XANDRY

　　“Tell me again why should I come with you?” I asked my cousin, Pyke one more time as he pulled his car to a halt at the private airport and directly onto the tarmac. If he didn’t barge into my apartment and pick me up by himself I didn’t have a plan on going with them because I was still far from ready to face Camila again. Besides, I sent him a message that I couldn’t make it, but Pyke is Pyke—he didn’t buy my excuse.

　　“Have you not apologized?” he asked back, grabbing my dark brown leather duffel bag from the backseat of his car while I ambled defeated at his back.

　　“I did, but—”

　　He stood up, closed the door a little bit with force, sighed, and gave me a sympathetic looked. “Xandry, she forgave you, and don’t beat yourself up. Camila has the kindest heart on the planet, and whether you like it or not you’re still coming with me. End of discussion.” Pyke hastened to the jet waiting for us.

　　“I know, but they’re not my family, and I’m not comfortable around them.” Or maybe I am, but the guilt is overpowering me.

　　He stopped, turned to face me, and smirked. “Really? And where are you comfortable with?”

　　I smirked back. “In between women, tits, pussies, and asses. Should I go on?”

　　“Behave there, asshole. You will not stick your dick around anyone who has a hole. Don’t put us in trouble again, Xandry. I mean it.” He turned and climbed up the airstair of the jet with HugKingWill printed in red—it would be too long to write the Hughes, King, and Williams.

　　“Welcome aboard, Mr. Williams!” The flight attendant not older than I gestured her hand to the aisle. I’d traveled by this jet more than I could count since Williams merged its forty-five percent share to the Hughes and King industries two years ago. Dad had a restaurant business with Uncle Hawk as well.

　　Speaking of the attendant, she was cute with cat-like eyes, but I promised Pyke to behave and not create troubles, so I just gave a polite smile and muttered thank you.

　　I sauntered to the massive lounge area where everyone was already sitting in the long elegant cream leather seats on both sides. A muted flat-screen, flashing foreign exchange rates mounted on the glossy cherry wood veneer wall. A single red tulip on white porcelain slim vase and a laptop on top of the dark red glossy square table.

　　Camila was already sitting on Pyke’s lap and kissing his head like they had not seen for over a year. Kyland Wright, Pyke’s bar manager, and his close friend was lying on the long comfort sofa.

　　Camila shifted her gaze in my direction, eyes glowing with warm fuzzies. “Oh, hey, Xandry! Thought you ran away,” she said with a laugh, stood up, and walked toward me.

　　My brow slowly cocked when Camila grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the lounge. I forced myself to follow her to the two-row seats where we were going to settle throughout the flight.

　　“Guys, let’s go to the seat and buckle up. We’re taking off in a few minutes,” Pyke announced.

　　The captain’s voice echoed overhead simultaneously, announcing the jet would take off in thirty minutes.

　　“Thank you for coming, Xandry!” Camila smiled genuinely, taking a seat beside Pyke across mine.

　　“My pleasure.” I extended my legs on the wide space between our seats.

　　“Really, if Pyke didn’t drag your ass out of your apartment, will you still come with us?”

　　I shrugged and replied, “I sent him a message that I have to run some errands.”

　　“Yeah, you were busy snoring in your bed when I came, and you mean an errand is stroking your little dick under your blanket,” Pyke snorted.

　　“Pyke!” Camila scolded.

　　“You’re forgiven, man!” Kyland yelled.

　　“Kill, he already apologized.” She exhaled.

　　“Yeah, but he still bet on you.” He frowned.

　　I scoffed at Kyland’s remark.

　　The jet lifted off. The moment we were airborne it shook and shimmied.

　　“You should be thankful, I found Pyke because of him.” Camila glared at her cousin. Kyland wanted to say something but shut his mouth up, instead, he groaned in annoyance.

　　I understood him for being protective of her. If someone did that to Saphoera, I’d gone ballistic and choked him to death with his own junk.

　　I noticed Kyland was watching with amusement to the two lovebirds in front of me. I felt something inside me that I couldn’t quite put my finger on by how Kyland apologized to her and how Pyke and Camila’s relationship ended well.

　　Jealousy?

　　I diverted my attention to the empty cream wall and swallowed the thickness forming in my throat. Throughout my teenage and adulthood, I never experienced a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. It was my choice. One time, I saw Saphoera crying because of a guy she had a crush on asked her friend for a date instead of her— she cried all night. It turned out he was a total jerk.

　　I loved Saph more than anything, though she was nosy of my personal business and bitchy most of the time, I knew what she was doing was for my own good.

　　I was in searing agony when she ignored me for a month after she found out what I did to Camila and my best friend--the pain was excruciating, and it felt like I was bleeding inside.

　　I adjusted the seat when the seat belt sign was off and closed my eyes. The flight would not take more than two and a half hours to the hometown of Kyland’s fiancee, Bianca. According to Pyke, Kyland’s mom and Bianca arrived yesterday. I drew the shield down to block the sun. My plan was to sleep throughout the flight since I didn’t have a woman with me to cuddle like Camila.

　　I knew I’d be bored to death for two days—no hot woman, no club noises, and only the neighing of horses or maybe a rooster crowing to wake me up in the morning—no warm thighs, perky tits, and soft skin were draping over me. That was how the countryside looked like, wasn’t it?