In My Skin

CH 23 || Girl's Night

Pausing at the bottom of the stairs, I took in the large living room before me. To my left, a sprawling couch in a soft beige material sat next to a large fireplace made of dark gray bricks. The flickering flames cast a warm glow across the fluffy red carpet that covered one-third of the room. On the other side, a huge window front offered a view of the pristine-white garden. At the far end, people milled at the doorway that lead into the kitchen and the long mahogany table that dominated the space.

The whole mansion was massive. I hadn't known Cody was rich, but the house just screamed money. Suz and I shared a room, while the guys all had their own. Not that I minded. Especially since it connected to our own personal bathroom.

So far the vacation had been an absolute blast. Suzy had taken it upon herself to decide every night's dinner which was of course gluten and dairy free and nobody questioned it. I wasn't sure if anyone even noticed.

Cody and Killian were surprisingly popular. Every night the house filled with people. Apparently, Killian had transferred here in high school, and suddenly his snowboard skills weren't as surprising anymore. 

"Hey Cody," a big, somewhat burly guy hollered into the kitchen, loud enough for everyone to hear. "We are in for New Year's right?" 

In the next moment, Suzy materialized in front of me. The long-sleeved pink dress flowed over dark gray tights and sleek winter boots. Her dark eyes swept over my black-knit sweater dress and high boots. Apparently, jeans and a loose hoodie hadn't been the proper attire for a girl's night out.

She clapped her hands and jumped. "Nice. Let's get going, shall we?"

"Sure, let's go."

Like some kids hiding from their parents, we sneaked out through the back and ran down the street, slipping and stumbling over the slick sidewalks while giggling to ourselves.  

The entire street was blanketed in a thick layer of snow, and despite the holiday season being over, the twinkling Christmas lights still shone brightly, casting the town into a warm, magical glow. I couldn't help but smile, taking in the wintry scene before me.

"So..." Suz started and my stomach fluttered at the suggestive tone. "You and Killian..."

"There's nothing going on," I blurted out.

She chuckled. "You finally seem to get along these days is what I was going to say."

I backpedaled. "I mean yeah. There's no point in hating each other since we are on the same vacation. It would be kind of ungrateful to Cody don't you think?"

She wiggled her brows. "I see. So, because of Cody, huh?"

I gnashed my teeth. "Yes. What else would it be?"

"I don't know," she trailed off with a pointed look.

Ugh.

"Can we like not talk about the guys tonight? I thought this was supposed to be a break for us to hang out."

She lifted her hands. "Alright. Fine, fine." 

After walking around for a bit, we found a fairly big pub that wasn't too crowded and settled around a small booth a bit in the back.

Thankfully, Suzy didn't mention the guys again. Instead, her eyes scanned the menu and then she ordered five different types of wine. "You don't have to drink or anything," she said quickly when I arched my brow at her. "Just pretend. So I don't look like an alcoholic."

"I didn't know you like wine," I said and tried to make sense of the different types that they offered. I could distinguish between red and white at least.