Without You (Sequel (2018))

Opening Up

I want to thank anonynova for this amazing cover photo. I know it's for the first book in this trilogy but I loved it so much, I had to share it with you guys!

Looking around the kitchen island while both Samantha and Cara nurse their hangovers over steaming mugs, I can't help but feel so grateful that I'd left early last night. Jeremy isn't even bothering with coffee, instead simply sprawling face down on one of the sun loungers outside, his arms hanging dead beside him.

"Well ... at least we're not as bad as he's going to be," Samantha mutters huskily, signalling over to Tyler who's still passed out on the couch.

"Well considering me and Eli dealt with him last night, you guys are on hangover duty," I reply back with a mischievous grin.

"I couldn't agree more," Eli interrupts, coming calmly into the kitchen looking right as rain.

"How are you so chirpy?" Cara groans, giving her brother unsubtle evils.

"Because unlike some, my dear sis," he laughs, wrapping his arms fondly around her neck and ignoring her half-hearted protests. "I can handle my alcohol."

"Very funny," she replies dryly, pushing him off her.

"I thought you were desperate to go to the water park today?" He continues as he opens the fridge and I try to ignore his bronzed, bare chest.

"Give me an hour and I'll be fine," she mutters, taking a deep swig.

"Screw that, give me a month. I'm never drinking again," Samantha disagrees dramatically, throwing her head into her hands.

"Until tonight," I respond with the raise of an amused eyebrow. "Anyway, while y'all here are complaining. I'm gonna go shower."

Placing my palms on the cool stone of the island, I jump down onto the tiles. Just as I'm creeping through the living room and past Tyler's gentle snores, my body obviously decides it's going to keep its record of world's clumsiest girl and catches painfully on the side of the coffee table. Swearing as quietly as I can, I reach down to grab my toe, only to lose my balance and fall smack to the ground.

"Huh?!" I hear Tyler's confused groan as he sits with a start on the couch.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," I mutter in annoyance at myself as I stand up, stretching my now throbbing toe. "How you feeling?"

The gormless look on his face matched with his matted hair is enough answer and I can't help but chuckle as he looks around the room suspiciously.

"Good, good, considering. Just one question ... how the hell did I get home last night?"

***

"And guys we do not want a repeat of last year's water park pee prank fiasco!" Cara insists with a firm look at Tyler who simply looks sheepishly at the floor.

"Leave me alone! I already feel crappy enough," he groans back, holding his head in his hands as he attempts to deal with what looks like a pretty painful hangover.

I can't help but grin at Cara as we walk through the gates of the impressive looking outdoor waterpark. We pay to get in and decide on two outside lockers between the six of us before quickly stripping off to our swimsuits as we turn to embrace the childish screams around us excitedly. Dozens upon dozens of slides surround us going in frantic twists and turns, all in an array of colours even the rainbow would be jealous of. The rich smell of fried food and sweet ice cream makes my mouth water as the hot sun beats down on us.

"Where to first then, dolls?" Cara chirps excitedly already eyeing up the slide in front of us that I could swear is totally vertical.

After an intense group meeting and a brief bashing down of Tyler's insistence that we need a perfectly formulated timetable, we finally decide which first. I can't help but feel the nervous butterflies forming as we approach the two extremely high slides hitting the pool of water. You have to get in pairs but individual slides before sitting on a mini sled and you are shot down with such force you actually fly across the surface of the water once you hit the bottom. While Cara and Sam chatter excitedly in front of me, Eli must notice my nerves because I feel his smooth fingers intertwine with mine.