Page 36 of Navigating Lexie

Lexie

Lexie’sheadpoundedas she tried to peel her eyes open. The daylight was streaming into her room casting shadows across her bed. She rolled over onto her side, reaching to look for her phone, which she found plugged in on the nightstand. It was nearly 9:00. She had almost zero recollection of the night prior. She could remember drinking with Nav in the hot tub and as those memories surfaced, heat rushed to her cheeks. Though, she couldn’t remember what happened after the hot tub or how she got to her bed. She was semi-thankful that she appeared to wake up alone and just hoped she was the one who managed to get herself into bed.

She hadn’t drunk like this in years and the hangover as a twenty-something was much worse than it was as a teenager. She slowly moved her body upright allowing her feet to dangle off the side of the bed. The room was spinning in a slow circle and she took a moment to stabilize herself before standing. She leaned against the window frame and peeked out of the blinds. Avanna was swimming laps in the pool and Payson was reading the newspaper on one of the beach chairs beside the pool. She smiled at the normalcy of it all. They were on a private island for a week, but these two maintained their casual routines. She shook her head slowly, trying not to aggravate her pounding head any more than she needed to. She cautiously stood and walked around the bed toward her suitcase, but her attention was caught by a bottle of water, a bottle of Advil, and a note placed on the center of her bedside table near the door. She walked over and lifted the note off the table.

I couldn’t get you to take these last night so take a few when you wake up. And make sure to drink this water, too.

-Nav

Great, so she did not, in fact, take herself to bed last night. She plopped onto the edge of the bed and rubbed her thumb over Nav’s name. She couldn’t believe she let herself go as far as she had, but found it slightly endearing that Nav would care for her when he was likely in the same state as she was. Although staring at the note, there’s no way he had been at her level if he was able to write a note and prepare all of this for her. She sighed heavily and dropped the note onto the bed, reaching for the Advil bottle and pulling out three little pills. She needed this headache to disappear fast. She wasn’t going to waste an entire day in paradise hungover.

She chugged the water and dropped the empty bottle onto her bed before walking toward the bathroom to take a shower. She turned the water straight to cold, hoping to cool the boozy sweat pouring out of her. She stepped in and allowed her body a chance to adjust to the cool water. She quickly ran shampoo and conditioner through her hair and scrubbed her body, hoping to rid herself of smelling like whiskey. She tipped her head back and let the water drip over her face, cooling her cheeks.

She wasn’t sure what the plan was for the day, but she really wanted to snorkel, even if no one else wanted to join in. Determined to make plans on her own if she had to, she stepped out of the shower and changed into the purple swimsuit in her bag, throwing a thin dress over the top. As she stepped into the hallway and past Nav’s bedroom, she could see his messy sheets through the open door, but he didn’t appear to be around. Thankful, she walked down the hall, heading into the kitchen. Eagle and Sedona were doing the dishes when she approached the fridge.

“Good morning, sunshine!” Eagle called out. “How are you feeling this morning?”

She grunted and grabbed the creamer from the fridge. Thankfully the coffee pot still had enough for one cup so she reached past Eagle for a mug. “I’m alright. Hopefully the Advil and caffeine will help.”

Sedona laughed and looked over at Eagle, who raised his eyebrows back at her. Lexie narrowed her eyes and looked between the two of them. “Am I missing something here?” she asked.

Eagle turned to face her as he dried off his hands and tossed the hand towel back onto the counter. “Not at all. Though we haven’t seen Nav yet this morning and kind of assumed he was in your room all night...”

She stared at Eagle and her mouth dropped slightly open.

“Nope, I slept in the comfort of my own bed.” Nav entered the kitchen and reached down to grab Lexie’s freshly poured cup of coffee. “Thank you very much.” He took a small sip and handed it back to Lexie. She glared at him, but took a sip herself, letting the warmth flood through her.

“Drink my coffee again and you’ll be sleeping outside,” she snapped at Nav.

Eagle laughed behind her as Nav threw open the fridge doors. “Where have you been all morning?” Eagle asked.

“I’ll have you know I’ve been up since five. I went for a run on the beach and did a little exploring before all of you woke up.”

Lexie nestled herself onto the couch near the kitchen. From this spot, she could see the blue water of the sea beside them. She leaned back and as the coffee filled her stomach, she felt the Advil kick in, giving her a small burst of life. She drowned out Nav and Eagle’s conversation, lost in the views around her. She uncrossed her legs and reached to place her empty mug on the coffee table when a plate with a breakfast sandwich was placed in front of her face. The smell immediately filled her nose and her stomach growled in response. She inhaled deeply and glanced up at the man whose hand was extended. Nav was standing beside her with his eyebrows raised.

“Breakfast sandwich. I made one for you this morning and just reheated it.”

Before she could respond, he was walking back toward the kitchen to help with the morning clean-up. She stared at the warm plate in her hands and reached down to grab the sandwich, taking a bite and relishing in the flavor. It was just what she needed to finish getting over this morning’s hangover. It was a delicious mix of eggs, bacon, and a sweet, yet spicy jam.

She stood to take her empty cup and plate to the kitchen.

“Alright, Nav, that was an amazing sandwich. What was the sauce on it?” she asked. He put the last dry dish away and turned toward her reaching for her dishes. She shook her head and stepped over to the sink to wash them herself.

“Secret ingredient,” he said with a wink. He stood beside her and she could feel his breath upon her exposed neck, which was making her hair stand on end. He placed his hand on her bicep as he stepped behind her. He leaned down, whispering into her ear before fully stepping away from her. “I have a surprise. Meet me down at the beach. Alone.”

A shudder of excitement and anticipation spread through her as she thought about what the day might hold for the two of them.

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