Page 54 of When love and Hate Collide

“Oh good, you’re both alive,” she says crossing her arms over her chest, her gaze jumping back and forth between her brother and me. “Please tell me you didn’t just sit there in silence the entire time?”

Dean glowers at his twin and I suddenly remember that my bladder is exceedingly full so I get up from the bed, casting a look at Dean who ignores me. Shaking my head, I turn and walk to the door. “First I’m going to piss and then I’m going to come back and kill you,” I scold Ashlyn as I scurry past her and out of her bedroom.

Storming off into the bathroom I slam the door shut rather dramatically and press myself against it. What is wrong with me? I’m supposed to hate him, but for some bizarre reason I can’t seem to think straight or find a speck of common-sense any moment we touch or even share a look for longer than a second.

It is frustrating me beyond belief, and I have the strongest urge to ram my head into the tiled wall to knock some sense into myself. Since when have I been such a pathetic weakling? I don’t yield to Dean Reyes.

While I’m assessing my mental state in the bathroom, I can hear Ashlyn and Oz interrogating Dean.

“So, what happened?” Ashlyn asks.

“Nothing.” Comes his curt answer.

“What do you mean nothing?” Ashlyn sputters, her tone firm. “You were in here for two hours, Dean.”

“Two hours?” Dean intones in perplexity. “That’s it? Time sure does drag when you’re stuck with a soul sucking harpy.” I roll my eyes incredulously. Bloody moron. He didn’t seem at all bothered about time while he was shoving his tongue down my throat.

“Dean, watch your fucking mouth.” That’s Oscar, jumping to my defence. If only he knew the vile things Dean’s been calling me the lately, he would beat him to a bloody pulp.

“Dean, please, please tell me you’ve sorted things out with her?” Ashlyn probes, her tone hopeful.

“Grow up Ash, did you honestly believe that locking us in a room together would force us to bond and become best friends?” Dean throws back condescendingly, annoyance teeming in his voice. “We spent the whole time arguing, but we agreed to try and be civil. At least until this holiday is over. I wouldn’t hold my breath though, there’s only so much of her I can take before I start mentally scheming the most excruciating ways I can kill her and get away with it.” I glare at the door hard and almost walk out to give him a piece of my mind but hold myself back.

“So, you’ve both agreed to be nice to one another?” Ashlyn almost squeals.

“Nice? Fuck no. We agreed to be civil. That’s all.” Dean answers curtly. “Oh, and you pull a stunt like this again and you and I will change the rules, Ash.”

When I open the door to walk out of the bathroom Dean is walking out of Ashlyn’s room. Our eyes meet as he walks toward me. We watch one another closely while he strolls by in the direction of his own room.

I pull the door shut behind me and lean against it to let him by. A slow, wicked smirk appears on his face as we pass one another. I shake my head and tell Ashlyn I’m going home to take a shower and get ready for our flight.

Seven days and six nights with Dean Reyes in Cancun.

This should be interesting.

“Jeyla! Shake a leg woman!”Ashlyn shouts from outside while she’s loading her suitcase into the taxi.

“All right! I’m coming!” I shout back, dragging my suitcase out of the house. “Can someone who is closest give her a slap upside the head, please?” Oz chuckles and walks over to take my suitcase from me and loads it in the boot.

“Jey, you've got your passport, right? Let’s not have a repeat of the Disneyland trip.” Jess teases me and I fix her with a dark glare to which she squeezes my cheek affectionately.

“One time I forget my passport and I get ragged for it every bloody trip. I have it, for the millionth time,” I gripe testily and climb into the minivan taxi.

Jess leans over to look at me, a scowl on her pretty face. “Calm your tits, I was only joking. What’s crawled up your arse and got you so damn grumpy?”

“I’m not grumpy,” I utter, sitting back with a sigh. The car starts, and we begin our journey to the airport. Oz is sitting in the passenger seat conversing with the taxi driver about traffic. Sitting behind Oz is Jess by the left-hand side window, Ash is in the middle and I’m next to her on the right. Dean is lazily stretched out in the seat behind us listening to his iPod. My stomach grumbles and I’m starting to feel a little queasy with nerves.

“Do any of you have chocolate? Or something sweet?” I ask and they all shake their heads. I sigh in disappointment. I knew I would have gone to the shops to get some snacks but Ashlyn locking me and Dean in the room together squandered two hours of my day. I jump when a hazelnut chocolate bar drops into my lap.My favourite.

I blink, picking it up and turn my head to look at Dean. There’s a ghost of a smile on his face while he stares out of the window.

I peel open the wrapper and bite into the chocolate with a quiet moan. While the delicious treat melts onto my tongue I recall the day Dean and I went to that chocolate masterclass. It’s still hard to believe that my mystery guy was him all along. How he can so easily switch from that charming sexy guy to this uncouth, callous knobhead I’ll never know.

The drive to the airport took just over an hour. Thankfully, the traffic was light so we made it with plenty of time. While the five of us are waiting in line to check in, Ashlyn is panicking that the line is taking too long and we will miss our flight.

“Ash, for God’s sake stop stressing, the plane isn’t going to leave without us. All these people are also going to be on the same flight. It will probably be delayed anyway,” I grouse before I wash down two painkillers with my bottle of water.

“They’re opening another check-in desk,” Dean says gesturing to the line of Atlantis employees hurriedly checking in passengers. “Should move things along a bit quicker.”

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