Chapter 120 120.Brunch
Tabitha’s POV
As embarrassing as it sounds, I text Andrew that I might be running late. I blame it on poor sleep and bad timing and literally anything that doesn’t involve Jace. There is no version of this conversation where I admit that I overslept because my morning went completely off the rails in the most indecent way possible. I hit send, feel my face heat up anyway, and stare at my phone like it might expose me on its own.
My phone buzzes a second later.
Andrew:
It’s all good. I’ll wait for you in front of Aelani Center. :>
Relief loosens the knot in my chest. Great. That means I really need to move. I toss my phone onto the bed and head straight for the bathroom. I take a quick shower and I pull on clothes with damp skin and wrestle my hair into something presentable. Halfway through drying it, I glance at the time, and my stomach drops.
Eleven! I groan and shut off the dryer. I frantically wrap things up as fast as I can, and bolt out of my room.
When I reach the living room, I slow to a stop. Surprisingly, the couch is empty. I got so used to seeing my mom camp there in the mornings or any time of the day, really. She’d usually flip on fashion magazines while nibbling on some light snacks. But today, there’s nothing but quiet. I tell myself it makes sense. She only got discharged from the hospital yesterday. She is probably still resting in her room.
I hope she’ll feel better soon.
Still, the house feels hollow. Alpha Emery is also out doing some pack business and so are his sons probably, since the brothers are nowhere in sight as well.
Did Jace leave after cleaning me up, or did he stay longer? Oh well. I just hope he managed to sneak out of my room without anyone noticing! I warily glance at the CCTV cameras that are sprinkled all over the mansion. Damn, I hope he managed to skirt away from those too.
I shake my head and grab my bag.
Gerald drops me off in front of Aelani Center a few minutes later. I step out and take in the place. This used to be the mall we went to when I was younger, back when everything felt simpler and cheaper. It feels different now. There are renovations everywhere. Now, half the exterior is covered in scaffolding. I also note some of the new polished glass panels glimmering under the light. It looks like it’s trying to grow into something else. Who knows? Maybe it will even evolve into a luxury mall one day, something even bigger than KL Mall or Kaileani.
“Now, where is he?” I mumble to myself while checking every nearby stall.
Finally, I spot Andrew at a table in front of a modest beverage stall. Sunglasses sit on his face above a cool Hawaiian tee, and a whole coconut rests in his hand as he drinks straight from it like he has nowhere else to be. I am about to call his name when his head lifts and his eyes land to me. His face breaks into a grin as he stands to greet me.
“There you are,” he says with a grin. “I was starting to think that you forgot your way around the island.”
I let out a sheepish laugh as I jog towards him. “Sorry I was late.”
“Nah, I’m just messing with you. It’s okay.”
“Well, I hope you didn’t get bored waiting for me.”
“Actually, I didn’t mind waiting,” he says and takes a sip on his coconut. Then, he sets it aside on the table behind him. “I wandered around Central Town for a while and got distracted by everything, so the time went by faster than I expected.”
I smile and glance past him, my eyes landing on the old sign a few meters away that barely reads: Central Town. Some of the bulbs flicker like they are hanging on out of pure spite.
“You’re such a tourist! No one calls it Central Town around here. We just call it the market.”
Andrew groans indignantly. “I’m a tourist? Didn’t you just come back to the island yourself? I feel like your local privileges are still on probation.”
“Excuse you, I was born here. I don’t need a refresher course on the market just because I’ve been away,” I clap back, laughing.
He holds up his hands like he’s surrendering, still grinning. “Alright, alright. Local expert, lead the way.”
I smirk and nudge him with my shoulder. “Fine. Let me show you around before you start asking where they sell the tackiest souvenirs on the island.”
“Speaking of which, you might actually want to help me on that one. I’m looking for something to send back to the guys. You know how they are. Ray is going to bitch around if I don’t get them anything nice.”
“No problem. I’ll help you pack some gifts for your soccer buddies later,” I say, waving him along. “But first, I promised we’d grab a proper lunch and that coconut juice isn’t going to cut it. Let’s go have brunch!”
He holds up his hands like he’s surrendering, still grinning. “Alright, alright. Local expert, lead the way.”
I lead him to a seafood restaurant nearby, one of the better ones in the area. We get a table by the window and he looks pleased the moment we sit.
“This place is cozy,” he notes while observing the tropical interior of the restaurant.
“Order whatever you want,” I tell him as the server hands us the menu.
He laughs. “Are you treating me today?”
“I invited you, didn’t I?”
Andrew leans back, raising an eyebrow with exaggerated disbelief. “Woah, look at you, Miss Big-Spender! I didn’t know this day would come.”
I laugh and shake my head.
“Don’t get used to it. Order now before I change my mind.”
“Alright, alright. I’ll take full advantage of your sudden generosity.” He eagerly grabs the menu and surveys the list.
We place our orders, and once the menus are gone, I rest my elbows on the table.
“So,” I start. “How have you been since you got here?”
“I’m having a blast! Honestly, this place is more beautiful than I expected. I’m really enjoying it. There’s a lot of good sights to check out. I’m glad I brought my camera.”
“Are you staying in a hotel?”
“Yup. Sharpe Hotel, which makes me wonder… is it related to the dude I raced with at the Tropical Thunder Circuit? What’s his name again? Rhey—no—Rhett Sharpe, right?”
“That’s the one. And yes, his parents are like the owner of the Sharpe hotel group. The biggest hotel chain in the island and they also have other bigger hotels in the mainland.”
“Damn!” Andrew whistles, amused. “I didn’t realize this island had people like that.”
I snort. “What do you think this island was? It’s not just salt and breeze in Kaelara, you know.”
“Yeah, apparently, it also smells of money in here,” he quips.
I shake my head and laugh. Just then, the servers come back with our order. We got a family-size plate of grilled stuffed squid, a shareable portion of fried calamari, a mountain of assorted seafood cajun boil, our own plates of pasta, some mojos, and some smoothies. My stomach grumbles at the scrumptious sight of them.
“Now, that’s what I call a feast!” Andrew doesn’t hesitate and begins digging in.
While he is busy wrestling with a king crab leg, I sip on my mango smoothie. He reminds me of Reed and Jace when they get so hungry and forget everything else but to satisfy their rebellious stomachs. I smile.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it here. But honestly, I didn’t think you’d stay this long. I thought you’d be here for a week and then head back to the mainland right after,” I note.
He shrugs. “Plans change.”
“Well, it’s good that you’re still here though. We didn’t get to hang out properly last time after what happened after the Tropical Thunder Circuit.”
“Oh yeah,” he says. “How are your stepbrothers? Are they okay now?”
“Yeah. Reed and Luca have recovered from their injuries. Fortunately.”
Andrew nods, then lifts a slab of crab meat slick with butter and bites into it. “That’s a relief. I’m glad to hear that.”
“When are you leaving?” I say as I glance out the window while biting the straw of my smoothie. “I want to make sure I can show you around properly before you go. It’d be a shame if you left the island without getting a proper taste of it.”
“Actually, about that…” Andrew starts to say, but his voice fades into the background when my attention drifts toward the window.
I spot two people walking side by side along a quieter stretch of the market, away from the main foot traffic. They slow near the corner of a closed stall, close enough that their conversation looks serious. Their heads angled toward each other like this is not some casual run into each other by chance. The man is easy to recognize once I focus. It is Wilson, Reed’s friend. But what catches my attention is the woman walking with him. She’s wearing a black maxi dress, and a lilac shawl rests around her neck while oval sunglasses hide part of her face, though not enough to keep me from recognizing her instantly.
It’s my mom. What is she doing here?
But more importantly… Why is she talking to Wilson?