Page 23

sophia

Cocky Fights

I’m so excited that I rise early, shower, and dress in my cutest outfit. It’s a buttery-white eyelet sundress with flutter sleeves.

I curl my hair in loose beachy waves. Amelia does my makeup before she pushes me out the front door. She has an online interview for a job this morning, so she’s eager to get rid of me.

With a home address and a car, I’m finally on my way to find Adam.

First, I stop for tea at the hotel’s café before heading to the parking lot. The truck is parked where Tina said. It may not be beautiful, but it’ll get me where I need to go. And besides, the beast and I are old friends now, right?

Sipping my drink, I stare at it and take note. Is it strange Tina left the windows open? Shrugging, I balance my tea in one hand and open the driver’s door with the other. The hinges screech so loudly, they could wake the dead. For a moment, I think they do when a rust-colored blur cannonballs directly at me.

I scream and reel back. My cup goes flying. High-pitched squeals mix with frantic clucks. Wide wings flap. With the thing flying around me, I fumble in a tornado of unnatural moves, arms flailing, and flip my head from side to side until the feathered beast gently lands several feet away.

Folding over, I grab my knees and try to calm my ragged breaths. I heave warm air in and out as my eyes glaze over in shock. I didn’t have near-death by island chicken on my Bingo card today, but here we are.

To make sure the bird doesn’t come for me again, I shout and wave my arms in gigantic gestures to scare it away. The fiery fiend races into the lush greenery like nothing happened. It didn’t even have to touch me to make me freak out. It’s completely fine.

Sadly, I cannot say the same. Warm liquid seeps across my white dress and sticks to my skin. Wobbling in a daze, I stumble across my reflection in a nearby passenger window. That’s when I have a Kevin McCallister Home Alone moment. My palms slap my cheeks, and my mouth falls open as I scream at the top of my lungs.

My hair has been restyled in the shape of a bird’s nest, and I look like I’ve been double-stuffed by an alpha chicken. I pluck a feather from the corner of my mouth.

“Bleh.” My shoulders shake and my lips twist in disgust. I spit because bird germs.

Gah!

And worse? I snapped the strap on my sandal, which means I’m down two pairs of shoes. Furious, I kick the truck door shut with my bare foot, snatch my tote from the ground, and hook it over my shoulder. I gather the remains of my to-go cup and toss it and my broken shoe into a wastebasket.

I limp back through the resort toward the bungalow with my good mood sinking faster than a cement block in the ocean. I strained a calf muscle from my overblown reaction, so now it’s strung tighter than a harpsichord.

“Rough night?” the voice I despise most calls as I make my way down the private path to my front door.

I sneer. I don’t want to acknowledge Gio, but he keeps talking.

“What do they call it? The walk of⁠—”

I spin and cut him off. “Don’t you dare try to shame me!”

He’s sitting on the ground-floor terrace of a nearby room, sipping coffee and wearing nothing but loose pajama bottoms that somehow leave nothing to the imagination.

Even in my state of chaos, I must look away.

What is wrong with me!?

And why does he insist on flashing his perfect abs all over this beach oasis? He’s so full of himself.

Gio holds up his hands. “Actually, if you would have let me finish, you would have realized that I was celebrating. I was going to say walk of fame. You’ll find I’m very sex-positive.”

“Yeah, well, it’s more like I went ten rounds with a chicken nugget.” I gesture to my dress, where I’m covered in tea.

“Kinky,” he says, appearing more amused than he should.

I sigh and resume my journey. I’m running out of energy to spar with him when something behind me stirs. Gravel crunches, and then Gio appears.

“What now?” I whine and hobble on.

“Did you hurt yourself?” he asks, studying my walk.