Page 59 of The Suite Life
Lucy chuckles, her eyes scanning me as though I really were some kind of rare bird she had never seen before, that she wasn’t sure if she needed to fear or not.
‘Seriously, Gigi, who are you, and what have you done with my sister?’ she asks me.
I playfully roll my eyes.
‘I’m just… cracking on with things,’ I say simply. ‘You’re all always telling me I need to get my life back on track after, you know, everything that has happened.’
‘Is this your break-up just properly hitting you?’ she asks. ‘Do you need help?’
‘I need to go to meet my friend for dinner,’ I tell her with a laugh.
‘Okay, okay, fine. Look, I’m not saying it’s a bad change, it’s just unexpected,’ she explains. ‘I’ll leave you to it, just promise me you’re all right.’
‘I promise I’m still me and I’m all good,’ I reassure her. ‘Let’s catch up tomorrow, yeah? We can all do something fun, together.’
Lucy nods, giving me a half-hug.
‘Tomorrow it is,’ she says. ‘Message me a plan. And tonight, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.’
‘You’re getting married, that doesn’t leave much,’ I point out with a laugh.
Lucy glances around the suite with wide eyes, moving on now that she’s sure I’m okay. She stands in the open doorway in the lounge and, for a few seconds, she just enjoys the cool breeze.
It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, to see Lucy looking so content. Her hair and her sundress blow lightly in the breeze, making her look a little like a Hollywood starlet standing in front of a wind machine.
I know it sounds strange, but getting married really suits her. There’s this undeniable glow, a mix of happiness and excitement, that lights up her eyes. The dress, the setting, and her beaming expression all come together to create this picture of pure happiness. It’s one of those moments where you look atsomeone and you can’t help but think: ‘Yep, she’s exactly where she’s meant to be,’ and, in the nicest possible way, I am so envious. I really want what she has and, stupidly, right now, I’m looking for anything but. Imagine if I put the same effort into finding love as I did trying to find a wedding date – I would probably be going to the wedding with someone who did actually care about me.
‘Okay, this place is unreal,’ she blurts. ‘Like something out of a movie. Seriously, Gigi, how did you swing this?’
I shrug my shoulders as I smirk ever so slightly.
She nudges me with her elbow.
‘Your mystery date?’ she asks.
I shake my head, playing it coy.
‘Maybe we could all come to you, tomorrow,’ Lucy suggests. ‘Seeing as though you basically have your own place here.’
‘Don’t you dare,’ I practically cackle. ‘This is the only place I’m safe from Nathan and Sunshine – this place is my sun cream.’
Lucy rolls her eyes as she laughs off my comments.
‘Sunshine isn’t that bad, is she? I know, she’s a bit full of it sometimes, and I’ll never forgive Nathan for dropping you like he did, but we’ve all moved on, right?’
The look in her eyes suggests that suddenly she isn’t so sure.
‘Don’t worry, I’m just messing around,’ I insist. ‘It’s nice in here, isn’t it?’
Lucy walks over to the bifold doors that look out over the private pool area.
‘It’s more than nice,’ she says. ‘It’s fit for royalty. Are you sure your date isn’t…?’
Her voice trails off. It’s like she knows it’s a ridiculous question, but she can’t quite rule it out.
‘Just wait and see,’ I insist with a laugh.
‘You know this is weird, right?’ she checks, raising an eyebrow. ‘And that you could tell me, if something was wrong.’
