Page 527 of Dark Love

The doors open to a seemingly endless hallway. One way will lead us to the lobby. Another to the pool. But we’re looking for the shops.

We follow the arrows.

“Do you think it’s the guy?” Dylan walks by my side.

“Yes. But also no. I made the biggest change before I ever met him. Yet he makes me feel safe. The kind of safe I haven’t felt since I was a child.”

“Wow. Is he the one?”

“Yes… No… I want him to be.”

Dylan reaches out and squeezes my hand. “It’s still new. Give it time. You never know what will happen with time.”

Can Vex change? Could I be comfortable enough with who he is to introduce him to my mother?

“Right now, all you need to do is figure out how to stop buying candy.” Dylan nods at the sweet shop in front of us.

“We could just buy the whole store.” The person who designed the little shop was brilliant. Not only does the sweet scent of baked goods fill the entire area around the shops, but the pretty colors draw me in. More people walk in than walk by.

“That’s a distinct possibility.”

“There is a guy in our group. He looks like he can eat a fair bit.”

Dylan laughs. She’s seen me eat.

“Half the store. Definitely half the store.”

***

“Over here.” Junie stands up and beckons us over to a cabana. “Can you believe these are included with our room?”

No.

No. I can’t.

“Most of the girls are already in the pool.” Harper steps out of the cabana in a simple tank swimsuit. “Wanna go in with me?”

Dylan sets her bags down on one side of the table and I put mine down on the other. “I don’t swim.” In order to swim, I’d have to take my coverup off.

“That sounds like too much effort” Dylan sits down and pulls stuff out of the bag.

Daria and Colin approach the cabana as Sheridan and Keely walk back from the pool.

“Oh, that looks amazing. We’re going to end up in such a sugar coma.” Keely wraps a towel around her body and sits down a few chairs away.

Daria takes the one next to Keely and Knight sits between the two of us.

She didn’t bring her tablet down with her, which is probably practical around the pool, but she did bring a notebook and pen.

Garnet semi-sprints over to the table. “You’ve got to see this.” She twists to face the corner of the pool where Piper is rinsing off the chlorine. “The sexiest guy I’ve ever seen is staring at Piper.”

“Which guy?” Junie’s head shifts from side to side, just like the rest of us as we search for the sexy guy.

“He’s at the outdoor restaurant over there. The big guy in the suit.” Garnet nods to the left.

Who wears a suit to a pool—Oh! “That man is gorgeous.”

“Prettier than your guy?” Savie pulls over a chair.

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