Page 41 of Hot Summer

“Sounds like a plan,” Ada said. “Now, good night, we’re going to sleep.” And with that, Ada whipped the duvet over her and Cas’s heads.

It was dark, warm underneath the duvet. Despite how close they were, Cas could just barely see the outline of Ada’s features, lit up by the tiny slice of light where the blanket wasn’t quite tucked in all the way.

Femi scoffed lightly. “Oh, I don’t think so.”

And then he dove into the space between them and wrapped his arms around them both, trapping them under the duvet, and Cas was lost in the sound of her and Ada’s shrieking laughter.

14

A few days later, the entire bedroom was woken before dawn.

Two phones—one on the bedside table to Cas’s left and one a few beds away—were beeping every thirty seconds, each time angrier than before as their owners continued to ignore them.

Cas groaned and stuffed her head under the pillow, but Femi rolled over toward the bedside table, and half a second later, Cas heard the sound of plastic scraping against wood.

“Ades.” Femi’s throat was raw and it was the first time that Cas had heard even the slightest hint of sleep in his voice. “I think that’s your phone.”

Ada huffed from the next bed, and through her pillow, Cas heard the smack of Ada’s palm against the bedside table. And, a few seconds later, the sound of a duvet being thrown back and Brad groaning in protest as Ada climbed out of their bed.

Cas slid her head out from under the pillow.

The lights in the bedroom were still off, but Ada’s phone screen was lit up, her face glowing from underneath. Her strawberry shirt was hanging off one shoulder and a few strands of hair had come loose from her braid in the night and were now hanging around her face.

Cas could hear Charlie starting to roll around a few beds away, trying to grab his own beeping phone, but her eyes were on Ada.

“What’s it say?” She tried to whisper, but her voice came out louder than she’d intended and cracked in the middle.

“It’s a date,” Ada said. She was already sounding more awake. “Apparently someone called Leo has chosen me for an early morning walk on the beach.”

“What?” Brad’s voice. He sat straight up in bed, and even in the darkness, Cas could see the shock on his face.

Ada just shrugged, didn’t answer him.

“Charlie, are you ready?”

“Yeah, give me a second.” Charlie had thrown off the duvet and was lying there, staring at the ceiling. Lexi hadn’t made a sound, so she was either quietly pouting or was somehow still asleep.

“Who’s your date with?” Jayden’s voice.

“Some girl named Delilah,” Charlie said. He pushed up off the bed and stretched, his T-shirt sliding halfway up his stomach.

“Hope she’s cute,” Jayden said.

Charlie turned quickly over his shoulder to look back at Lexi before he whispered, “Yeah, me, too,” and went to get ready.

Cas had hoped that she would fall back asleep once they left, but after what felt like an hour’s worth of tossing and turning, she decided to give it up for lost. She kicked off the duvet, frustrated, and Femi turned his head on the pillow, already grinning at her.

“Giving up?”

“Shut up,” she muttered.

That just made him chuckle. “Do you want coffee?”

“Yes, please.” The sun was out for the first time in days, shining underneath the blackout curtains. Cas turned her head and stared at Ada’s empty spot in bed.

It was selfish, but Cas hoped Ada wasn’t being blown away on this date. That this “Leo” was nice, but not the one.

“Well, I was promised pool breakfast days ago, so why don’t you get up and come help me, then?”

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