Page 78 of XOXO

“Vi!”

I didn’t turn around as I ran to the ocean, hoping they would just leave before I went back. The moment the water hit me, I felt marginally better, but I realized I shouldn’t have just left. But they were sitting on my blanket and I loved that one so much.

My lip trembled as the waves hit me until I felt arms reach around my waist. I stiffened as I raised my hand to hit whoever had the audacity to touch me when Levi came into view, then Matteo and lastly Ruwon.

“Don’t think I’m done with you yet,” Levi whispered. “You left last time, and I wasn’t done with you, so don’t think you can run away again. Let’s say, you owe me.”

I was exhausted and Levi taking the reins sounded damn good.

“It was awkward,” I murmured.

“They’ll get over it,” he said confidently.

I didn’t think they would, but maybe Levi and I could hang out for a bit before we went our separate ways. One last rendezvous wouldn’t hurt, right?

21. Matteo

Go with the flow and share the girl with your best friends…again.

We had all slept with the same girl. I didn’t know what to think when I saw her on the beach. Was she following us? Was she preying on Levi? She was a coder. Did she plant something on his phone? Then Ruwon called her Violeta. The pieces of what he shared about a girl he met in Italy were coming together.

Was she fucking with us? Why did we know her as Vi and he knew her as Violeta?

I left to get drinks before I said something I would regret and no doubt Levi would get mad at me for. As I stood in line, I calmed down, realizing I was being stupid and reckless. Levi wasn’t a bad judge of character and the time I spent with Vi, I liked her so much I fucked her. I could see why Levi liked her so much because I liked her a lot. She wasn’t like anyone I had ever met before and sharing her with Levi changed something in us. Even though I ran away to figure shit out, I wanted to go back to being that close with Levi. I think I wanted more.

Fuck, why was that so hard to admit?

Seeing her again brought up a lot of emotions I wasn’t ready to handle, but she also brought me a little sliver of hope. After she ran off into the ocean, clearly upset at the way Ruwon had spoken to her, I knew we were losing our opportunity. I was going to go after her, but Levi beat me to it.

Ruwon was not happy. I tried to ask him what had happened; he brushed me off, still too pissed off at whatever he was thinking about concerning Vi. He probably was wary of her, it wouldn’t be the first time someone had stalked him and I’m sure this was where his mind was. Or maybe he was weirded out because we had all slept with the same girl. He was always quiet about who he slept with, keeping that part of his life more private than Levi or I, until he spoke about Vi.

Damn, what was this girl doing to us?

We stayed in the water for over an hour, playing chicken and enjoying a break from the heat. When we finally emerged, our stomachs were growling, and we were thirsty.

“Do you have dinner plans?” Levi asked, as he dried himself off.

Vi hesitated. “No, I was going to see what was close to where I was staying and eat there.”

“We have a reservation tonight. Want to come with us?” I asked.

Ruwon immediately pierced me with a look of, ‘what the fuck’?

Vi caught it. “Nah, you guys have fun. Thanks for hanging out with me today. I needed a familiar face.”

“Is everything ok?” Levi asked, studying her.

“Yeah, getting homesick, but I’m good,” she said, drying her hair.

I remembered what she said about her situation back home. Why was she missing home?

“Come out with us,” I said, slipping my shirt on. “We’ll get some dinner and drinks and then we can take you to where you are staying.”

“No. I’m good, seriously.” She attempted to smile.

“Matteo is right. There’s nothing better than letting us make you forget about feeling homesick,” he said.

I didn’t know if he meant that as a double meaning, but the way Vi’s cheeks heated, I think she took it that way. Levi and I could definitively make her forget.