CHAPTER 42
CHAPTER 42
Mila
Mila!!!” I heard Rosalie yell, and I blinked at her, momentarily confused. Her voice, high-pitched and urgent, made me flinch slightly.
“Did you even hear anything we’ve been saying?” Olivia asked, her brow furrowed in worry as she studied me carefully.
I shook my head slightly, still trying to focus, but my mind was elsewhere. “I… I—what?”
“Are you thinking about your project again?” Rosalie asked, reaching for my hands and squeezing them gently as if to jolt me back into reality. “I swear, Mila, you’ve been miles away all morning.”
“What project?” Olivia asked, glancing between the two of us, clearly confused.
Rosalie let out a sigh and rolled her eyes dramatically, giving me a look filled with pity. “Apparently, some particular professor who doesn’t like her decided to put her in a group with the worst of the worst. They won’t cooperate, won’t share ideas… they won’t even let her breathe without complaining.”
“Poor thing,” Olivia said softly, giving me those exaggerated doe eyes that somehow made me feel like a child again. And before I could even respond, both of them swooped in and pulled me into an incredibly tight hug.
“Guys…” I managed, my words muffled against their shoulders.
They finally released me and stepped back, grinning at me like they had saved me from some terrible fate.
“All that energy needs to go somewhere!” Olivia said, bouncing on her toes and clasping her hands together in excitement.
“Yessss! Baby, we came to the beach to have fun!” Rosalie chimed in, practically vibrating with energy.
“Race you guys to the water!” Olivia shouted, spinning on her heels and starting to run. Rosalie didn’t hesitate; she followed, laughing like a child.
I stayed glued to my spot, my feet rooted in the warm sand as I watched them disappear ahead. The project was stressful, yes, but that wasn’t what had me frozen. My mind replayed the last night I saw Lance—three long days ago—and the memory refused to leave me.
The fear on his face, the way that name...Maxie...slipped from his lips like a wound ripping open… it haunted me. I couldn’t stop thinking about Emily’s words either, the way she had looked at me that morning, the way she had hinted at things I didn’t want to know but couldn’t ignore.
I considered asking Olivia about Maxie, but a part of me froze at the thought. If I asked, she might pry, and I wouldn’t have answers. Worse, she could tell Lance, and that was the last thing I wanted.
The sound of pounding footsteps broke my thoughts. Olivia and Rosalie were running toward me, their faces set in mock indignation, their hair flying wildly in the sea breeze.
“You sly…” Rosalie huffed as she reached me, bent slightly forward to catch her breath. “Why didn’t you run with us? Were you planning to sit there like a sandcastle?”
Before I could answer, they grabbed me. Strong hands pulled me forward, and within seconds, I was being dragged into the surf. The cold water shocked me, and I screamed, then laughed uncontrollably as waves splashed over us.
“Not fair!” I yelled between giggles, trying to push them back. But they weren’t letting go. The water splashed higher, and soon we were all drenched, laughing so hard that I could barely catch my breath.
When we finally pulled away from the crashing waves, I found myself sitting on the sand next to Olivia, letting the salt air dry my hair. Rosalie, ever the performer, was striking poses for a stranger who was apparently fascinated with her new “beach goddess” aura.
Olivia leaned closer, elbow brushing mine. “Are you worried about your husband?” she asked, teasing. Her grin was mischievous, her tone almost mock-serious.
I raised an eyebrow and laughed softly, shaking my head. “Pffft… as if,” I said, trying to play along, but the lie tasted bitter in my mouth.
“Don’t worry. He’s fine,” Olivia said, nudging me lightly. “Wouldn’t be the first time he went AWOL. He always comes back, you know? Just give him a little time… he’ll be back from his little trip soon enough.”
I hesitated, then glanced at her. “Do you…” I trailed off, unsure how to form the question.
“What is it?” she prompted, curious. Her eyes, bright and sharp, studied me as though she could read the thoughts I refused to speak.
“Do you know who… Maxie is?” I finally asked, my voice quiet but firm. I searched her face, hoping for some flicker of recognition, some sign that she might understand without needing explanation.
Her expression shifted, her eyes widening ever so slightly. Her lips parted as if she wanted to answer, but before a word could escape, Rosalie, oblivious to the tension building between us, barged in.
“Okay! Okay! Enough serious talk!” she announced, waving her hands and grabbing her camera. “Now, stranger-man, I need some epic shots of these lovely ladies. Yes! Together! Over here! Move closer! Smile! Laugh! Perfect! Hold it!”
She literally wedged herself between Olivia and me, snapping photos in a flurry of excitement, completely ruining the moment I had been building with Olivia.
I turned to Olivia, exasperated, and she met my gaze, silent understanding passing between us. The unspoken words were heavy in the air.
I leaned back slightly, pretending to laugh at Rosalie’s antics, but my mind kept circling back to Lance and that mysterious name. Something told me Olivia knew more than she was letting on, and that terrified me as much as it intrigued me.