--------------------- Mauritius, Waldorf Astoria ---------------------

- 09.50 AM -

~ Cris's POV ~

I woke up, the morning light slipping through the curtains. My body felt warm, and for a second, I didn't know why—until I looked down.

Aliyah was curled up against me, her face resting on my chest. One of her arms was placed across my stomach, her fingers curled, while my own arm was trapped under her, completely numb.

I exhaled slowly, staring at the ceiling for a moment. I didn't mind this position, really. It was... nice. But as much as I wanted to stay like this, my arm was starting to tingle, and I had to get up.

Carefully, I shifted, trying to slide my arm free without waking her. She furrowed, mumbling something under her breath before her eyes fluttered open. Her gaze met mine, still hazy because of sleep.

"Morning," I murmured.

She blinked a few times before realization hit her, and she sat up quickly. "Oh—sorry," she said, rubbing her eyes.

I smirked. "You were pretty comfortable,"

Aliyah rolled her eyes, stretching her arms above her head. "Whatever," she mumbled.

Before I could tease her more, Nawaf's voice was heard, the shuffling of blankets and sheets must've caught their attention.

"Bro..." Nawaf's voice rang through the room.

I turned my head to see him, Mekky, Chloé, and Nadia standing around the couch area, with expressions of shock and amusement.

"Woahh," Mekky started, eyes flickering between me and Aliyah. "Why are you shirtless?"

I sighed, getting up from the bed. "Good morning to you too."

"Nah, don't try to dodge the question," Chloé said, grinning. "Explain."

Aliyah, who's still sitting upright on the bed, stopped mid-stretch and groaned. "Guys, it's not that deep."

"Oh, it's deep," Nadia smirked, arms crossed. "Matching pyjama pants, shirtless Cris, and you two were cuddling? We need answers."

Aliyah and I exchanged a look before I sighed once more. "She made me do skincare, found some pyjama pants, and I took off my hoodie because she was cleaning my face. That's it."

"Mhm," Nawaf hummed, unconvinced. "And the lipstick marks?"

Aliyah turned her head so fast, throwing her face onto the pillow. I glanced at the mirror behind her and groaned, some lipstick stains were still on my jaw.

"Relax, it was part of the haul," Aliyah said, waving them off as she got off the bed making her way over to me."No big deal."

"So you didn't kiss?" Mekky raised an eyebrow.

"Not in the way you're thinking," I smirked, throwing an arm over Aliyah's shoulders. She shoved me off.

"Don't start."

Before anyone could press us further, Nawaf suddenly gasped. "Bro! The breakfast buffet closes in like, 35 minutes!"

Aliyah groaned dramatically, flopping back on the bed. "Do you know how much effort it takes to rush and get ready? And we're still in pyjama pants."

Mekky spoke. "Then hurry up."

"Or... we could just order breakfast here," Chloé suggested.

Aliyah immediately nodded. "See? Chloé gets it."

Nawaf turned to me. "Cris, you covering breakfast?"

I scoffed. "I'm getting Aliyah's. You get yours and your girl's."

Nawaf and Mekky groaned while the girls laughed. We placed our orders and waited around until breakfast arrived, spending the time chatting and teasing each other.

Halfway through eating, Aliyah and I locked eyes, thinking the same thing.

"So, Mekky..." I started. "When are you finally asking Chloé to be your girl?"

To our surprise, he smirked. "I already did."

The Aliyah errupted. "WHAT?!"

"When? How?" Aliyah asked, genuinely surprised.

Mekky shrugged, trying to act cool. "Got her some gifts, made it official like yesterday."

Aliyah gasped dramatically. "And you didn't tell us your little plan?!"

Chloé just smiled, showing off a new bracelet on her wrist. "It was cute."

"By the way—what did you mean when you said 'Not in the way you think', Cris?" Nawaf questioned.

Aliyah rolled her eyes, reaching for her drink. "It means stop being nosy."

Nawaf leaned forward, grinning. "Nah, 'cause what other way is there?"

Chloé gasped, smacking Mekky's arm. "Wait, wait! Was it a forehead kiss? Hand kiss? Cheek kiss?"

Aliyah pressed her lips together like she was trying not to smile, while I just sat back, enjoying the chaos.

Nadia squinted at us. "It was the cheek, wasn't it?"

I grinned. "Maybe."

Aliyah groaned. "Can we eat in peace?"

Mekky shook his head, laughing. "Y'all are so suspicious."

Chloé's eyes widened. "Wait... was it—" She gasped dramatically. "A lip kiss?"

The whole table went silent for a second before Nawaf smirked. "Ohhh, now it makes sense."

Aliyah shot me a quick look, like she was daring me to say something. I just leaned back in my chair, sipping my juice like I had all the time in the world.

Mekky pointed at us. "So, you did kiss!"

Nadia's jaw dropped. "Oh my God, you guys actually kissed."

Aliyah crossed her arms. "No one said that."

Chloé gasped again. "But no one denied it either!"

Nawaf clapped his hands. "Nah, this is crazy. What happened for real?"

I glanced at Aliyah, waiting to see if she'd say anything. She just picked up her fork, pretending to be focused on her food.

I smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Mekky groaned. "Bro, just tell us!"

Aliyah rolled her eyes. "There's nothing to tell."

Chloé gasped, leaning forward. "So you did kiss!"

Aliyah sighed, looking at me. "Look what you started."

I grinned shrugging. "I didn't start anything. They figured it out on their own."

Nawaf narrowed his eyes. "You're telling me you two spent the whole night together, in matching pyjama pants, and there was no lip action?"

Aliyah hesitated for half a second. That was all they needed.

"Ah-ha!" Mekky pointed. "She hesitated! That means yes!"

Aliyah groaned, covering her face with her hands. "You guys are so annoying."

Nadia smirked. "So who kissed who first?"

I stretched my arms, leaning back casually. "She kissed me."

Aliyah's head snapped up. "Excuse me?"

I shrugged, pretending to think. "Or maybe I kissed her. Hard to remember."

Mekky burst out laughing. "This guy—"

Chloé shook Aliyah's arm. "Was it just one kiss, or...?"

Aliyah shot me a glare before looking back at them. "It was—"

I cut her off, smirking. "She couldn't resist me. Kissed me once, then covered my whole face in lipstick."

Nawaf choked on his juice. "Oh, nah. You got played."

Mekky noddded his head, laughing. "Aliyah, I respect it. A power move."

Aliyah smirked, leaning back. "Of course."

Nadia raised an eyebrow. "And? Was he a good kisser?"

Aliyah paused, glancing at me. I raised an eyebrow, waiting for her answer.

She grabbed her juice, taking a slow sip. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

The whole table erupted.

"NO WAY!"

"NAH, THAT'S CRAZY!"

I chuckled, shaking my head. "You're actually the worst."

Aliyah just grinned. "I know."

Once breakfast was done, we all started getting up, stretching after the meal, I, Nawaf and Mekky were about to leave. Aliyah stood up, fixing her hair as I grabbed my hoodie from the couch. She looked up at me, with her brown eyes.

I stepped closer, my hands finding her waist. She began to wrap her arms around my neck, pulling me in for a hug goodbye. 

"See you later?" she asked, her voice softer, she was in no rush to let go.

I nodded, a small grin on my lips. "Yeah."

I let my hands slide off her waist as I grabbed my hoodie and turned toward the door. Just as I stepped out, I could hear Nadia and Chloé giggling behind us.

The second the door shut, Nawaf clapped me on the back. "Yeah, you're done for, bro."

Mekky snickered. "Nah, did you see how she looked at him? That's game over."

I just rolled my eyes, tugging my hoodie over my head. But even as we walked away, I could still feel her soft touch lingering on my skin.

~ Aliyah's POV ~

The second the door shut behind them, Nadia and Chloé turned to me with grins.

"Spill. Now." Nadia crossed her arms.

Chloé nodded eagerly. "How did he end up shirtless? And don't leave out any details."

I sighed, already knowing there was no way out of this. "You guys are so nosy."

"Obviously," Nadia shot back. "Now, start talking."

Chloé smirked. "And don't forget the part where he kissed you."

I groaned, flopping onto the couch. This was going to be a long conversation. And just like that, I was cornered.

- 03.24 PM - 

We were now dressed in our swimwear by the creekside of the hotel, waiting for further instructions on our activity. The sun was high, shimmering on the water, and a warm breeze blew through the mangrove trees.

I adjusted the strap of my bikini top under my asymmetrical oversized t-shirt, shifting my weight onto one leg as we stood in a group with the rest of our grade.

"Alright, listen up!" one of the instructors called out. "You'll be paired up for a kayaking race. Two per kayak."

Oh no. The moment she started reading out the pairs, I had a bad feeling.

"Mekky and Chloé."

Chloé grinned, nudging Mekky. "Better keep up."

Mekky scoffed. "You better keep up."

"Nadia and Nawaf."

Nadia smirked. "Easy win."

Nawaf slung an arm around her shoulder. "Say less."

I smiled at their confidence, but my mood dropped when I heard the next pair.

"Aliyah and Trevor."

I blinked. "Huh?"

Trevor smirked slightly, walking up to me and attempting to place his arm over my shoulder, but I quickly dodged. "Looks like we're a team."

I sighed.

"And finally, Cris and Brielle."

I turned to Cris immediately, and his face was just as unimpressed as mine.

"You've got to be kidding me," he muttered.

"You won't survive this one," I laughed. I would rather hang myself than be stuck with Brielle for a full hour.

Brielle, on the other hand, looked way too happy about it. "Looks like we'll be spending some quality time together, Cris."

He ignored her, crossing his arms as he turned to me instead. "How do they even pick these things?"

I shook my head. "No idea, but I want a redo."

"Same," he muttered under his breath.

Before we even got onto the kayaks, we had to get geared up, which meant life vests and stuff, yet the water was around below our shoulder height. I took off my t-shirt and began wearing the life vest. I struggled with the straps of mine, adjusting them, when Cris suddenly appeared in front of me.

"You're doing it wrong," he said, reaching for the buckle.

I frowned. "No, I'm not—"

It clicked and he tightened it perfectly, securing it against my torso.

"Oh." I realised.

Cris smirked, his eyes meeting mine. "You were saying?" He scoffed.

I rolled my eyes, but my stomach did a little flip.

Behind us, I heard Nadia chuckle. "Aww, how sweet."

I turned to give her a look, but she just smirked, adjusting her sunglasses above her head as Nawaf finished strapping her life vest. "You two should just get married at this point."

Cris scoffed. "Shut up."

Nawaf laughed. "She's not wrong, bro."

Brielle, who had been watching the whole thing, pouted and stepped closer to Cris. "Cris, can you help me with mine too?" She crossed her arms, pushing up her chest in an attempt to make them appear larger as she tilted her head. Pathetic. All I can do is scoff and move on.

"No."

Her jaw dropped slightly. "What? But you helped Aliyah—"

"I wanted to." He shrugged, barely looking at her.

I bit back a smirk.

Brielle narrowed her eyes at me but didn't say anything. Instead, she turned and started adjusting her vest with a huff. When we got to the kayaks, I was about to climb in when Cris walked up to me again, standing beside me.

"You need help?" he asked.

I looked at him suspiciously. "Why would I need help getting on a kayak?"

He smirked. "Because you're clumsy."

I gasped dramatically, hand on heart. "I am not!"

Mekky snickered. "Yeah, you are."

Chloé nodded. "Sorry, babe, but you totally are."

I glared at them before turning back to Cris. "Relax—I got this."

"Mm-hmm." He didn't sound convinced but stepped back anyway, arms crossed.

Just as I was about to prove him wrong, I placed my foot on the kayak—and immediately almost tipped it over. I even screamed a little, making Nadia, Chloé, Nawaf, Mekky and Cris laugh. 

Cris grabbed my waist instantly, steadying me.

"Told you," he whispered against my ear.

I groaned, gripping his arms. "Shut up."

I could feel him smirking from behind me.

Trevor, who had been watching from the side, frowned. "I could've helped her, you know."

Cris didn't even look at him. "Yeah, but you didn't."

Trevor's jaw clenched, but before he could say anything else, Brielle loudly cleared her throat. "Cris, can you help me onto our kayak?" She emphasized on the word 'our'.

Cris didn't even hesitate. "Nope."

Brielle's face turned red. "But—"

"You'll be fine," he said flatly before stepping onto his kayak.

I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. Once we were all in our kayaks and positioned for the race, I turned to Cris, smirking. "We're totally beating you."

He raised an eyebrow. "You think so?"

"I know so."

"Alright, we'll see about that."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "Just try to keep up."

Trevor, sitting behind me, leaned forward slightly. "We got this, don't we?"

I nodded. "Yeah, as long as we actually focus."

Trevor chuckled. "I always focus when I'm with a pretty girl."

I huffed. "Trevor. Why don't you hop off my dick for once?"

Before I could say anything else, the whistle blew, and the race started.

We all started paddling forward, water splashing around us. Chloé and Mekky were slightly ahead, while Nadia and Nawaf were right beside us.

"Move faster, Mekky!" Chloé yelled.

"Why don't you move faster?" Mekky shot back.

"You're the one in the back, control the kayak!"

"I'm trying!"

I swear Mekky and Chloé banter is so funny! Nadia and Nawaf, on the other hand, were actually working together.

"You're doing good, babe," Nawaf encouraged.

"You too," Nadia grinned. "We're totally winning."

"Eww! Get a room!" I yelled from my kayak.

Nadia shot back. "Jealous much? Don't worry, we'll save you a trophy for 'Third-Wheel of the Year.'"

"Okay, clock it," I finished.

Meanwhile, Trevor was still distracted. "You know, Aliyah, I think we make a good team."

I huffed. "Focus, Trevor!"

He chuckled. "I am."

"On the race!"

Just then, Trevor got distracted and fumbled his paddle, causing our kayak to tilt slightly. I squeeled, grabbing the edge.

"Trevor!"

Cris, who had been right behind us, saw everything.

"Yo, Trevor, if you can't handle kayaking, maybe you shouldn't be talking so much while doing it," Cris called out.

Trevor scowled. "Stay out of it, man."

Cris smirked. "Maybe stop messing up and I won't have to."

I tried to suppress a laugh, but I couldn't.

Trevor groaned. "I swear—"

Before he could finish, Cris and Brielle's kayak sped past us.

Cris turned his head, smirking. "Try to keep up, then we can talk."

I narrowed my eyes. "It's not over yet."

I paddled even harder, determined to win, determined to close the gap between Cris and me. Trevor, realising my level of seriousness, finally started paddling properly.

"So now you're focused?" I muttered.

Trevor chuckled. "Only because you're serious about winning."

Infront of us, Mekky and Chloé were still bickering and I couldn't help but laugh at the two.

"You need to paddle harder!" Chloé complained.

"Why don't you paddle harder?" Mekky shot back.

"Because you're in the back, genius! You steer!"

"You think I don't know that? You've told me twice already!"

"Clearly, you don't!"

Meanwhile, Nadia and Nawaf were paddling in perfect sync.

"See, teamwork makes the dream work," Nadia teased.

Nawaf grinned. "We're unstoppable."

I rolled my eyes playfully. "Yeah, we get it. You guys are cute."

Cris, of course, had been listening. "All this talking, and you still haven't caught up," he taunted.

"Oh, we're catching up," I shot back. "C'mon Trevor—paddle harder!"

Trevor finally got to my level, paddling hard enough to reduce the distance between us and Cris's kayak.

Brielle, sitting in front of him, turned slightly. "Cris, paddle harder! We need to win!"

"I'm already paddling," Cris replied, unimpressed.

"Then paddle harder!"

"You paddle harder."

"I don't want to mess up my hair."

Cris huffed, now annoyed. "Then why'd you sign up for this?"

She turned to face forward again with a dramatic sigh. "Ugh, whatever."

I giggled, hearing their conversation. "C'mon, Cris, don't tell me you're slacking."

Cris turned his head slightly, eyes locking onto mine. "If I was slacking, you'd be ahead of me."

"Sounds like an excuse."

"Sounds like you're mad you're losing."

I grinned. "We'll see about that."

I pushed forward, Trevor actually keeping up this time. We were now side by side with Cris's kayak, our paddles splashing even more water as we raced.

And then, suddenly—

"Aliyah!"

I turned my head just in time to see Brielle "accidentally" lean too far back, practically pressing herself against Cris.

"Oops," she said, voice all fake innocence. "Can you hold me steady?"

The fuck?

Cris sighed, obviously annoyed. "Brielle, just sit forward."

"But I might fall!"

"Then hold onto the kayak."

She pouted. "Why are you being so mean?"

Cris exhaled sharply. "I'm not being mean, I'm just not dealing with your bullshit right now."

I bit my lip, watching the whole thing unfold.