Beneath the surface

Chapter 7

Ava had arranged to meet Emily and Ariel at a quiet café near the resort. She wanted to introduce Emily to Ariel, and she was excited to see how they would get along.

As Ava arrived at the café, she spotted Emily and Ariel already seated at a table. She smiled, feeling a sense of relief that they were getting along.

"Hey, guys," Ava said, sitting down beside them. "I'm so glad you two are getting along."

Emily smiled, her eyes warm. "Ariel's great. We've been chatting about everything from books to music."

Ariel grinned, her eyes sparkling. "Yeah, we're going to be besties."

The three of them chatted for a while, enjoying each other's company. After a while, Ariel suggested they grab lunch at a nearby restaurant.

"I've heard great things about this place," Ariel said, her eyes shining with excitement.

Ava agreed, and the three of them headed to the restaurant. As they walked in, Ava spotted Ethan sitting at a table near the window.

Her heart skipped a beat as their eyes met, and for a moment, she considered leaving. But Ariel's persistence won out, and she insisted on saying hello.

Ava reluctantly agreed, her mind racing with potential awkwardness. As they approached Ethan's table, Emily's expression turned guarded.

After a berif discussion Emily and

Ariel excused them selves wanting to

Go grab and ice cream form close by

As they walked out of the restaurant, Emily turned to Ariel and whispered, "Girl, I'm so over this. Let's ditch them and grab some coffee somewhere else."

Ariel hesitated, looking back at Ava and Ethan. "I don't know, Em. Ava might be mad at us."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Come on, Ariel. Ava's a big girl. She can handle herself. Besides, I don't trust Ethan."

Ariel nodded slowly, still looking uncertain. "Okay, fine. But if Ava gets mad, I'm blaming you."

Emily grinned, already walking away. "Don't worry, I've got your back."

The two of them quickly walked off, leaving Ava alone with Ethan. As they watched Emily and Ariel disappear into the crowd, Ethan raised an eyebrow.

"Looks like your friends are eager to get out of here," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Ava nodded, feeling a sense of relief that they were leaving. "Yeah, I guess they were ready to go."

As they walked out to Ethan's car, the rain poured down around them, soaking Ava's clothes. Ethan opened the door for her, and she slid inside, feeling a sense of relief at being out of the rain.

The drive back to the resort was quiet, with only the sound of the windshield wipers breaking the silence. Ava felt a sense of tension building inside her, unsure of what would happen next.

Ethan's eyes flicked to hers, and she felt a spark of electricity run through her body. She looked away, trying to focus on the road ahead.