as long as it’s okay with Mommy and Daddy,” Penelope sneers, but Genesis only rolls her eyes. Gen and Pen have been joined at the hip since they were eight, but obviously Genelope couldn’t survive Hurricane Holden.
