“Honestly, I’m tired of being inside,” he mutters.
I try to think of something we can do but with the scars, I have no intention of going out in public. “Take Mila on a date.”
“Babe?” Jase yells as he gets up from the couch. “Wanna go out for dinner?”
I hear Mila answer, “We can order in. I need to bring Fallon up to date with the work she missed.”
“Talking about work,” Noah says. “Come sit your ass down. We have a test to study for. The professor said he’d let you do it verbally.”
“That’s good and bad news,” Kao mutters. He hands the water back to me and presses a quick kiss to my lips before he goes to sit with Noah.
I walk down the hallway to where Jase is sulking, and Mila is glaring at him. “Sorry, Jase. Guess you’ll have to entertain yourself.”
“Ouch.” He slaps his hand over his chest. “So cold.”
Mila darts back into their room to get her laptop, then comes out and asks, “Want to work in your room?”
“Sure.”
Jase walks to Hunter’s room while Mila and I slip into mine. We make ourselves comfortable on my bed, and before she can open her laptop, Jade comes to join us. “Jase and Hunter are studying. Let me help.”
Hana walks past my open door, then she backtracks and asks, “Did I miss the memo that we’re getting together?”
“No,” I answer with a burst of laughter. “Mila’s helping me catch up with work, and Jade’s just chilling. Wanna join us?”
She comes in and shuts the door behind her before climbing on the bed to sit next to Jade. “So? What happened?”
Pretending I don’t have a clue what she’s referring to, I ask, “With?”
“You and Kao were in his room all afternoon,” Jade comments, wagging her eyebrows at me.
“We were sleeping,” I tease them, knowing they’re dying to hear the details.
“Dammit, woman. Are you still a virgin or not?” Hana snaps.
I shake my head, and their eyes begin to widen, and then I say, “Afraid I’m still one.”
“Holy shit,” Jade gasps. “Kao has some serious self-control.”
“Nothing compared to Jase,” Mila mutters. “He almost drove me insane for a month.”
“Or is it because you want to wait?” Hana asks, her eyes sharpening on me.
“Oh no, I offered it to him on a golden platter,” I quickly put her worries to rest. “It’s because we live with a bunch of children.”
Mila begins to chuckle. “I told Jase not to put up that note.”
“We’re going away this weekend,” I drop the bomb. My friends stare at me, and it has me explaining, “Kao and I. He’s taking me to Rancho Valencia in Rancho Santa Fe.”
“I’ve heard that place is off the charts beautiful,” Jade comments.
“Yeah, I’ve been once with my parents for a long weekend. There’s tons to do,” Mila adds.
“As if they’ll even leave the bedroom,” Hana chuckles.
“Whatever we do, I’m sure it will be fun,” I say, a mischievous grin on my face. “Honestly, I’m just excited about spending time with Kao.”
“Okay, let’s get some work done,” Mila says, opening her laptop.KAOFallon checks the contents of our weekend bags for what must be the hundredth time.
Taking hold of her arm, I pull her onto my lap where I’m sitting on the bed. “If we forget something, we can just buy it there.”
She checks her watch, then asks, “What time is the helicopter coming again?”
A smile curves my lips. “Five.”
“That gives us twenty minutes,” Fallon mutters, her mind probably racing over her mental list of things to do before we leave.
My phone starts to ring, and as Fallon gets up from my lap, I reach in my pocket for the device. Seeing Dad’s name flashing on the screen, I answer, “Hey, Dad.”
“Sorry, I didn’t call yesterday. I was stuck in a meeting until eleven at night.”
“Damn.” A frown forms on my forehead. “Is everything okay at work?”
“Yes, it’s just the annual budget meeting. How was your doctor’s appointment?”
I relax when I hear I don’t have to worry about Dad, then answer, “It went well. Dr. Hodgson is happy with the progress I’m making.”
“How's your sight?”
In the background, I hear Mom asking, “Is that Kao? Put him on speakerphone.” A couple of seconds later, she says, “Hi, sweetie. How are you feeling?”
“I’m much better. If I focus for a bit, the blurring fades a little.”
“That’s great news,” Dad says. He gets excited about every minor step I take forward.
“How’s Fallon?” Mom asks.
My gaze darts to Fallon’s, and I grin. “She’s good. I’m taking her away for the weekend. Speaking of which, we have a helicopter to catch at five.”
“Oh good, now we don’t have to worry about the two of you on the road. Where are you taking her?” Dad asks.
“Rancho Valencia in Rancho Santa Fe. I booked a villa.”
“Aww… my son the romantic. At least I did something right,” Mom coos. “I hope you have a wonderful weekend.”