Unrequited

chapter 10

My heart hammered in my chest as I descended the stairs, the excited buzz in the living room drawing me closer. What could be causing such a commotion over a visit as ordinary as hers? As I rounded the corner into the foyer, a sentence sliced through the air, icy fingers tracing down my spine and leaving a trail of goosebumps. My friend's voice, sharp and venomous, froze me in my tracks.

"Why is she even here?" Ash's words echoed in the space, dripping with disdain.

"Ash!" Lawrence's voice, normally a gentle murmur, held a stern edge that resonated through me.

"Don't give me that, you know what happened last time she came near Olly!" Ash spat, her voice tight with anger.

"It wasn't Lia's fault, Ash," Kenneth's voice hit me like a physical blow, the breath in my lungs abruptly stolen away.

My head spun, and I instinctively took a step back, poised to flee. Mom's voice, warm and oblivious, anchored me in place.

"Olly! Sweetheart! You're finally here! Everyone's been waiting for you." Her call echoed from the living room doorway. I turned, offering a weak smile, my throat as dry as desert sand.

"Yeah," I mumbled, forcing myself to move forward, each step a battle against the tremors in my legs.

As I entered the room, I felt the weight of five pairs of eyes on me. I lifted my gaze to meet them: Cade's apologetic, Ash's venomous, Megan and Lawrence's understanding, Talia's melancholic, and Kenneth's, beneath a wide grin, I saw simmering annoyance.

"Hey!" I pasted a smile on my face, focusing it on Cade. "You said it was just Ash, you could have warned me about the ambush!" My smile was strained, and Cade gulped under the weight of my unspoken accusation. You'd pay for this later, brother dear.

I turned to Megan, wrapping her in a quick hug. "Oh my god, Olly! You've gotten even more gorgeous!" She squeezed me back, then pulled away with a playful grin.

"Don't flatter yourself, you're way out of my league," I countered, shaking my head. "Oh no no, Olly you are way more breathtaking than me. But hey, I did snag someone with your genes," she winked at Cade, who grunted in mock annoyance. Megan patted his arm playfully, widening his pout.

After greetings and small talk with Lawrence, I settled beside Ash, careful to keep my gaze away from Kenneth for too long. The air crackled with a strange tension, punctuated only by Ash's mischievous grin. I raised an eyebrow, scanning the room warily. The silence was deafening, and I couldn't shake the feeling of unease.

"Uhh, guys?" My voice broke the silence, and I met each of their gazes with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. Ash kept staring at me with those impish eyes, while Cade and the others seemed to be holding their breath. What the hell were they waiting for?

"What?" I asked, my voice shaky. Ash sighed dramatically.

"For heaven's sake, Olly, check your phone for once!" Her frustration cut through me like a knife. Panic gnawed at my insides as I realized I hadn't checked my phone in at least twelve hours.

My fingers trembled as I pulled it out, bombarded by a swarm of notifications. Ignoring the others, I tapped on Ash's messages, and my world tilted on its axis.

'Hey Olly, we're planning a one-week beach trip. Everyone's coming: Ken, Talia, Cade, Megan, Lawrence.'

The rest of the message blurred, my eyes locked on the words 'trip,' 'Ken,' 'Talia,' 'week.' A strangled cry escaped my throat. "You've lost your minds!" I roared, my voice reaching an octave I didn't know existed. My glare landed on Ash, Cade, and Lawrence in quick succession. These three were up to something, I could smell it. They knew everything about me, my situation, and yet they still wanted to do this.