Can't Sleep

AVA

The rest of the evening went by as fast as the wind. The resort staff had arranged a live performer for the evening, a talented acoustic guitarist whose smooth, melodic voice filled the warm night air. I sat back and watched as Aunt Janet and Uncle David slow-danced on the stone terrace. It looked like they were falling in love for the very first time all over again, totally lost in each other's eyes. Chloe's parents eventually joined them on the dance floor, laughing and swaying to the music. Amora’s mother was out there too, but she was dancing with Miles.

Come to think of it, I realized I had never actually heard anyone in the family bring up Amora's dad. I made a quick mental note to ask Riley about it later when we were finally alone in our room.

The rest of us left at the table kept our phones out, recording sweet videos of the couples dancing under the glowing fairy lights. Chloe and Millie actually tried to involve Riley and me in a conversation or two. The small talk didn't last for more than two minutes before dying down, but at least it was something. It was progress for them.

During a quiet moment, I checked my phone screen. My mom had just sent me a picture of her famous homemade chicken soup sitting on her kitchen counter. Along with the photo was a short text message: “I miss you so much, my baby.”

I quickly typed out a reply telling her I missed her too. A wave of sadness hit me as I stared at the message. If only my dad could have lived longer, she wouldn't be standing in that kitchen making her special soup all by herself. They used to always make it together, turning the kitchen into a complete mess while they laughed. I knew her text actually meant she was missing Dad tonight, but she never openly said that to me. She always said “I’m missing you” or “I love you” just to hide her deep pain from time to time.

I let out a soft sigh as I dropped my phone back onto the table. In that moment, I couldn't help but wish my own life was just a little bit as perfect as Riley's. I was incredibly grateful for everything I had, of course, but a girl could still wish for a complete family.

I dropped my dessert spoon onto my plate, suddenly not feeling hungry anymore. My stomach felt like it was tied in tight knots. I didn't want to cause any sort of scene or look sad, especially when I felt like the least important person at this big family gathering.

“Dork!”

I turned sharply to my right. Miles had slipped away from the dance floor and took a seat right beside me. I glanced back at the terrace, noticing that Amora was now dancing with her mother.

“Hey,” I said, trying my absolute best to hide the fact that I was suddenly feeling incredibly nauseous.

“Are you okay?” he asked, creasing his eyebrows together as he studied my face.

“Yeah. I just always thought that the more expensive the food is, the better it’s supposed to taste,” I lied, letting out a forced laugh to lighten the mood.

He rolled his eyes at my comment. “Of course you would think that,” he said mockingly, a small smirk playing on his lips. “Take some wine then. Trust me, the more expensive the wine is, the better it actually tastes.”

I nodded, wanting to wash away the heavy lump in my throat. I turned to the bottle, poured myself a full glass, and drank the entire thing in one huge gulp.

I set the glass down and turned to Miles. His eyes were wide with pure shock.

“I definitely didn't mean for you to drink that much at once,” he said, breaking into a genuine laugh.

Hearing his laugh made me smile a little bit, and the tight nerves in my chest finally began to calm down. He turned his attention over to Millie, who was sitting on his other side, and started talking to her. I poured myself another glass of the wine, but this time, I took my time taking slow, tiny sips. He was entirely right—it tasted really good.

After another two hours of sitting, standing, forcing smiles, and taking endless videos, it was finally time to leave the resort and head back to the villa. When the last transport car arrived, it was just Amora, Riley, Miles, and me left to ride back together.

Riley was completely knocked out from the alcohol. Miles had to hold her up with one arm, while his other hand was holding Amora’s hand to guide her along, since she looked completely exhausted too. The car ride back was completely quiet and felt unnecessarily long. The wine was wearing off, and I was starting to develop a dull headache behind my eyes.

We finally arrived back at the villa grounds. Miles gently helped a stumbling Riley and a sleepy Amora up the stairs and into our bedroom. I just stood close by his side, watching him just in case he needed any help carrying them.

“Gosh, this is exactly why I never allow her to drink,” Miles groaned under his breath, carefully laying Riley down flat on the bed. “I’m pretty sure Dad has absolutely no clue she drank this much tonight.”

“I helped her a little bit too,” Amora confessed, letting out a tired, quiet laugh. She walked over and sat down heavily on my bed. “Thank you, Miles,” she whispered.

Miles looked over at me one last time, his eyes lingering on my face for a quiet second before he finally turned around and left the room.

“Are you okay, Ava?” Amora asked me softly.

“Yeah, I am,” I said, walking over and sitting down on the mattress right next to her.

“I’m just so jealous of the friendship you and Riley have,” Amora sighed, looking down at her lap. “I really wish I had something like that. I just moved to a new school recently, and honestly, it’s been really tough making friends.”

“Aw,” I said warmly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder and smiling. “You will definitely find your person, Amora. Trust me on that.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” she said, giving me a weak smile as she stood up. “I’m going to go use the bathroom.”

After she finished getting ready, I went into the bathroom to take a quick shower, wash the day away, and change into my comfortable pajamas. But surprisingly, by the time I came back out into the bedroom, I couldn't fall asleep anymore. I was completely wide awake.

Amora was already fast asleep, lying completely sideways across my bed. I laughed quietly at her wild sleeping position. It was still way better than Riley, who hadn't even been able to take her makeup off or get out of her dress. Taking a deep breath, I managed to gently wiggle Riley out of her tight dress, slip her into some nightclothes, and use a face wipe to clean her makeup off. Best friend of the year award definitely belonged to me tonight.

I picked up my phone from the nightstand and checked the digital clock. It was already past one in the morning.

I found myself wondering if Miles was also awake. I didn't even know why I did it, but my fingers acted on their own. I pulled up his contact and sent him a quick text message just to see.

He replied almost immediately.

Miles: Yh I'm up, you want to come over?