TWENTY-FIRST TRIP

"Astraea, nice to see you again," Maxim said to me while looking at me with a dirty look.

Maybe about what she saw earlier.

She handed me a glass with only wine. I winced when I smelled it. It's a hard drink. Just the smell of it, it's intoxicating. I don’t like the idea of ​​me drinking again. Especially since I'm at his family's house.

“I'm sorry for what happened earlier, Max. I don’t really— ”

“Don’t mention it, I don’t mind. Don’t worry too much about things especially since you are here in our area,” she interrupted me and winked at me.

Like everyone else, she is wearing a swimsuit, but she has no coating on her body other than that red two-piece. Not like me. I guess I'm the only one who's wearing a see-through.

“Drink. You need that, so you won't be embarrassed,” she added then tapped me on the shoulder.

I just followed her with my gaze until she came down to the pool. My eyes immediately searched for Levi, but I saw Hoseah approaching me. It also has a swimsuit. This woman is really beautiful. She’s a former beauty queen and now, she is a model for a well-known brand of swimwear. She is a little taller than me and whiter. Slim, but she still can't beat my chest. What the fuck, Rae?

“Are you having fun, Rae?” she immediately asked me and then sat in the chair in front of me.

I sat down and sipped the wine Maxim had just given me. I ignored her question and just rolled my eyes at everyone. Of them all, I only know Maxim, Celine, Jaxon, Acel, and Avery because they introduced themselves to me before. Others have not yet because they are busy playing basketball in the swimming pool. Seems like I want to join too.

My eyes searched for Levi again, but I couldn’t really find him. He just said goodbye for a moment with someone to take inside, until now he hasn't come back. I still don't want to be with this woman.

"Tell me, are you in a relationship with him?" I heard Hoseah ask again so I looked at her.

I first drained the wine I was holding and then poured it back into my glass. I could feel the bitterness in my throat as I looked at her. I gasped, ready to answer her question but she cut me off again.

"I hope not, because I'm telling you, we're fixing everything that needs to be fixed. We’re still engaged, as you can see,” she continued teasing and waved her ringed hand in front of me.

I sipped again on my drink and looked at her. I just smiled at her and ignored her again. I turned my gaze back to the players.

“Having a hard time, huh? You don't have to answer anymore. Besides, you still don’t know much about Levi. You shouldn't trust lightly,” she continued and smirked at me.

I suddenly remembered what Celine had said earlier so I was stunned from watching them. I drank again and then turned to her who was still grinning at me.

“What should I know? Besides, what do you want from me? If you want Levi, you can just go to him. Not here with me,” I said to her and stared at her.

I heard her laugh. I can feel my anger welling up for what she’s doing to me right now. As if she’s trying to ruin my mind by thinking about what she said. What should I know about him? Should I still know that if I know it really has no destination?

“I guess, you haven't been able to talk properly yet. Don’t worry, he’ll tell you sooner or later. But I’m telling you, better be ready because you might not be able to take it. I can still see how weak you are,” she seriously said to me and stood up.

She looked at me for a moment until she turned her back on me. I poured some wine again back into my glass and drank it quickly.

Somehow, I’m starting to like the taste of this alcohol. That's how it is. At first, you won't like it but after a while, you will realize that your body is longing for it. Like this man who suddenly pulled up a chair in front of me and leaned over me. I could smell the alcohol on his body, but I could also smell his perfume which was delicious on the nose. I winced as I stared at him.

"What did Hosea tell you?" he asked me and touched my hand again.

What do we have right now?

I averted my eyes from him when I noticed he was staring at me. I saw his cousins ​​staring at us as I looked up at the pool. It was like they were watching a movie so I laughed. I sipped on my drink before I answers him.

“Apart from the accusation that I am taking you away from her, nothing. You, do you have something to tell me?” I asked him again.

I kept thinking of his cousins ​​starting the game again. I could even see Hoseah staring at me when I looked up at her. I also saw Jaxon just wave at me so I just nodded at him.

“I want to talk to you, Lumiere,” he started. I closed my eyes and heave a deep sigh.

I could feel the sweat on my hand because of his hold so I withdrew it. I heard him swear.

“What is it about? Hoseah told me that I shouldn’t trust you because I still don’t know much about you. I don't know to whom I should listen,” I told him lazily.

I poured the wine back into my glass and drank it straight away. I was already feeling the heat so I took off that see-through dress. I was shocked when I heard someone shouting so I looked there. I felt even more embarrassed because they were all looking at me.

“Damn, Lumiere. Why do you need to wear something like that,” he told me with a problem and forced me to face him.

“Why? Don’t you like what I’m wearing, huh? ” I asked him and bit my lower lip.

His forehead furrowed. He started to clench his jaw while staring at me. I could see the difficulty of him not looking at my body so I laughed.

"Stop fucking teasing me," he told me emphatically so I laughed even harder.

I took the glass he was holding and emptied it. Sometime later, before he could touch me, I shouted that I was going to join the game when I heard they were looking for a new member again. Levi couldn't stop me when I went down to the pool.