Page 33 of Lost Paradise

“Yeah, but hostile.”

“Fuck.”

“Why don’t I believe you?” Eve muses, returning from her vomit bush, swiping her sleeve across her mouth.

I roll my eyes. “Because you don’t want to face reality.”

Eve's glare is ice-cold. "And I suppose you're the authority on reality now?"

“He the authority on jackasses,” Zane chuckles, and Eve joins in on the taunting.

I grit my teeth with frustration because I’d really love to swipe that smile and teeth off this annoying twat of an athlete.

"I see all theMean Girlgroupies have formed,” pretending to be hurt. “It's now all the cool kids against the outcasts. I wouldn’t have expected anything less from a bunch of Americans to start such.”

The tension thickens as I feel the familiar sting of isolation. Without another word, I turn and storm off.

“Where are you going?” Mr. Coldwell calls out with concern.

He can stuff it right up his teaching arse.

“I’m forming my own goddam camp down by the beach.”

"Hey, wait!" Jack calls after me, his voice tinged with concern.

"Don't fall asleep on the soft sand," Byron's voice cuts through the darkness with a warning. "Scorpions come out at night."

Jack hesitates, then mutters, "Bloody’ell, mate. Maybe it’s not such a brilliant idea."

I stop in my tracks, anger boiling beneath the surface. As much as I hate to admit it, they might be right. But I won’t let them see that. Confident and cocky as ever, I turn back, rejoining the group with a defiant smirk.

"Changed your mind?" Eve asks, sarcasm dripping from her words.

I shrug nonchalantly. "Just don't feel like getting stung tonight. Besides, I wouldn’t want you to miss me too much." My tone is mocking, but inside, I seethe with frustration.

Mr. Coldwell steps between us, raising his hands. "Alright, can we just cool it? We’re stuck here together whether we like it or not. We need to focus on surviving, not tearing each other apart."

Eve huffs but doesn’t argue further, turning her gaze back to the dark jungle.

I take a deep breath, trying to push down my anger. "Fine, truce for now. But don’t expect me to play nice forever."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Eve mutters, but there's a hint of a smile on her lips.

Chapter 10

The waves lap gentlyagainst the shore, and the sun paints the sky in hues of orange and pink. And while I sit here watching this magnetic view, I can't help but marvel at the stark contrast between this moment and the life I left behind in New York.

I sigh at the raw beauty of nature, stripped of all the pretense I grew up with. As I watch the sun dip slightly below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the sea, I feel a sense of peace wash over me.

Yes, my life back in New York may have been filled with luxury and privilege, but it was also filled with emptiness and loneliness. Here, surrounded by nothing but the sound of the ocean and the rustle of palm trees, I have found a freedom I never knew existed.

As I gaze out at the rocks beyond me, jutting out into the sea, I can't help but feel grateful for this unexpected escape from my former life. Here, on this island, I am finally free to be myself, away from the constraints of society and the expectations of others. And as the last rays of sunlight begin to fade away, I know that I wouldn't trade this newfound freedom for anything in the world.

“Hey.”

My tranquil thoughts are suddenly interrupted by that deep voice I rarely ever hear but does funny things inside me when I do. I turn to find the guy who I’m not sure is stable in the mind.

I’m immediately drawn to those piercing blue eyes that contrast with that raven-black hair and light skin. He looks so perfectly dark and sinister, yet I cannot understand why he isn’t as disheveled-looking as the rest of us are.

---