Twenty-Nine // J.G.

six.

Day 2.

Contrary to yesterday's wake up call, this morning I had the absolute pleasure of waking up to the smell of eggs, bacon, and- Were those strawberries? I sat up and stretched my arms before opening my eyes and facing the sight of a cart full of breakfast foods and a folded note card on the bedside table. Already having an assumption of who this might be from, I swiped the card from its place and began reading the note with a slight smile.

Good morning, sleeping beauty! The boys and I are already out on the beach, so you just enjoy your meal and come meet us when you're done.
Enjoy!

- Jack

I folded the note back up and tossed it into the ocean of bed sheets, swinging my legs over the side of the bed to get a better look at my breakfast choices for the morning. There were small bowls of grapes, strawberries, and cantaloupe, my favorite choice of tea residing in the only mug I ever used, and in the middle of it all lay a plate with scrambled eggs, crispy bacon strips, and a single pancake with butter and syrup on the side. Just the way I liked it! He had to have gone to Sammy and Nate for answers because there's no way he could have guessed this all.

I was just about to devour the meal before I remembered that I should capture this moment. I held Jack's note up in front of the food then snapped the picture and waited for it to develop before digging in. I took my time eating, but it was so good that I felt like I swallowed it all in one go.

Afterwards, I got dressed for the beach, styling a white sundress and the flat sandals Jack had given me the previous night. I scrapped my hair into my infamous topknot then headed out alongside the other visitors scrambling to get to the beach for reasons unlike mine. Glaring against the bright sunlight reflecting off the sand and water, I spotted the boys, and upon recognizing an unfamiliar pair of girls beside Sammy and Nate, I turned on my heel to head back to the hotel. I didn't feel like being the outcast once again, and besides, I could thank Jack for my meal later on. At least, I thought that was what I was going to do until I heard my name being called clearly over the noise of the passersby.

"Marley!" And before I could scurry away, I heard a pair of flip-flops smacking against the sidewalk. "Hey, where are you going?" Jack breathed out once he caught up with me. I shrugged, eyeing the two couples on the beach, and he seemed to get the idea. "Well did you like your surprise this morning?" He changed topics, showcasing a gleaming smile.

I was quick to give him an enthusiastic nod, the tastes still evident in my mouth. "It was amazing! Might even be the best breakfast I've ever had, thank you so much." I licked my lips, the image of the food that was now long gone reappearing in my mind.

"You seem so excited." He chuckled, "Haven't any of your other boyfriends made you breakfast before?" At those words, my fervor went down the drain and was replaced with a bashful aura, warmth encasing my entire face as I dropped my gaze to the floor. "Mar," He exclaimed, attempting - and failing - to hide a smile when he took notice of my feverish reaction. "You have had a boyfriend before, right?"

Embarrassed would be an absolute understatement about how I felt at the moment. "I'm going back to the suite." I mumbled instead of answering his question, and I stumbled away in all my blushing glory. He didn't need to know anything about my relationship history - or lack thereof, for that matter - because it wasn't any of his damn business.

"Mar, wait!" Once again he chased after me, and as I noticed his secure grip on my arm, I whipped around, clearly annoyed with his persistence. "Okay, maybe I shouldn't have reacted that way. It's not a bad thing, and I didn't, like, ask that to humiliate you or anything.. I just assumed-"