Chinny's POV
I walked back to where my friends were, and I heard them calling out to me as I got closer. Last night, we arrived at Rhysand's grand mansion. They were swimming in the vast pool, and I wore a white see-through dress covering my floral bikini.
"Chinny, over here!" Tinnie shouted. But before I could wade into the pool to join them, I paused momentarily.
"Gelo, please put some sunblock on me," Jessa said. She was with Farley, lying on a sunbathing chair. I glanced at them first.
Angelo sat up, glanced at the lotion Jessa was holding, and said, "No." He lay back down and put his sunglasses on again. "If you need someone, why not ask Farley?" I smirked when I heard that. Disappointment was all over Jessa's face. It serves her right to be overly flirty.
I turned my attention back to the pool, removed my cover, and dove in. I swam toward Astrida and the others.
"Shit! There's a jellyfish in your pool, Rhys!" Francel screamed as I grabbed his leg. When I surfaced, I burst out laughing, as did everyone else.
"You're such an idiot, Chinny!"
"Dummy. How could there be a jellyfish here? This is a pool. A POOL!" I teased, wrapping my arms around his neck from behind. I stopped laughing when water splashed directly into my face. Lucifer was roaring with laughter. I let go of Francel.
"You jerk, Luci!" I splashed him back. He dodged, and instead, Aki got hit in the face.
We all burst out laughing at Aki's annoyed expression. He grabbed Lucifer by the neck, and my friends started splashing water at one another.
We happily got out of the pool to prepare food. I forgot to mention that Angelo and I were assigned to the same room, which annoyed me. Is Rhysand trying to save money, or what? He said there weren't enough rooms, so two people had to share each.
Angelo's POV
"Bro, has she told you anything yet?" Dagger asked while I was grilling the barbecue.
"Is there something she's supposed to tell me?" I asked back.
Why did Rhysand even bring this guy along?
"When I was singing Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes, I saw the guilt in her eyes. She looked guilty," he said. I just nodded, unaware of what he was referring to. "Have you even noticed her?"
He shook his head. "A woman who only wants to receive and never give—that's who Chinny is in your life. She wants you to stay but doesn't know how to let you into her life." His words stopped me in my tracks.
"What?"
"There will come a time when she'll want you by her side but still won't be able to accept you. Believe me, bro, it's the most painful thing that could happen." He gave me a meaningful smile. "And when you get tired, she'll be chasing after you," he added.
"You know too much," I muttered.
"I know because I've felt that kind of pain." His words left me stunned. He walked away toward Khairro.
I finished grilling and started preparing myself. "I'll take over, Gelo," Farley offered. I smiled at him and let him finish what I was doing.
I rushed upstairs to the room Rhysand had assigned to Chinny and me.
"This place is beautiful, babe."
That's what greeted me when I entered the room. Chinny was standing with her back to me, Skyping with someone. Of course, it was Kilorn.
Her forehead creased when she turned to look at me. "What's Angelo doing in your room, Chinny?"
I turned around and headed to the bathroom, smirking.
"We're sharing a room."
"Fvck!" I stifled a laugh, not wanting them to hear me. Even from the bathroom, I could listen to their voices.
"Move to another room, Chinny."
I grinned mischievously. This is my win.
A few moments later, their conversation ended. I quickly finished my shower and saw Chinny on the balcony.
A sly grin crept across my face.
Even if Chinny tries to transfer me later, I won't leave. And even if she switches rooms, the group won't allow it—we've already discussed it. That woman is stuck sharing a room with me.
After getting dressed, I saw Chinny enter the room. She glanced at me before heading straight to the bathroom for her shower.
While waiting for her, I opened Facebook. A status update from Dagger caught my attention as I scrolled through my newsfeed. My brow furrowed as I read it.
Dagger had posted it three minutes ago. No one was tagged, but it was gaining attention.
I noticed the comments and started reading them.
Farley Velasquez: "You're calling her out!"
Khairro Lu: "She needs to wake up."
Lucifer du Villon: "She's so inconsiderate."
Rhysand Montifalcon: "You're right. That woman should wake up."
Karmella Plaza: "I know; I feel bad for the guy."
Astrid Malcal: "Her foolishness is getting annoying."
I stopped reading the comments and focused on the status itself:
"He needed someone to treat him better. But the only one who could do so doesn't even try. This woman is so fucking lucky to have him. It hurts to be just an option when she has no one else to turn to."
Dagger's post made me feel lighter. Knowing someone understood and empathized with my complicated situation felt comforting.
I shook my head just as Chinny stepped out of the bathroom, already dressed. She didn't even spare me a glance. God, she's beautiful.
I waited for her to finish getting ready so we could go down together. When I saw her heading out, I stood up. She was silent and seemed lost in thought. I think Kilorn argued with her because we're sharing a room. How petty.
We silently reached the pool area, where a long table with candles around it had been set up. I scanned the women in our group.
Chinny's beauty still stood out.
"Gelo," Jessa greeted me with a smile, hooking her arm around mine. Chinny glanced at us, rolled her eyes, and looked away. Damn! I didn't know whether to be thrilled. Did I just see jealousy on her face? Or am I imagining things?
"Shall we sit down?" I nodded at her. My lips parted slightly when Lucifer whispered something to Chinny. I clenched my fist. Lucifer was messing with me again.
We finished eating before starting to drink, and Dagger was already singing. I was feeling bitter about the couples in the group. They were all so sweet, but me? I'm still hopeless.
Aki and Tinnie, Francel and Ailrey. Too much PDA. And the pair right in front of me, Astrid and Rhysand, couldn't stop laughing and whispering to each other. It was annoying!
"Take a shot first, Rhys. You two are so sweet, and even the salt attracts ants. Next thing you know, it'll be red ants," Khairro teased. I glanced at Lucifer and Karma, who were busy arguing.
"Chinny, how is it living with Gelo at home?" Dagger asked, catching me off guard. The jerk even winked at me. Chinny glanced at me.
"What do you mean 'how is it'? In what way? We're always fighting," Chinny replied. My friend burst out laughing. Ailrey looked confused, clearly puzzled, since she didn't know what was happening.
"How could we not fight? You're like you're on your period every day. You're always snapping at me," I retorted. Chinny rolled her eyes at me, which made the others laugh even harder.
"I'm confused. Are Chinny and Gelo cousins?" Ailrey asked, looking puzzled. Francel shook her head at her.
"We've been keeping this a secret," Rhysand said, turning to Chinny. "Chinny, is it okay if I tell Ailrey?" Chinny looked at me and sighed.
"Sure, but please keep it a secret. Just keep it to yourself, Ailrey," Chinny said, biting her lower lip. "Gelo and I are married." Ailrey's eyes widened.
"Huh? I thought you were bo—" Farley cut off "Ailrey's words.
"That's exactly why it's a secret. What would people think if they found out she's married and has a boyfriend simultaneously? They'd see my cousin as immoral. For now, this stays between us," Farley explained. Ailrey nodded in agreement.
"Let's jam, guys!" Dagger shouted, changing the topic.
We all laughed as we added a twist to every song's lyrics. I felt Jessa's hand on my arm. Even though I didn't want to use Jessa, I couldn't help it. I kept catching Chinny's deadly glances. I swallowed hard—her glare was genuinely intense.
"OMG! Don't forget the dare," Rhysand said with a mischievous smile. What!? What dare? I noticed Chinny's cheeks turning red.
"Yeah, don't forget it. Don't disappoint us, especially Ailrey, who gave the dare," Astrid said. I frowned.
"What kind of dare?" I finally mustered the courage to ask. I felt Jessa let go of my arm and focused on the conversation.
"Every girl in the group gives a dare when they lose a game. The person who was dared before will be the one to give the next dare. If they fail to do it, there's a consequence," Karma explained, and the other girls nodded.
"Now, Chinny has to follow Ailrey's dare. When Ardy says so, that's when she'll do it," Karma added.
"What's Chinny's dare?" Francel asked.
"She has to give Angelo a lap dance," Ardy said mischievously.
What!?
It felt like all the blood in my body rushed to my head. I couldn't even think straight.