Page 30 of Best Vacation Ever

Priyasha has full lips that seem to always be curved in a smile.

Her brown hair has caramel highlights, and her presence is one I instinctively know fills a room. She laughs at something Alessio says, and even I feel the positive energy radiating from her.

Anaya is quieter and shorter than her friend, with curly black hair that ends before her shoulders, and a body even curvier than mine. She listens as the guys talk, but her eyes keep flitting around the beach as if looking for someone.

Kiara is the one in the yellow bikini being all friendly with Kellan, and I try not to glare at her. Her black hair is long and shiny, and her warm brown eyes seem to be inviting. Even though I want to hate her based on appearance alone, she actually seems pretty nice. It’s not her fault Kellan won’t be exclusive with me.

Wait,what?

Why did I just think that?

Kellan and I have never talked about exclusivity before. Do I really want that with him or am I just jealous he’s not paying attention to me? An icy shiver snakes down my spine. Is that what this is? Am I jealous? OverKellan?

“Where’s Dean?” Anaya asks, twirling a piece of hair around her finger.

Is Anaya into Dean or is she just curious? Is she into one of the other guys?

I glance at the four boys. Kiara is all over Kellan. My brother is ew. Dylan is good-looking and has the whole badass-tattoo-sleeve thing going for him, but he’s annoying. And Alessio is cute if you’re into pretty boys with baby faces, but he has a girlfriend.

“He went on a date with my best friend Lori,” I answer before anyone else can, not so subtly signaling to her that Dean is off-limits.

“It wasn’t a date,” my brother cuts in.

I press my molars together. Adam is such a cynic. It issoa date and there’s no need to tell Anaya otherwise.

We talk to the other girls for a while, and I realize that they’re really nice, which is annoying. Now I don’t have a justifiable reason to hate them other than the fact they’re flirting with the boys that Lori and I are flirting with.

They’re all nineteen and from Ontario too, but they live about eight hours away from us. They’re in Cuba with some other friends who went to the other beach today. When I ask why the girls didn’t go with their friends, Priyasha tells me it’s because they wanted to go tubing, and all the resort’s activities start from this beach.

“Tubing sounds fun, we should all go.” Kellan sends Kiara his award-winning smile, and I have this overwhelming urge to punch all his teeth in.

“Yes, that would be so fun! Should we wait for Dean to get back?” Anaya asks, eyeing the open ocean for the boats used to bring people back from snorkeling.

“Yeah, we should wait for him.” Kiara lifts a shoulder like she’s indifferent, but there’s a sly expression on her face. “But they only take seven people at a time, so it would have to be me, Kellan, Dean, Dylan, Adam, Anaya, and Priyasha.” She shrugs at me and Alessio. “Sorry, you two.”

Alessio and I glance at each other. She doesn’t sound the least bit sorry.

Smart. Leave out the girl and the dude with the girlfriend.

Maybe she’s not that nice after all.

Kellan says something to Kiara, and she giggles.

“No!” I announce before I can think it through. “Why wait?

Let’s all go now. I’m sure they’ll make an exception for eight people. No need to wait for Dean.”

“But—” Anaya starts, but I interrupt her, hooking my arm through hers like we’re fifth graders skipping to recess.

“No time like the present!” I tell her, leading her toward the tent where the activity sign-ups are.

I glance back to see everyone following, with Kellan and Kiara walking side by side and laughing at some stupid thing Kellan probably said.

My hands tighten into fists.

—

As I predicted, they make an exception for eight people. It wasn’t even a big deal.