AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Is it still considered room service if it isn’t delivered to a room?” I muse as I lay out the boxes of food dropped off at our villa later that night. “Villa service?”
“I think it’s just called delivery at that point.” Stella laughs and stands on the rung of her stool to stretch across the kitchen island for her food. After that goddamn amazing hurricane in the beach club’s bathroom, we came home, fell asleep watching Netflix, and woke up ravenous.
“But it’s charged to your villa like room service would in a hotel,” I point out with a fry before popping it in my mouth. I close my eyes and hum. “Mmm, why even bother messing with perfection? My first order of business as the new owner will be adding plain fries to every menu. None of this truffle butter and Parmigiano Reggiano shit. Do you know the threats I had to make to get them to take that stuff off?”
“I’m sure you were very big and scary,” she says as if she’s commending a kid who stood up to a kitten.
I puff out my chest. “Oh, I was,” I say with mock seriousness.
“You’re so brave,” she teases and slides a bite of food off her fork.
There’s a playful comfort between us like this, light and fun. Not to say the desire isn’t there—fuck, it’s eating me alive. But it’s like earlier was a fever dream.
Her phone rings on the counter, and I see my brother’s face light up the screen. Stella answers the video call. “What’s up, boss?”
“Hey, how’s everything going?” Cash says on the other line.
“Oh, you know, had another attempted murder last night, but other than that, just dandy,” she jokes.
“The Jakšics?”
“Mhmm, but who knows? Maybe they can work it out in family therapy.” She shrugs, and I hear Cash laugh.
“Yeah, I heard patricide is great for healing generational trauma.”
I snort, nearly choking on my fry. “Here, let me go to the other room before your brother asphyxiates.” She walks off to the patio, gently sliding the glass door half closed.
After the chaos with the Jakšics, we came home and went to bed. In separate rooms. And even after she jumped my goddamn bones today, we still haven’t discussed this thing between us. An implication hangs in the air: what happens on the island, stays on the island.
The thought of returning to June Harbor and pretending none of this was real? It’s enough to make me crazy. Make me doubt my own sanity.
Or maybe insanity is thinking there’s something more between us. Maybe this is all we’re destined to be, each other’s happy place—except for these magical few days when we were something more.
I steal a look at her out on the patio, laughing with Cash and wildly throwing her hands about as she talks.
If this is all I can get, is it enough?
My heart screams hell no, but the little boy who lost everyone important to him whispers that it is. It has to be.
Perhaps it’s better never to have someone at all if you will only end up losing them.
I try to wash down the bitter thought with my beer. A few minutes later, Stella comes back. “What did he want to talk about?” I ask.
“Just catching up,” she says evasively, tucking back into her meal.
I rest my palms on the counter. “Did you tell him about us?”
She looks up, brow slightly fretted. “What about us?”
“You know . . . ,” I imply, wanting to hear how she would define us.
“No,” she scoffs. “I didn’t tell him I’m fucking his little brother.”
Her words are a sucker punch. “Ouch.” I laugh half-heartedly.
She winces, her eyes sinking with something painfully close to pity. “Let’s just have fun while we’re here.” The confirmation makes my chest pang. “Like best friends with benefits,” she tries to add on with a lighter tone and forced smile.
I can’t help but scoff. “What the hell do you think Cash and Harlow are? Best friends with benefits.”
