They made their way to the pool and smiled.
"This place is incredible, thank you so much for inviting me," Fatima said as she set her towel on the chair.
"Of course! You should come with us more often," Devin replied. Fatima felt the butterflies in her stomach coming back. She awkwardly kicked her sandals off and made her way to the water. Jordan quickly followed and jumped in. Fatima lowered herself in and smiled. She turned to face Devin.
"Get in with us!" she exclaimed, kicking her legs in the warm water. Devin chuckled and ditched his towel on the chair, them jumped in cannonball style, immediately and thoroughly soaking Fatima and Jordan. They both laughed and splashed him back. They goofed off for a few hours, until it was completely dark. Devin made his way to the chairs and grabbed the towels, then handed one to Fatima and one to Jordan. Fatima took hers and wrapped it around her body. She smiled and quickly put her shoes on, and Jordan did the same. They walked back to their hotel room together, happily chatting.
"Hey, can we go to the restaurant next door?" Jordan asked.
"Yeah! Good idea, let's go next door!" Rountree said excitedly. They went their separate ways and quickly changed. Fatima wore a black dress with fake gems on the neckline, along with a black hijab with flowers embroidered along the edges. She slipped on a pair of black boots with heels, then slipped out and sat on the couch until the others were ready. Jordan came out next, wearing a short blue skirt and a white crop top. Fatima smiled as she slipped on a pair of white sneakers.
"Hi," she said shyly. Fatima smiled and waved a little. Then Devin came into the room. He was wearing a nice shirt and jeans with black sneakers. Fatima started feeling a little overdressed.
"Oh, no, no, no, missy, you aren't wearing that," he said. Fatima looked up at him.
"I'm a grown woman, I can wear whatever I want!" she retorted.
"She's right, Tree," Fatima said. Devin pouted but nodded a little. He was obviously uncomfortable with the idea, but he knew he couldn't fight her on it. He nodded a little.
"You're right. I'm sorry," he said sheepishly. Fatima got up and darted to the bedroom, then quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a black sweater. She slipped back out and smiled. They walked together to the restaurant and got a table quickly. After a few hours of eating and chatting, they decided to pay and walk back to the hotel. As they were walking, Fatima and Rountree were slowly moving closer and closer to each other. Before they realized it, their shoulders were touching. Without thinking about it, they bumped shoulders and shared a soft smile. He slowly took her hand in his and smiled. They looked up at each other and shared a gentle smile.
"I'm really happy you decided to come," he said softly. Fatima smiled a little.
"I'm glad I came too," she said shyly.
"Alright, you two, if you don't mind, I need you to stop flirting. It's a little weird for my friend to be flirting with my brother in front of me," Jordan teased. Fatima blushed and smiled shyly. Without even talking about it, they ended up at the hotel bar. They sat down at a booth and immediately ordered drinks. Fatima ended up snuggling into Devin. She was more than just a little tipsy from the margaritas.
They walked back to their room, with Devin keeping his arm around Fatima to keep her steady. "Hey, beautiful, Fatima, sweetheart, you are drunk," he said, holding her up as he unlocked the door. Fatima laughed a little and pushed him against the wall. She kissed him passionately, and started moving his jacket. Devin was thoroughly enjoying the kiss, but he knew how wrong it was. She pouted and leaned against the wall. Once they were inside, they quickly changed into pajamas and snuggled together on the couch. Fatima was genuinely happy for the first time in a while. She loved the feeling of love and safety that he provided. They watched a movie, then split up for the night. Devin followed them into the bedroom.
"Hey, can I tuck you in?" Devin asked.
"Sure, I guess," Fatima replied mindlessly. Devin paused but smiled a little.
"Um, okay, I'll tuck you in too," he said shyly. Fatima realized she'd been talking to Jordan. She paled and looked away.
"I, um, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you weren't talking to me, I-" she whispered, burying herself in the blankets.
"Oh, no, Fatima, it's totally fine. You want me to tuck you in, so I totally will," he reassured her. Fatima was still ashamed of herself as she slunk into the bed. Devin quickly tucked Jordan in, then turned to Fatima. "Good night, beautiful. I'll see you in the morning, okay? Get some good sleep, we have a busy day tomorrow," he whispered. He tucked the blankets over her and smiled softly. He leaned in and kissed her cheek, then smiled. "I love you," he whispered into her ear. Fatima blushed and looked up at him. A huge smile crossed her face. The way his breath tickled her face made her want to squeal. He kissed her cheek again and smiled. "Good night, girls, I'll see you in the morning," he said softly. Fatima smiled and snuggled into the bed.
