I FEEL A LITTLE SHITTY when I wake up on the last day of Spring Break. Even after taking a long, hot shower, popping a couple of Advils and drinking an entire Gatorade, I still feel the effects of our week weighing on me. For once, I’m actually looking forward to a day without boozing. I know we’ll all go hard one last time on Duval Street tonight, but today, I’m spending time with Shawna.
Away from everyone else.
But, the hangover and dehydration aren’t the only reasons I’m feeling like a particularly ripe ass today. Skyler called me this morning to tell me Erin left last night, so Shawna could ride home in our van instead of trying to find a flight home. I should have been happy that I would get to be next to her on the way back, but instead all I felt was an insufferable amount of guilt. Erin wasn’t sick, she was hurt.
Because I was a giant bag of dicks.
Sighing, I pull another Gatorade from the fridge and take a few swigs before splaying my palms out on the counter. I didn’t mean to lash out at her, especially knowing how sensitive she is, but I was tired of feeling like I did something wrong by hooking up with her. I know I remember the night of semi-formal a little better than she does, but she wanted me. She was the one who asked me back to the house. She peeled my clothes off. I definitely didn’t stop her, hell — I enjoyed myself. But she’s making me feel like a criminal and it needs to stop.
Still, I could have waited until I wasn’t shitfaced to talk to her about it.
Maybe she caught feelings. Maybe she’s jealous seeing me with Shawna. I actually laugh out loud at that, knowing there’s no way in hell Erin would ever want to actually be with me. She’s got her eyes set on a doctor or a lawyer, I’m sure, and even that won’t be until after she’s reigned as president of KKB.
A loud chorus of laughter from the other room shakes my thoughts and I grab my Gatorade, making my way toward the noise. Several of my brothers are gathered around my Little’s laptop, pointing and talking over each other. Josh is furiously typing and clicking away, almost like he’s playing a game.
“What are you guys doing?”
Half of them go sheet white and they all stop talking. Instantly, I know they’re up to no good.
“Nothing. Just watching YouTube videos,” Josh lies. I know it’s a lie, I can see right through his blushing ginger cheeks, even if he did bake on the fake tanner this week. I narrow my eyes.
“Do I need to remind you guys about the warning Alec hand-delivered to us before Spring Break? If any of you fuckers get us suspended, I’ll personally kick all of your asses.”
One of the pledges gulps and Alex, a sophomore pledge who seems to be the leader of the new class, salutes me. “Aye aye, captain.” He’s a cocky son of a bitch, that’s for sure, but he’s the only reason we’re all in this swanky house for Spring Break, so I can’t exactly bitch at the moment.
Everyone fights back laughter just as Shawna slides up next to me, pulling my arm around her shoulder. “Hey, you ready?”
My eyes still hard on my brothers, I give them one last pointed look before turning and pulling Shawna with me. I don’t have time to deal with their bullshit today. “Yeah, let’s do this.”
“So where are we going?” she asks when we’re outside. I pat down my pockets, checking to make sure I have my phone and wallet.
“Anything but Smathers Beach.”
She giggles, pushing her sunglasses up the bridge of her nose and lacing her hand in mine. I’m so used to seeing her in her regular glasses it almost feels weird to see her in shades. I much prefer having full visibility of her green eyes. “Can we start with breakfast? I’m starving.”
“Breakfast it is,” I oblige, kissing her hair as we walk.
We don’t even look up anything on our phones, just stroll into the first brunch place we find, which just so happens to have unlimited mimosas until noon. And that’s how the rest of the day goes. We don’t plan, we don’t rush — we just take our time and enjoy a little of everything Key West has to offer. We rent bikes, riding them through the shaded streets between colorful houses and stopping at the major tourist spots, like Mile Marker 0 and the Southernmost Point. At sunset, we park our bikes by Mallory Square and find a place on the edge of the water right behind where a man dressed like Captain Jack Sparrow is collecting tips for photos.
As the sun sinks over the water, musical performers serenading us as it does, I pull Shawna in closer, wrapping both arms around her middle and resting my chin on her shoulder. For once, I kind of just want to stay in tonight, take her back to the house, take her slow and steady between the sheets all night long. The crazy thing is that I’m not even scared of the way she makes me feel.
“I’m not ready to go back to reality,” she says with a sigh, leaning her head back against me. I rub the smooth skin on her arms with my thumbs as the sky breaks out into a red glow. I feel the same way. When we go back, it’s tests and homework and social events. Family Weekend is right around the corner, which means I have to get everything figured out for my brother’s stay. But here, in Key West, we don’t have any responsibilities. We get to be who we want and do what we want, even if just for a week.
“Stay with me in paradise for a little while longer,” I whisper into her ear, my nose in her hair. She smells like tequila and pineapples, my little island girl for at least a few more hours.
Shawna twists in my arms, pulling off her sunglasses to look me in the eyes. We don’t say anything, but that one look between us tells me we’re both completely out of our element here.
“Maybe we can bring paradise back with us.” A smile curls at the left side of her mouth and I slide my hand into her hair. She leans in, pressing her lips to mine just as the square breaks out in applause, the last of the sun sinking away.