"Ariel, you have to tell me everything!"
Alana was dangling off the edge of the bunk bed in the room that Aquata, Arista, Andrina and I shared. I got the bottom bunk, and she was hanging off the top one, her hair falling over the edge like a black waterfall.
I looked up from my algebra homework to meet her gaze. "It's literally my first day of high school but okay. My friends and I managed to secure a good lunch table away from the doors to the cafeteria kitchen that smell weird. Most of my classes are good but I got Ms Grimhilde for math and she gave us homework on the first day, can you believe it?"
"Yeah yeah…" My sister rolled her eyes, swinging off the top bunk to join me. "I mean tell me about the new girl in your class."
I quirked a brow at her curiously. "How do you know about that?"
"Oh please. I'm an alumni. Whenever someone new comes in, I'm the first to know."
"Am I really the last person to know about this?" I questioned, dropping my eyes back to my worksheet.
"Yes. Now please tell me the rumours are true! Is she really Ursula Cecaelia's niece?" Alana practically ripped the paper from my hands, putting it out of my reach.
"Yeah, she is. Her name is Vanessa Cecaelia—"
I was cut off by Alana's high pitched squeal and felt the need to recoil slightly thanks to its volume. "Shut up! You're kidding! Do you think you could introduce me? I've been trying to get an internship Cecaelia Skincare for ages but they haven't replied any of my emails since I applied and—"
"Alana!" I laughed. "I've literally been back in school for a day. Vanessa seems nice but at least let me get a chance to know her better before I start name dropping."
My sister feigned a cute pout. "Okay fine. But Ursula Cecaelia is one of the greatest minds in the entire cosmetics industry. I'm sure her niece is just as fantastic. Just promise me you'll be her best friend, alright?"
I offered her a halfhearted shrug. "Maybe. We'll have to see how it all works out."
And it did end up working out just as Alana had hoped.
Vanessa and I did indeed become fast friends, and she also became an integral part of my inner circle. She was fashionable, trendy, reasonably smart and could always hook us up with any of her aunt's new products.
The only reg flag was that she could be kind of two faced.
When Rapunzel got her hair cut which she had been growing out since kindergarten, Vanessa told her that it looked great, but afterwards whispered to me that she thought it looked terrible, as if someone had taken a knife to it. I personally disagreed and thought Rapunzel looked even better than before, but I didn't say that. As for Vanessa's behaviour, I didn't really think much of it. If movies and tv shows had taught me anything, gossip and two faced girls were just a part of being in high school. Vanessa was still my friend, even if she did say some things behind my back. Plus, no one had told me she had, so I was pretty much in the clear.
Right?
By sophomore year, some of my friends had put some distance between them and Vanessa.
"I just don't get why you like her, Ariel," Belle had lamented to me once on a walk to the bus stop after school. "She can be cruel. You know some of the things she says about people behind their backs?"
I shrugged. "Nobody's perfect. I don't agree with the things she does, but who hasn't? I think I can safely say that everyone gossips occasionally."
"There's a difference between gossiping and bullying," she defended. "If you want to still hang around her then be my guest, but I'm just saying be careful. Don't you think it's weird that she came here as a newbie when most of us have been in the same class since first grade? There has to be a reason why she was brought in so suddenly. Maybe she got kicked out of her old school," Belle speculated.
"Now look who's gossiping," I teased, which earned me an eye roll.
"Just… be careful, okay?" she said gently, leaving my side as her bus arrived. Mine wouldn't be there for another four minutes. "Your trust in people is something I admire most about you. Don't let Vanessa abuse it."
At the time, I just shrugged off her advice as Belle being a mix of paranoid and protective. But looking back, I should have definitely listened to her.
XXX
I didn't bring condoms on this trip. I didn't exactly expect to be hooking up with anyone over the summer, much less my sister. It had to be Attina who left that note for me. Who else would ask me to meet them in a secret location hidden away from the public view, and with a condom no less?
Now where would I get condoms from? Asking someone wouldn't exactly be an easy option. At best, it would be painfully awkward. And at worst… I didn't even wanna think about it. I doubted any of my sisters brought any along either, so looking through their stuff in the hopes of finding one wouldn't be a viable solution. There was of course the drugstore in town, but it was a fifteen minute bike ride away and I didn't know how long Attina had already been waiting for me.
Then I had an idea.
If I was remembering this right, the resort usually stocked condoms in the bathroom along with the toiletries. But when I went to check our bathroom, there were none. In hindsight, Dad was extra overprotective and totally closed off to conversations about sex. He could have been in total denial that any of his daughters were sexually active at all. I did know a bathroom that might have them though.
Mom and Dad's suite was opposite ours and their spare room key was by Attina's bed in case of emergencies, so I quickly swiped it up and made my way across the hall. Dad was probably going to be working and Mom was probably with him, so it was no surprise when I opened the door to find the place empty. It was probably a good thing, because I had no idea how I'd explain needing to take a condom from my parents' bedroom.
Their room was far cleaner than ours was, even with housekeeping. There wasn't a thing out of place. Every article of clothing was neatly folded up and in their closet, their bed was made, work supplies were organised neatly on their desk. A stark contrast to seven girls living together with no concept of organisation. I headed straight for the bathroom, fumbling through the drawers to find what I was looking for, and after a few minutes, I did. The condoms were in the bottom drawer, and I quickly took just one, not wanting my parents to realise any were missing. Thankfully they were all individually packed. I couldn't think of what would be worse — needing to open a pack so they knew one was missing, or seeing an open pack and knowing my parents had used one.
I firmly decided then and there that the first thing I did tomorrow would be to go into town and buy my own pack of condoms. Maybe two.
I quickly slipped the condom into the pocket of my shorts, concealing it from the rest of the world as I left my parents' room, careful to make sure nothing was out of place. They couldn't know I was in here. My steps were fast and light as I left seemingly without a trace, opening their door only to be met with the face of my mother.
"Ariel?"
"Mom!" I jumped back, almost slamming the door in her face before realising I was the one in her room.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, cocking her head at me.
"I uh… came to look for you?" I said, though it sounded more like a quesion.
Mom looked at me with a blank stare, clearly confused as to why I was standing in the doorway to her room. "Well I'm here. What is it?"
"I wanted to know if… if you and Dad needed any help around the resort?" I lied, knowing I would be kicking myself for that later, especially if they actually gave me a job to do.
She still didn't seem entirely convinced, but she relaxed slightly, giving me a small smile. "That's sweet of you honey. No, we don't need any help."
Oh thank God.
"But I think Sebastian mentioned something about being short on housekeepers so I'll let him know that you're available if he still needs more manpower."
Damn it.
"O-okay," I stammered, moving past her. "I'm gonna go now. I'll see you later for dinner—"
"Wait," she interrupted, stopping me with an outstretched hand and pulling me back into her room, shutting the door behind us. Out of the seven of us, I resembled Mom the most. It was almost like looking into a mirror. The key differences were that my hair was a deeper shade of red, and that her eyes were green while mine were blue. Other than that, the resemblance was uncanny. When I looked up at her, she seemed worried, which freaked me out.
"What is it?"
Mom took a breath before continuing, a hand brushing my cheek like she used to whenever she needed to comfort me growing up. "I have to tell you something, honey, and I don't want you to freak out about it. I just want you to know so that you won't be shocked when you find out."
I tensed, my mind immediately getting ahead of myself. Could she have realised what Attina was doing to me at breakfast? Is that what she wants to talk to me about? "Mom, you're scaring me. Just tell me what it is."
"I saw on the records that Vanessa Caecelia had checked into the resort with Eric King."
Part of me was relieved that that was all it was, but another part of me hated that she was really here, and that Eric was with her. "I know, Mom. Attina and I saw her on the beach earlier this morning."
She seemed surprised at how calm I was. "Are you… okay?"
"Of course," I insisted through gritted teeth. "I haven't spoken to Vanessa, well to either of them really, since sophomore year. I've had no reason to."
Mom's expression turned anxious, almost woeful, as she continued to soothe me as if I was freaking out. "I'm worried for you, angel." Angel was a nickname Mom had for me since I was little, even though most times, I was far from angelic. "After what she did—"
"Mom, really, I'm fine," I tried to assure her, smiling to let her know I was really okay. Her voice was rising and cracking, and I was worried she was going to break down in tears. Even though I'd been the one who suffered the brunt of Vanessa's actions, my mom probably took it the most personally. "Everything that happened between Vanessa and me is over. It's in the past. I can't spend my whole life avoiding her and if she's here, then so be it. She's just another guest at the resort."
Mom smiled even though her eyes were glistening, pulling me into a tight hug. "You're right," she whispered. "Just another guest at the resort."
It made me feel equal parts grateful and sad that Mom took personal offence at what Vanessa did back in high school. I was grateful that she was worried for me and concerned that I might be upset about the whole thing, but I hated how upset she was by it. A part of me still wished my sisters hadn't told her about it, despite their best intentions in doing so.
Her arms were still wrapped tightly around me and I wriggled in her firm grip. "Mom?"
"Right." She let me go, holding me at arms length by my shoulders. "You're okay."
"I'm okay," I repeated, giving her a reassuring smile.
"Okay. Run along now then. I'll see you for dinner. Don't be late or your father will never let you hear the end of it."
I nodded firmly while she shut the door, heaving a sigh of relief that she didn't keep me any longer. Checking that the condom was still in my pocket, I made a mad dash for the lifeguard's office, hoping I didn't keep Attina waiting too long.
She wanted me to meet her behind the office. The office itself was a small building by the side of the resort, on the edge of where the coastline gave way to thick shrubbery which had become so overgrown it was practically a jungle. The beach was crowded which meant business at the resort was good. One glance at the lifeguard tower told me Aquata wasn't on her shift, and instead one of Dad's regular employees was sitting in the elevated chair overlooking the waves and making sure no one was drowning.
When I wandered around the back of the lifeguard's office, the voices of the rest of the world faded away. This spot was secluded from the rest of the resort in the sense that it was well hidden, even if people on the beach were realistically only a few yards away. However, when I turned the corner, I was shocked at who I saw.
"Aquata?"
My sister turned to me with what I thought was a look of amusement. She was still wearing her lifeguard uniform, red shorts and a white polo shirt with a red stripe across her chest. I was never entirely convinced she hadn't had it altered on account of how perfectly it fit the curves of her body.
"Have you seen Attina?" I asked.
"Attina?" Aquata cocked her head to the side, shooting me a curious look. "Why are you looking for Attina?"
Does she know?
"She… asked me to meet her here," I said finally.
She raised a brow at me. "Did she?"
"She must have forgotten. Or maybe she got the timing wrong. Or I got the timing wrong. She didn't actually tell me what time. Don't worry about it. I'll just head back to the room and drop her a text." I turned to quickly leave before being brought to a halt by Aquata's hand on my shoulder.
"Why do you think Attina asked you to meet her here?" she questioned.
"I… don't know," I lied.
She didn't look convinced. "Let me say that again. Why do you think Attina asked you to meet her here?"
"She left a note on my bed," I said simply, not sure why exactly Aquata was interrogating me like this. Unless…
"How was the note signed off?" she prompted further.
"'A'…"
"Do I need to quote what Andrina said in the car on the drive here?"
"'All of our names start with an 'A', dummy'," I repeated, everything finally clicking into place. "You wrote the note?" I exclaimed.
"Now you're getting it," she praised, beaming innocently at me.
"Why did you write the note and ask me to meet you here? And why did you ask me to bring a condom? And why… just why?" I stammered, trying to piece my thoughts together in my head in a way that would be cohesive.
"This morning, I appreciate you trying not to look at me changing. You turned around like the second I got undressed, but even if you hadn't, I wouldn't have minded." I must have still looked clueless, so Aquata continued. "One of the things about being the exact middle child out of all seven of us is that I often go unnoticed, and that can sometimes work out in my favour."
"I don't understand."
Aquata laughed lightly, stepping closer so there was less than half a foot of distance between us. "You really thought Attina and you were alone in that changing room?"
I froze.
"Relax, I'm not going to tell anyone," she assured me, probably taking in my petrified expression. "I was getting changed in one of the stalls when you two came in, in the middle of some heated discussion. I wanted to leave, but then I heard you both talking and heard… well… all that stuff. I didn't stay for the entire time—"
"How much did you hear?" I interrupted.
"Enough."
There was a moment of silence between us, a warm blush creeping over my cheeks. I had been so sure it was Attina who I would be meeting, and that by now I'd have my shorts around my ankles while she had her way with me. Never would I have considered it would have been any of my other sisters who wanted to see me in that way, even if I'd spent plenty of time fantasising about it. Even the thought of that was getting me hard, and if the situation didn't deescalate soon, Aquata would be able to feel me against her legs.
"So," she said finally. "I'll ask you this. What is it about me that you like?"
That was easy enough to answer. "Your athleticism."
She looked amused. "Really?"
I nodded. "Really. You could probably lift me with ease and I would welcome it."
Aquata laughed, wrapping her arms around my shoulders, her hands lacing together at the back of my neck. "I can and I will."
In a second, I was suddenly pushed up against a wall, Aquata's hands reaching around my butt and lifting me up without even breaking a sweat. I marvelled at her feat of strength, though I shouldn't have been surprised. Aquata was the most athletic out of all of us and she played sports pretty much since she could walk, but it was still impressive.
"Just to clarify, you're okay with this right?"
"Yes," I agreed instantly, gasping when I felt her fingers dig into my ass a little more. "Definitely."
"Great." She set me down and I took a second to balance myself, the whole world spinning considerably thanks to how fast things were going. Aquata traced her hands up and down my body, looking at me like I was a meal she wanted to gobble up. "And… are you okay with going all the way?"
I gulped, my boner straining in my shorts. "I am if you are."
Aquata cupped my bulge, a moan escaping me. "All the way it is then." Her hands worked quickly, pulling my shorts and boxers down so they hit the floor. None of my sisters had really seen my lower half naked before thanks to how secretive I was about my body, but I didn't even have time to be shy or hesitant when Aquata immediately started stroking my length.
"Ohh… Aquata…" I groaned, bucking my hips to meet her hand.
She gave me a wicked smile. "So hard and excited already, little sister. I'm flattered." Her thumb brushed over the tip of my cock where a drop of precum leaked out, and she toyed with the sticky substance. Never breaking eye contact with me, she brought her fingers to her mouth and took a teasing lick. My eyes bulged. I knew Aquata was bisexual and she'd been with a couple of guys here and there, but it didn't prepare me for how eager she seemed to be when it came to tasting me. "I spoke to Attina, you know?"
"You did?" I squeaked, melting into her firm grip.
"I did. And don't worry. She gave me the green light to do this. In case you were worried about it being considered cheating or anything. You've always been a polyamorist, and we get that."
That was something we never really openly discussed either. My identity as a polyamorous lesbian had been exposed along with me being intersex, and since then, my sisters had kind of avoided the topic since they feared it could be a sensitive one. But hearing Aquata say it in such a kind and understanding way gave me a little more confidence. "Thank you."
"She also mentioned how thick you are." Her grip tightened and I whimpered. "And I've gotta say I agree." Aquata sank to her knees so she was eye-level with my throbbing erection. "I wonder if I'll be able to take it all."
I blushed. "If you can't, you don't need to force yourself—" I tried to say, only to be cut off by another moan when she opened wide and took my head in her mouth. Aquata strategically relaxed her jaw, taking me deeper inch by inch. The feeling was incredible, so unlike what Attina had done when she just used her tongue instead of really deepthroating me. I grabbed whatever I could hold onto, and that just happened to be Aquata's thick brunette hair, accidentally forcing her to take more of my cock. At first I pulled back, only for her to hum with approval and suck me harder, making my head spin.
"God, Aquata!" I groaned, feeling my dick work its way down her throat. "D-don't you need to like… come up for air?"
She shook her head, her tongue tracing the veins of my shaft. At the same time, her hands pulled her own shorts down and she kicked them aside, revealing her clean-shaven pussy. Body hair was nothing to be ashamed of, and even I got lazy when it came to shaving sometimes, but with all the watersports Aquata did, she shaved every day, the lack of hair necessary to reduce drag when swimming. My eyes bulged when I heard her begin to finger herself as she blew me. She already sounded so wet even though we'd barely done anything, and that brought me to orgasm far quicker than I'd have liked.
"I'm cumming!" I gasped, my balls tingling as I pumped my load into her mouth. A bit of it leaked out the sides of her mouth, but she was quick to swallow whatever I gave her. She hummed and gagged around my shaft until I was drained before finally coming up for air. When she opened her mouth wide, I noticed that my cum came up to her teeth. She swallowed it with ease.
"Wow," I said in a daze, my cock twitching at the sound of her rubbing herself which was still very audible.
Aquata smirked proudly. "Sports have given me a large lung capacity. Pretty impressive, right?"
"Definitely."
She paused her ministrations for a bit. "Curious question, but how far have you gone with other people before this?"
I chuckled nervously. "Before you and Attina, I've had my first kiss and have done oral stuff, but nothing beyond that."
"So you've done oral stuff."
"Yup."
She bit her lower lip gently. "Have you ever eaten a girl out?"
I gave her a look that I hoped radiated confidence. "On occasion."
Aquata didn't break eye contact with me as she removed her fingers and dragged them up to my mouth. I opened up and her fingers traced my lips before I sucked on them, tasting her. I let out a low hum to emphasise that I enjoyed it. It was addicting, and I wanted a taste straight from the source.
"Since you admire my athleticism so much…" She got up so she was standing properly. "Allow me to do something I hope you'll like."
"W-what?" I stuttered, my mind fuzzy from the initial pleasure.
"Hold on tight. Brace yourself on me."
"Woah!" I yelped in shock as she picked me up once again as if I weighed nothing and flipped me around. I was pretty much hanging upside down, bracing my legs against Aquata's shoulders and wrapping my arms around her midriff so I wouldn't fall. She was lucky I didn't get motion sickness, because if I did, I would have been in a pretty bad spot. Aquata leaned up against the wall of the lifeguard's office so she had a little more stability. Her arms held me steady, knees bent, feet apart and planted firmly on the ground.
"You okay?" she asked, her breath hot on my crotch that was right at her face.
"Uh huh," I whimpered helplessly, still amazed that she could hold me up like that for so long.
"Good. Now—" She spread her legs a little farther apart. "—get me ready for you, sis," she ordered, and I was all too happy to oblige. I gripped her butt to keep myself steady and my tongue found its way between her legs. I'd only eaten a girl out a couple of times, but I usually received signs of a good performance, so I was hoping to get the same with Aquata, and thankfully she released a husky moan as soon as I tasted her. My tongue traced her smooth pussy, teasing her labia and sucking on her clit as best I could from that angle. The blood might have been rushing to my head a little, but I swear that was the best thing I'd ever tasted. It got even better when I felt Aquata take me in her mouth again, making me go dizzy with pleasure.
We went on like that until I could feel Aquata's legs shaking. On the one hand, I should have felt proud that I was eating her out to the point where her body was shaking, but on the other, I knew that it was more than likely thanks to my weight making her unsteady. Plus, I felt like Aquata was wet enough and I was back to full length, and she seemed to get the same idea.
"I'd say it's time for the main event," she suggested, the slightest tremor in her voice.
"You took the words right out of my mouth," I agreed.
Carefully, Aquata put me down, reaching out to steady me while I regained my balance. For a moment, the whole world swayed around me as the blood rushed back from my head, but after a few seconds, I felt better. "I'm good," I told her.
"Did you bring it?" she questioned. I gestured to my discarded shorts and she retrieved the condom from my front pocket. "I didn't know there were condoms in our room," she commented, stroking me a couple of times before ripping open the packet.
"There aren't. I stole it from Mom and Dad."
"You didn't get caught, did you?"
"Not that I know of. I ran into Mom right as I was leaving but I don't think she noticed."
Aquata sniggered. "I'm impressed." I moaned as she deepthroated me a few times for good measure, her warm mouth enveloping my cock before she sheathed me with the condom. Once I was protected, she rose to her feet and pulled me up against her. Aquata's back was against the wall and I was facing her. "Last chance to back out," she said.
"Why do you keep saying that?"
"I wanna make sure you're really okay with going all the way. Losing your virginity is a big thing for some people. If you're not ready, I totally get it, and I won't be mad."
It was sweet that she was so concerned for me. "It might be for some people, but I'm not putting it up on a pedestal," I replied. "I think there's too much pressure on 'firsts'. First kiss, first date, first time having sex, all that stuff. It's the first one that matters that counts. I just happened to luck out. I get to have my first time with someone who matters to me."
That line seemed to be the first time I said that caught Aquata off guard, and she seemed genuinely flattered after I said that. There were no witty comments or banter between us as we stared into each others' eyes, our faces drifting closer together. It was only when our lips met that the reality of what we were doing really hit me for the first time, and that only fuelled me on more.
Aquata spread her legs apart and brought her hand between us to grasp my dick. She was gentle, guiding me inside her as our lips locked. We moaned into each other when I entered her, her pussy clamping tightly around my length. The sensation only made Aquata kiss me harder, biting down lightly on my bottom lip. It grew to be more than a kiss. By the time I was fully inside her, we were full on making out, our tongues exploring each other. Her fingers gripped my back tightly as she adjusted to my size.
"You okay?" I whispered when she gave me the chance to pull away.
"God yes," she hissed back, her pussy gripping me tightly. "Keep going."
I didn't want to keep her waiting, so I thrust upwards as her body met mine. Aquata let out a pleasurable groan, throwing her head back as my cock reached deeper. That was the perfect invitation to lean down and kiss her neck. I didn't want to leave anything too visible, acutely aware that the weather would make it difficult to cover up any hickeys with clothes, so I settled for lighter kisses or licks that would add to the mood while not leaving a mark.
"Ariel," she whimpered, letting out a sharp gasp when my fingers began to deftly rub her clit. "You know… I have a hard time not looking at you sometimes too."
"You do?"
"Yeah. Not because of your looks, though you're beautiful," she quickly added. "I just… I love how you treat people like you always see the best in them. You're so loving and I think that whoever ends up with you will be really lucky."
The compliments flooded me with pride. I didn't really have a problem with low self esteem, not since sophomore year, but Aquata's words were so empowering I just wanted to kiss her all over again.
So I did.
At the same time, I straightened up, thrusting harder into her. I was getting close, but I wanted to give her the chance to finish first. Her moans were growing louder and she was bucking back to match my thrusts, trying to get as much of me in her as possible.
"Oh I'm gonna cum!" she panted, her eyes rolling back as her body tensed up. I rubbed her clit more and was rewarded when I felt a wetness soak my hand. Aquata bit down on my shoulder to suppress her noises, almost ripping through my shirt due to the sheer power of her climax. Her orgasm caused her pussy to squeeze me tighter, and in seconds I was cumming too, flooding the condom.
We stood there for a few moments, her pussy milking me as we both came down from our highs. It was only when I began to soften that I pulled out, leaning against her while I tried to regain the feeling in my legs. I slipped the condom off and made a note to discard it properly later.
"By any chance do you have another one of those with you?" she asked hopefully.
"Nope."
"Damn it."
XXX
Once we'd cleaned ourselves up enough to look presentable, we headed back to the resort's main building. I discarded the soiled condom in a trash can near one of the pools. We were back to bantering back and forth, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened at all. Though I knew in the back of my head that it was probably far from the last time that would happen. As we were waiting for the elevator to get to our floor, another person came up next to us to go up to their room too. It was only when I paid more attention that I realised who was with us.
"Hey Ariel," he said incredibly awkwardly, and with good reason. Eric was one of those guys who was friendly with everyone, no matter where they stood on the social ladder, but I guess he still hadn't worked out how he was supposed to be with ex girlfriends.
"Hi…" I returned his greeting with just as much awkwardness while Aquata stepped closer to me, her arm brushing against mine. "It's been awhile."
"Yeah, it has," he agreed. "Are you here with your family?"
"It's my family's resort."
"Right. Yeah."
This couldn't be that bad. It was just Eric. Socially awkward at best. At least there's no sight of—
"Ricky!"
Shoot me.
Vanessa sauntered up to us, her ponytail swinging with each step. Aquata protectively stepped a little in front of me, her eyes narrowing at the sight of her. I'm sure she wanted to say something spiteful, but just then, the elevator doors opened and we were all forced to get in.
"What floor?" Eric asked, pressing the button for the sixth level.
"Twelve," Aquata spat, distancing us as far away from them as possible. Thankfully the elevators were a little spacious, enough so that we weren't crammed in shoulder to shoulder with them. The entire time, Vanessa was blabbering about… something. It might have been about the resort's water quality not being 'distilled' enough for her skincare routine, but at some point, I tuned her out. I didn't get how Eric could put up with her sometimes. Actually, make that all the time.
Aquata and I both breathed a sigh of relief when they stepped out and the door shut. "Man," she said. "I forgot how obnoxious she is. I mean, what kind of nickname is 'Ricky'? It doesn't even shorten his name!"
The absurdity of that comment made me laugh, and Aquata seemed glad that she was able to draw one from me. "But seriously, you okay?"
"I'll be fine, Aquata," I assured her. "Attina and I saw Vanessa this morning on the beach, and Mom told me the two of them had checked into the hotel. It's no big deal."
She still didn't look sure, but didn't push the conversation further. I'm glad she didn't. It wasn't something we needed to dwell on. Vanessa and Eric were just another pair of guests at the hotel. Maybe if I kept telling myself that, I'd eventually believe it.
A/N - Hello dear reader! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm looking forward to writing more about Ariel and Vanessa's past, and that will be coming over time in future chapters. As always, let me know what you want to see and until next time, stay safe :)
This story is also available on AO3. I also have a Twitter where I post behind the scenes content, polls, writing updates and more. Both are under the same username kalesalad003 and the links are in my bio!
