Chapter 41

Cecilia

Arthur's eyes found me the second I emerged from the back. His jaw was tight, his gaze sharp with concern, and I could see the question written all over his face—Are you okay? What happened?

I gave him a small nod and a reassuring look—I'm fine. Everything's fine.

He relaxed slightly, but his eyes stayed on me, tracking my every movement as I slid back into my seat beside Alice.

Carter and Max were deep in conversation near the front of the cabin, their voices low and casual, like they hadn't noticed anything at all. Carter laughed at something Max said, clapping him on the shoulder, and Max smirked, leaning back in his seat with that same cocky confidence he always wore.

Alice sat beside me, quiet and withdrawn, her hands folded in her lap. She glanced at me briefly, her expression unreadable, then looked away.

I reached into the snack basket and pulled out a bag of chips, tearing it open with more force than necessary. "Here," I said, holding it out to Alice. "Eat something."

She hesitated, then took a chip, nibbling on it slowly. I popped one into my mouth, crunching loudly, and nudged her shoulder with mine. "Come on. Don't make me eat this whole thing by myself."

A tiny smile tugged at her lips, and she took another chip.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Sophia finally emerge from the back, her face pale and her eyes red-rimmed. She looked like she'd been through a war. Carter noticed immediately, standing up and crossing the cabin to meet her halfway.

"Hey," he said softly, his voice full of concern. "You okay?"

Sophia nodded, but she didn't say anything. Just let him guide her back to her seat, his arm wrapped protectively around her waist.

Carter pulled her down beside him and hugged her tightly, his chin resting on the top of her head. She buried her face in his chest, her shoulders trembling slightly, and I had to look away.

Max, sitting across from them, rolled his eyes and made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat. "Jesus Christ," he muttered. "Can we not do the whole emotional breakdown thing right now?"

Carter shot him a look. "Shut up, Max."

Max held up his hands in mock surrender, that infuriating smirk still plastered on his face. "Whatever, man. Just saying, we're supposed to be having fun here. Let's actually, you know, have fun."

He clapped his hands together, the sound sharp and jarring in the quiet cabin. "Alright, who's up for a game?"

We ended up playing some ridiculous drinking game Max insisted on—a mix of cards and dice that I didn't fully understand, but the rules were simple enough: whoever lost each round had to take a drink.

Alice lost first.

Max's eyes lit up like he'd just won the lottery, his grin widening as he leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "Well, well, well," he said, his voice dripping with amusement. "Looks like Alice is up."

Alice looked utterly unwilling to drink. Growing exasperated, she even glared at Max. As if realizing what she’d done, she quickly hung her head.

"Come on, Alice," Max said, looked at her expectantly.. "Drink up. Rules are rules."

She picked up the glass with shaking fingers and downed it in one gulp, her face twisting as the alcohol burned her throat.

Sophia lost next.

Carter immediately reached for her glass before she could even touch it. "I've got it," he said, downing the shot without hesitation.

Sophia looked at him with wide, grateful eyes, and he just smiled, squeezing her hand.

Max snorted. "Of course you do."

Arthur and I, somehow, kept winning. Every single round, one of us managed to avoid losing, and by the third round, we were both laughing, high-fiving each other like idiots.

"This is rigged," Max said, narrowing his eyes at us. "You two are cheating."

"Or maybe we're just better than you," I shot back, grinning.

Arthur smirked, leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed. "Face it, Max. You're losing."

Max's jaw tightened, but he didn't say anything. Just dealt the next round with more force than necessary.

By the time the game finally ended, it was well past midnight. Carter was slumped in his seat, his eyes half-closed, mumbling something incoherent. Alice had passed out completely, her head resting on the armrest, her breathing slow and steady.

Max stood up, stretching, and walked over to Alice. He scooped her up effortlessly, cradling her in his arms like she weighed nothing.

"Alright," he said, his voice bright and cheerful, completely at odds with the late hour. "I'm calling it. See you guys in the morning."

He carried Alice toward the back of the cabin, disappearing into one of the private rooms, and I watched him go, my stomach twisting into knots.

Arthur stood up beside me, offering me his hand. "Come on," he said quietly. "Let's get some sleep."

I took his hand and let him pull me to my feet, but I couldn't shake the image of Max carrying Alice away, that bright, eager look in his eyes.

Carter was still slumped in his seat, barely conscious, and Sophia was trying—and failing—to get him to stand. He was too heavy, too drunk, and they both ended up collapsing onto the floor in a tangled heap.

"Carter," Sophia said, her voice breaking. "Carter, come on. We need to get up."

He blinked up at her, his eyes unfocused, and smiled. "I love you," he mumbled. "You know that, right?"

Sophia's face crumpled, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I know," she whispered.

"I love you," he said again, his words slurring together. "But I love my brothers too. And I just—thank you. Thank you for trying. For apologizing. For doing this."

Sophia let out a choked sob, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his shoulder. "Carter," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Carter, I—"

But she couldn't finish. Just held onto him, crying silently, and I had to look away again.

Arthur tugged on my hand gently, pulling me toward our room. "Come on, Ceci. They'll be okay."

I nodded.