Page 125 of Scandalous

She hesitates for a moment. “A little. I don’t learn as well without someone actually teaching it to me. I’m an audible learner. I’d love to do online classes, but I’m afraid I’ll fail.”

Ezra nods. “What if we helped you? We wouldn’t do the course for you, but we could learn the material with you and teach it to you.”

Aurora starts shaking her head before he’s even done offering. “Oh. That would be asking for too much.”

Drake leans in, kissing her cheek. “If it means more time with you, we would gladly do it. Say yes.”

She smiles. “I’ll consider it. We still have to make it through this summer together. You guys could get sick of me.”

I snort. “Not possible.”

“Never,” the guys echo.

She giggles but nods.

“All right, but next year I want to see the quokkas. I hear they are so cute.”

Drake laughs. “Until you see them throw their baby at a threat so they can get away. They are brutal. Almost as brutal as turtles.”

Aurora tilts her head. “Turtles are brutal?”

“Well not in the way you are thinking unless you are talking about an alligator snapping turtle, but think about sea turtles, for example. They lay eggs on the beach, then they dip out and hope their offspring make it to the ocean. Way to tell your kids it’s sink or swim.” Drake starts playing with Aurora’s hair as he speaks.

I love when he gets nerdy. It makes me want to throw a pair of glasses on him and spank him.

Aurora laughs. “Okay, point taken. Now that Sydney is done, what’s next?”

Santi rubs his hands together with a wicked smile. “We take on Puerto Rico of course.”

“I’m not going to lie, the pictures from the Puerto Rico one are nuts. That’s probably the one I’m most looking forward to,” she admits softly.

“I’m offended,” Ezra says.

Santi tips his head back and laughs. “Did you just hear that, boys? She admitted that I’m her favorite.”

“She will love London. I’m not worried,” Ezra says, waving Santi’s comment away.

“I mean, can you really compete with Sin City?” Drake fakes confidence.

I’m not the only one who sees it though. Aurora leans into him. “It doesn’t matter where the party is. It’s being with you that matters.”

Drake gives her a grateful smile.

“When do we leave for Puerto Rico?” Aurora asks.

“Next week. The party will be two weeks after,” Ezra informs her.

Leaning down, I whisper into her ear, “Sounds like it’s going to be a wicked summer.”

Aurora slowly turns her head, her lips brushing against mine as she speaks. “I can’t wait.”

Twenty-Eight

We’ve been out by the fire for hours. Santi, Ezra, and Drake all left at different points of the night, leaving me with Liam. Liam, who is currently playing guitar across from me, singing softly.

He’s got such an angelic voice.

I’ve been waiting for him to be tired, but it looks like he can go all night.

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