Page 36 of Loving Lauren
“Fair point. But GPS also doesn’t come with tiny bags of pretzels and ginger ale. Plus, we can’t drive to Hawaii.”
“That’s not a terrible argument.”
Sierra laced their fingers together more tightly. “Hey. You’re safe, and when we land, we’re gonna be in actual paradise.”
Lauren took a few shaky breaths, but by the time they were airborne and cruising, Sierra caught them staring out the window like they were watching pure magic happen. The endless blue sky reflected in their eyes, and their entire face had this expression of wonder that made Sierra’s chest feel warm and tight.
“You’re so beautiful,” Sierra said softly, not meaning to say it out loud.
Lauren turned to her with raised eyebrows. “What?”
“Nothing.” She grinned. “Just... I love your face.”
Lauren’s smile could have powered the entire airplane.
The moment they stepped off the plane, warm island air hit them like a hug, and someone immediately draped flower leis around their necks. The petals were soft against Sierra’s skin and smelled like heaven.
“Well, looks like we’re getting lei’d right off the plane.” Lauren tried to keep a straight face.
Sierra groaned so hard it hurt. “Oh, my God. I bet they’ve literally never heard that joke before.”
The resort was like stepping into a tropical fairy tale. Palm trees swayed everywhere, ferns the size of small trees created natural canopies, and flowering vines twisted around every surface. Their room had an incredible panoramic view of the beach, a full kitchen that was way nicer than Sierra’s actual apartment, a balcony that overlooked the ocean, and...
“One bed,” Sierra announced, grinning as if she’d won the lottery.
“What a complete tragedy.” Lauren deadpanned, then launched onto the mattress like a kid in a hotel for the first time.
Sierra didn’t hesitate to dive right after them. They bounced on the plush mattress, laughing and being ridiculous until Lauren grabbed Sierra’s shoulders.
“Wait. Hold up. We’re in Hawaii.” Lauren’s eyes went wide as if they were just now processing it.
“We’re in Hawaii!” Sierra shrieked.
They screamed and tore out of the room barefoot, not even thinking... through the resort, straight to the beach. The sand was scorching, soft, sticking between their toes. They didn’t stop running until the waves caught their ankles.
Both of them doubled over, laughing too hard to breathe.
“I can’t believe this is actually happening.” Sierra stared at the water rolling in.
Lauren pulled out their phone, snapped a shot of their feet side by side in the sand like proof it was real. Then they used theirfinger to draw a heart around them in the wet sand. “Now it’s real.”
They took about fifteen selfies, including one where Sierra was kissing Lauren’s cheek while Lauren grinned at the camera. Lauren posted it with the caption:Found paradise. Found everything.
The grocery store run felt surreal, like they were playing house in the most beautiful place on earth. They grabbed tropical fruit, local snacks Sierra had never heard of, a bottle of wine, and basic supplies. Lauren insisted on taking a picture of Sierra holding a fresh pineapple above her head like some kind of tropical trophy. Then they made a store employee take one of them in front of the produce section, which they taggeddomestic life in paradise unlocked.
Back in their room, they spread everything out on the bed and ate like they were having the world’s most exotic picnic. Jetlag hit them both like a truck around seven PM. They put on a random movie, but neither of them was watching. They just curled into each other on top of the covers, legs tangled together, breathing evening out into sleep.
The alarm went off at four-thirty in the morning, which felt like actual violence.
Lauren made a noise that wasn’t quite human. “Someone needs to delete the sun.”
Sierra rolled over and buried her face in the pillow. “You first.”
They shuffled into the bathroom together, took one look at their combined bedhead situation in the mirror, and burst into laughter.
Lauren tried to brush their teeth with one hand while attempting to tame their hair with the other. “Wow. We are absolutely beach glam ready.”
Breakfast wasn’t possible, so they grabbed coffee and bagels from the lobby, packed up all their equipment, and met Jonas and the models down on the beach as the sky turned that perfect golden color.
