Page 37 of Surviving in Clua


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Kenzi

My cell buzzes. I glance at the screen, then swipe it closed. Daz. Again. Great. He’s already sent three messages since this morning. Okay, so, maybe being nice to him wasn’t my best idea. I’m usually dead against games of any kind when it comes to men. But I don’t usually have a brooding Viking watching me like a big miserable hawk. Whatever. They both deserve it. I take a sip of my watermelon juice and sit back into the cushions of the wicker sofa, watching the swinging doors of the Beach Hut.

They finally open, and my face splits into the hugest of grins as a stroller possibly bigger than my Vespa shoves between them followed by Felix and Laia. I haven’t seen them since the hospital last week.

Laia spots me and somehow maneuvers the massive baby vehicle between the tourist-filled sofas and tables, her tongue peeking from between her lips in concentration. “This thing should come with lessons, I’m telling you.” She blows out a relieved puff when she gets to me.

“Yay. I’ve missed you, little mama.” I stand for a squeeze, then peek into the plush gray and pink stroller. Seren’s sound asleep beneath a pretty floral muslin. “That bow.” I glance up to where Laia’s smiling down at her daughter.

“Would you believe me if I told you it’s Felix’s doing?”

“Nooooo.” I laugh for the first time in too many days.

“Yup.” She wrinkles her nose and wiggles her fingers over to where Felix is watching us from the bar. “He picks out her clothes every morning. It’s their thing. Anyway.” She flops down onto the sofa opposite me, her gray jersey maxi dress frooffing out at the sides. “Talk to me about things that aren’t poop or boobs or sleep, please. What’s going on with you. Pete may or may not have let it slip that you’ve left the hotel. Spill it.”

“I wanted to be the one to tell you.” I sit back down, my hands clasped in my lap. “I’m opening a restaurant.” I press my lips together and wait. It’s getting easier and easier, this whole telling-people thing. I have the lease. I have everything I need to apply for the Start Up grant.

“Oh my God, how is this the first time you’re mentioning this to me?” She’s practically bouncing in her seat. “Tell me everything. Now. All of it. What are you going to call it?”

I pretend she didn’t say that. The name will come. “I was planning on telling you over ice cream and nachos last week, but you ditched me to pop a baby out, didn’t you?” I lift my cell and swipe until I find the photo of Lola’s painting, then hand it to Laia. “The end of the beach… it’s gonna be perfect. I can’t wait to show you the place—I mean it’s a bit of a wreck right now, but that will change as soon as I get the money stuff in order.”

Laia’s gaze moves over the photo, her bottom lip sucked into her mouth, her green eyes getting suspiciously watery. “This is so great.” She hands me back my phone with a full-on chin wobble. “No more Castle Hotel for us.”

“Hey. What’s this?” I reach over to squeeze her knee. “You won’t be going back to the Hotel either. You’ll be supplying the island’s pie addiction again in no time.”

She waves her hand in front of her face, shaking her head. “I know. It’s me. I’m hormonal, ignore me. I’m really, really happy for you, Zi.”

My cell vibrates on the table. Another message from Daz. I groan. Screw up my face. Sink back into the sofa and cover my face. “Laiaaaaaa, I did something stupid.”

“What kind of stupid? I’m all about stupid.” She leans forward, her hands clasped, her elbows on her knees. “Quick, tell me before my little boob Nazi wakes up.”

“Boob Nazi?” I glance over to Seren. She’s still sleeping, but her itty-bitty mouth is sucking in on itself in the most adorable way. I wince big when I look back to Laia. “I maybe have been friendly with somebody I shouldn’t have been friendly with to show someone else I’m not friendly with that I’m not nobody to everyone.”

She cocks her head, lips pursed to the side. “You were friendly with someone you shouldn’t have been friendly with to show someone you’re not friendly with that you’re not nobody to everyone?”

I nod, seriously. “Yes. And now, the somebody I shouldn’t have been friendly to won’t stop messaging me.”

“Would one of the somebodies in this story have a beard and hair that dreams are made of?”

My lips turn down, but I nod. “I wasn’t trying to make him jealous. I was just…” I sigh long and hard. “I was totally trying to make him jealous. I’m a sucky human being.”

“Hold up, Mylo said you were nobody?MyloMylo?OurMylo?” Her mouth opens, then closes again in a scowl. “When? Where? How? I didn’t even realize you guys were speaking again.”

She doesn’t know about our sleepovers. Nobody knows. Not even Rae. “He was talking to some Cara person when I ran into him the other morning. Then we… he…” My bottom lip sticks out before I can stop it. “It doesn’t even matter. I don’t care. If I’m nobody to him, he’s nobody to me. Do not talk to him about this.”

Laia’s eyes narrow, and she shakes her head. “I won’t, but you’re not nobody, Kenzi. I don’t know what his deal was when he said that, but don’t ever let anybody make you prove your worth.” Her gaze flicks to somewhere behind me and then back to my face. “Do you think it worked?” She’s gnawing on the inside of her cheek. That’s never a good sign. “Did he get jealous? Is he mad at you?”

I grimace. Nod my head from side to side. “Well, he wasn’t exactly shooting love heart eyes at me when I left.” I shake myself out of it. “But, whatever. I don’t care. We’re not here to talk about him. We’re here to talk about fun, nice, lovely things, like this very important thing you wanted to ask me?”

Seren squeaks before Laia has the chance to answer.

I watch her lift the squirming baby from the pram. Legs pulled up, minuscule toes spayed, back arched, bum out in the most adorable sleepy little baby stretch, Seren lets out another little squeak. Laia raises her eyebrows and holds her out. “Want a cuddle?

“No. Yes. Okay. I’ve got this.” I grab a couple of cushions from the sofa’s backrest, pad myself in, then hold my arms out in an awkward cradle. If Mylo can hold babies like it’s no big deal, then so can I. “Okay, go.”

Seren stretches out an arm like a teeny-weeny Super Girl when Laia passes her to me. I rock as much as my cushions will allow until she zonks out again.

Totally got this.

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