"Why are you staring at me like that?" I asked, feeling uncomfortable. The way Dominic looked at me, it was as if it was the first time he had seen me dressed like this. Huh? Wasn't it his first time?
I shyly covered myself with both hands, hugging myself to hide the skin I was showing.
"What are you doing?" Dominic asked, still smiling. I didn't understand what he was thinking. Sometimes he was okay, sometimes he was weird.
He stepped closer and gently pulled my hands away from my body. "You're beautiful," he said, making me blush. I wasn't used to getting compliments, especially from guys. I pulled my hands back since he was still holding my wrists.
"Ah…" I gave a fake laugh. I didn't even know what to say.
"Shall we?"
I saw Damian approaching our room. When he looked at us, Mira came in and waved. He didn't show any reaction at all, or maybe he was just good at hiding his emotions, just like Lucca. Mira went out first to join Damian, while I stayed inside the room, hesitant to go out.
"Let's have lunch," Dominic said, offering his hand. That made me blush again, but I didn't take it. I pretended it was hot and used my hands to fan myself. Then I walked out without looking at him.
As we stepped out of the villa, I saw Lucca sitting at the table where we were about to eat. Our eyes met briefly, but it sent shivers down my spine. I didn't know why, but Lucca always gave me this unexplainable feeling whenever I saw him. Even Damian didn't bother to look at what I was wearing. Maybe Dominic had exaggerated his compliment.
The food was plentiful. There were garlic seafood dishes—crabs, shellfish, squid, and shrimp. They also served chicken ginger soup, grilled pork, and chicken. For dessert, there were fruits like watermelon, grapes, mangoes, and papaya. For drinks, we had fresh buko juice.
We started eating. I was about to get some garlic seafood, but Dominic placed some on my plate. He smiled and added even more.
"Do you want some rice?" Dominic asked.
"Yes, I'll get it," I said, but he didn't listen. He still got rice and put it on my plate. It was already full because of him.
"Thanks," I said, since I couldn't do anything else.
I started eating, and I could say this was the first time I had tasted food like this. Growing up, we were poor. We couldn't even buy the food or things we wanted. Even now that I had a job, I was still saving money for myself and my grandma. Every payday, I made sure to buy our favorite food. Since I started working, I didn't let my grandma work anymore, so I shouldered all the expenses at home.
Luckily, when she got sick, she had insurance, so I didn't have to pay a huge amount at the hospital. The only big expense I had was when she passed away, though my biological mom contributed.
I couldn't help but reminisce about the past just because I loved the taste of the food. I didn't even notice that Dominic had been calling my name.
"Huh?" I asked when I finally snapped back to the present.
"You've been spacing out. Are you okay?" Dominic asked. Everyone's attention was on me. I glanced at Lucca, who was silently eating across from me.
I remembered our encounter at the cemetery, and especially at home. He was acting differently now. He wasn't talking to me or getting close to me. It was as if he had his own world. But questions still lingered in my mind. Why did he hold my hand at the cemetery? Why did he go to my house and try to take me to the company?
I looked away when his gaze deepened. This was a beach trip, not a reminiscing session.
I turned to Dominic, whose eyebrows were furrowed. He was looking at where I had been looking.
"I like the food. It's delicious," I said, trying to change the topic.
"Do you want more?" Dominic offered. I nodded, and he added more to my plate. I just let him, so he wouldn't ask why I had been looking at Lucca.
My stomach was full. I could barely breathe from how much I ate. I had so much food, plus a lot of fruits, and the buko juice was perfectly sweet for the hot weather.
I stood up and excused myself to go to the comfort room. I went inside the villa and headed to our room. There, I answered nature's call. Since I ate a lot, I couldn't help but poop. I stayed there for about ten minutes before deciding to go out.
As I opened the door, I saw Lucca sitting comfortably on the sofa. Our room was near the living area. I wanted to ask why he was there, but I stopped myself. He might just give me a rude answer.
As I walked past him, Lucca spoke.
"Here," Lucca said, then looked at me. He was holding a long black scarf, and I didn't know where he got it. Then he continued, "You're not comfortable with your clothes, right? Just use this."
He stood up and handed it to me without even waiting for my response.
I was left alone inside the villa, holding the black scarf Lucca had offered. How did he know I wasn't comfortable with what I was wearing? Was he a mind reader?
Before going out, I wrapped the scarf around my waist. It looked like I was wearing a long skirt. Oh well, at least it made me feel more comfortable.
"Sera, where did you get that scarf?" Mira asked, looking confused.
"I just brought it," I said, then secretly glanced at Lucca, who was busy typing on his phone. Of course, I wouldn't tell them that he gave it to me. They would definitely tease us, and Lucca might get mad. This trip would be ruined. It was better to think ahead than expect nothing.
We all decided to take a walk since we were full. Mira with Damian, Dominic beside me, and Lucca behind us. I tried not to glance at him because he might ask why I kept staring. I couldn't even understand what Dominic was saying because my mind was preoccupied with thoughts about why Lucca seemed concerned about my clothes. Or was I just overthinking, and for him, it meant nothing?
I shook my head, and Dominic noticed.
"Do you have a problem?" Dominic asked worriedly.
"Ah, no. I'm fine, thanks," I answered.
"You keep shaking your head. You might get dizzy."
"Ah, sorry," I said, then looked away, trying not to meet his eyes.
I felt relieved when he didn't say anything else.
After about fifteen minutes of walking, we reached the far end of the resort. No one else was there. I looked at the clear blue water. It was inviting me to dive in. When was the last time I went to the beach? High school? College? I couldn't remember. Back then, I only thought about surviving.
The white sand beneath my feet made everything feel more relaxing. I was starting to enjoy this trip.
"Let's swim, Seraphina," Dominic invited.
I looked at Mira, who was already heading toward the water. Wouldn't she wear her two-piece swimsuit? My eyes widened, and I quickly looked away when the boys started taking off their shirts.
"What are you doing?" I shouted without looking at them.
Dominic laughed. "I told you I wanted to swim. I can't let my shirt get wet. Besides, we're men, it's normal for us to take off our shirts," he explained.
Little by little, I started to look at them. I wasn't used to it. I was old-fashioned, after all.
Dominic went into the water, followed by Damian and Mira. Lucca was the last to go in. I couldn't help but stare at his broad shoulders and muscular back. His skin was as fair as the white sand beneath my feet.
"Seraphina! Come here now, the water's cold!" Dominic called out.
I quickly removed the scarf Lucca had given me and walked toward the water. The saltiness of the sea gave me an unexplainable feeling, a sense of longing for the past.
If only I had been able to bring Grandma to a place like this. She would have been so happy. If only I had given her a more comfortable life, maybe she wouldn't have died so early. If only…
I sighed, not realizing they were already staring at me. I wanted to be alone for a while, to feel the breeze, the sea, everything, while quietly crying my heart out.
Mira placed her hand on my shoulder, pulling me back to reality. I looked at her, and she seemed concerned. The boys were watching us. My eyes met Lucca's again, but his face remained unreadable. Damian was the same, while Dominic looked worried but said nothing.
"Guys, let's play," Mira said, breaking the awkward silence.
"Let's go! What kind of game?" Dominic asked cheerfully.
I stayed quiet, listening to Mira explain the mechanics, though I didn't really understand anything. I just decided to go with the flow.
The game started, but I still didn't get it. All I knew was that Mira and I were on the same team, while the boys were on the other. It involved catching and running, but I couldn't explain it clearly since I was confused myself.
"I'll get Damian, you get Dominic," Mira whispered.
I nodded and prepared myself to catch Dominic. As soon as the game started, I moved quickly toward him. But he was too fast, and I was too slow, especially in the water. Dominic seemed to enjoy watching me struggle.
I didn't even know what was happening with Mira and Damian. I looked around for Lucca. When I turned back, he was behind me, not too far away.
I found myself staring at him again. His messy, wet hair… his dark, deep eyes… his pointed nose… his red lips… his sharp jawline… down to—
I gulped.
Why was I looking at him like that? Why did I suddenly feel hot? Was this a symptom of depression that my mood changed so quickly?
I looked away and tried to find Dominic. He was already far from me.
"Why are you so fast?" I mumbled, frowning. I couldn't catch him since he was already far away.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed my wrist. I was taken aback and froze when I realized it was Lucca. He placed my hand on his muscular arm, signaling that I had already "caught" him and that he would be the one to chase Dominic.
"Tsk. What a lame game," Lucca said, letting go of my wrist before heading toward Dominic.
"Hey, hey! That's not how the game works!" Dominic complained. He looked uneasy as Lucca moved toward him quickly, even in the water.
"Lucca, stop there!" Dominic shouted as if a monster were chasing him. I couldn't help but laugh. He was in full panic mode, trying to escape, while Lucca remained determined to catch him.
"Ouch, Lucca—that hurts!" Dominic exclaimed when Lucca grabbed his right arm. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" he kept complaining.
I just shook my head. Dominic was being overly dramatic.
Meanwhile, Mira was struggling to catch Damian, who stood far away, watching her with a blank expression.
Eventually, we ended the game. Mira wasn't able to catch Damian, while Lucca successfully caught Dominic.
We headed back to the villa as it was getting dark. We decided to wash up. I let Mira take a bath first and waited outside the villa. I didn't want to go inside while I was still soaking wet. The boys had already gone in since they had their own rooms.
The cold breeze began to wrap around me. I rubbed my wet shoulders, trying to ease the chill. I also rubbed my hands together to create some warmth. The scarf around my waist wasn't helping at all.
Suddenly, a thick towel was placed over my shoulders. It warmed me instantly.
I turned and gasped when I saw Lucca standing there, staring at the sea.
"Use my bathroom. I'll take a bath later," he said. He was already wearing a white T-shirt, but it still couldn't hide his muscular build.
"No, I'll just wait for Mira to finish," I replied, even though I knew she might take another thirty minutes.
"Don't be stubborn. You're making things harder for yourself," Lucca said, now looking straight into my eyes.
I quickly looked away. His dark hazel eyes made me melt like ice.
"Okay… I'll take a bath first. It won't take long. Thank you," I said, avoiding his gaze as I hurried inside.
Lucca's room was near Damian's and Dominic's. As soon as I entered, I was greeted by the scent of a masculine perfume. His room looked similar to ours, except it had darker tones, mostly black. Maybe he liked that color. I always saw him wearing black anyway.
I found myself liking his scent. I wasn't really into perfumes, nor was I an expert, but his scent made me want to breathe it in again.
I took a quick shower. It felt awkward using someone else's bathroom, especially when he was waiting for me. If I hadn't been freezing, I would have refused his offer. We weren't even that close, and our first meeting had been awkward.
I even wondered if he remembered that I was the girl who almost got hit by his car. I should have been mad at him. I almost died, and he even dared to shout at me for not looking at the road. But since he didn't seem to remember, I decided to let it go.
It only took me ten minutes to finish. After getting dressed, I gathered my wet clothes, planning to handwash them in our bathroom.
As I opened Lucca's door, I saw a pair of wide eyes staring at me in confusion.