Page 6 of Carnival
“Do you?” Aria asks, grinning. “Do you actually get it? You won’t whine as soon as we’re alone?”
I shove her and roll my eyes. “I can’t make any promises.’’
“Typical.’’
“Anyway–,’’ Noelle interrupts the bickering. “Any plans for your birthday, Aria?”
Shockingly and coincidentally, our birthdays fall in the same week of October, with me being younger than her.
“I’d like to take a little trip with Rose.’’
Noelle nods, but Hudson frowns, brows creasing. “Where, exactly?”
“Well, it’s October… so I was thinking somewhere warm?”
He raises a brow. “Alright. Let me know once you decide. But can we celebrate one birthday with you at home?”
“Maybe next year,’’ she smiles.
“I’ll hold you onto that, princess.’’
The conversation, thankfully, shifts to Aria’s birthday plans. I nod along, though my thoughts are elsewhere. I keep on thinking about the carnival, and I’m itching to go. Yet, I know that unless I want to worry Hudson and Noelle beyond belief, I’ll need to stay put. So, I smile and converse with them, ignoring the burning desire to sneak out and leave.
???
My nerves don’t let me stay still. By lunch, I’m already on the brink of annoyance. I’m the rational one. Aria and Arlo are the ones always getting into trouble, and I’m always the one pulling them out of it or covering for them with Hudson and Noelle.
So why am I acting like a petulant child and not a grown-ass woman?
Noelle and Aria outlined exactly why I shouldn’t go. Not that I needed them, because my common sense still seems to be working fine and I already knew all of it. It’s dangerous. And quite frankly, since I don’t have the man’s name, I’d be looking for a needle in a haystack. I focus on studying for the upcoming exams since, Lord knows, I need all the motivation and all the cramming I could possibly get done. When people say that university isn’t for everybody, they mean me. It’s not for me. But now that I’ve started my third year, I can’t give up.
On top of all of that, I spent a solid two hours in the city looking for the perfect gift for Aria’s birthday. She’s extremely high maintenance, but that’s not the issue. What to buy for a person who already has everything she could ever ask for and more? For that eventful eighteenth birthday, Hudson and Noelle bought her an island. Yes, an actual island, which they namedAria. She built resorts on it, and she’s been dealing with the business since.
Similarly, they got me an entire apartment complex for my eighteenth. I’ve been renting it and saving up money just in case I needed it or to return it all to Noah and Hudson, but since she already got a fucking island as a birthday present, what could I have gotten her to at least make her smile? I wouldn’t be able to compete with an island, nor am I trying to, but, Lord, it is difficult to pick something she’d like.
Eventually, I settled for her birthstone jewelry. Since it’s in October, it’s opal, but I opted for black opal since she stated a few times she didn’t like the regular ones. It’s a set of earrings, a ring, and a matching necklace. Was it hella expensive? Yes. But is it also something she’ll love and wear? Yes.
Still doesn’t compare to a fucking island, though.
I take a deep breath, trying to focus on the books and studying in front of me. The books and notes are sprawled on the floor in front of me, and I have four empty coffee mugs collecting mold and dust from the past few days I spent studying – and semi-stalking this whole murder case in New Orleans.
The door of my bedroom bursts open, and I flinch. Aria strolls inside in her workout leggings and a sports bra, her hair tied into a high pony. She’s all sweaty, flushed in the cheeks, but of course, she doesn’t care.
“Ever heard of knocking?”
She shrugs and slumps on my bed. “Whatcha doing?”
“Studying.’’
“How about you do something more fun?”
“Like what?” I sigh, closing the book on my lap, taking off my glasses, and turning to look at her.
“Packing.’’
“You’ve settled on a destination? What should I bring? A few bikinis?”
“Not quite,’’ she smirks. “I decided against a tropical island. Instead, you should pack some regular t-shirts and pants.’’
