The Cousins From Hell

AVA

“My cousins are just so incredibly extra, and honestly, we completely hate each other,” Riley groaned as she violently unpacked her clothes, tossing them onto her bed.

I paused, holding a hanger in my hand, and looked over at her. “Isn't hate a really, really strong word, Riles?”

“When they finally arrive and you meet them, you will know exactly what I am talking about,” Riley said, rolling her eyes as she slammed a drawer shut. “They always act like they are in some sort of constant, toxic competition with me.”

“Well, you did tell me that their mother owns Loras,” I pointed out, smoothing down a shirt. “And that is an extremely popular, high-end clothing brand. So, they are probably just playing the part of spoiled, rich, fortunate adults.”

My comment made Riley stop her frantic unpacking, and she burst into a loud laugh. “Yeah, you are completely right, I guess,” she shrugged, her tense shoulders finally relaxing.

“Hey, you have to completely forget about them,” I said, walking over to her and giving her a reassuring smile. “We are six hours away from home in paradise. We are going to have the absolute time of our lives on this trip, regardless of them.”

“You are absolutely right,” Riley said, a mischievous spark lighting up her eyes. “But we still have to look ten times better than them tonight.” She immediately turned back to her suitcase and started throwing glamorous outfits onto the mattress.

I walked over to my own bed. Tonight was the big welcome dinner at a restaurant in the city. I had already picked out my outfit days ago: a short, vibrant red floral dress. I had only worn it once before, and I felt it was the perfect dress for tonight—especially with Riley desperately trying to outdo her annoying cousins. When I pulled it on, it hugged my curves perfectly. It was absolutely flawless.

We ended up taking a cab to the restaurant venue because it was already past eight o'clock in the evening. Riley and I stayed close, chatting and giggling throughout the entire ride to keep our nerves down. Miles, on the other hand, sat in the front seat looking like a complete deadbeat. He stared out the window in total silence. I could tell just by the tense set of his shoulders that he was already deeply irritated by the mere idea of having a long dinner with his extended family.

Miles never took any interest in family bonding time. Honestly, that was one of the major reasons he chose to go to college so far away in the first place—just to be as far apart from them as possible. He hadn't even tried to dress up nicely for the occasion. He simply threw on a plain black button-down shirt and a pair of dark black jeans. But despite his casual clothes, he still looked incredibly handsome, like he was wearing a custom-tailored luxury tuxedo.

“We are here, kids!” Aunt Lauren cheered in pure excitement, throwing her hands up in the air the exact moment we stepped out of the cab.

I couldn't help but smile warmly at her. Aunt Lauren never found it hard to show her joy and excitement for the little things in life. My own mother, on the other hand, found it incredibly hard to express her emotions well. But to be fair, she only became that way after my dad passed away.

“Come on, Ava,” Riley said, breaking me out of my thoughts as her fingers clamped around my wrist. “Let’s go inside.”

I followed her closely as we were ushered into the restaurant by a polite host. The venue was breathtaking. It was a gorgeous, open-roof restaurant built directly onto a stone terrace high above the water. Strands of warm fairy lights were strung across the space, twinkling like stars against the dark night sky. The soft sound of the ocean waves crashing against the cliffs below mixed with the gentle jazz music playing in the background. White linen tables were scattered around, surrounded by lush green plants and the delicious aroma of authentic Greek spices.

Uncle David walked ahead to handle the reservation details with the front hostess while the rest of us waited near the entrance. Soon after, he walked back over to us with a smile and ushered our group toward a large, long table situated right near the edge of the terrace.

I quickly slid into a chair, trying to find a comfortable spot. To my absolute horror, I realized I had accidentally sat directly between Riley and Miles. In my defense, I genuinely thought Miles was going to take the seat next to his mom. But instead, he slid into the chair right beside me. We were packed in so closely that our knees were almost touching under the table. Every time he shifted, the fabric of his black jeans brushed against my bare thighs, sending a jolt of nervous electricity straight through my veins.

A waiter politely came over to take our drink orders and left shortly after.

“Mabel! Over here!” a loud, high-pitched voice suddenly called out across the terrace.

Beside me, Miles and Riley let out a simultaneous, deeply annoyed sigh. It was hilarious how synchronized they were in their misery. It looked like both of them deeply disliked these relatives.

“Come on, guys, they seriously cannot be that bad,” I muttered under my breath, looking between the two siblings.

Miles shifted slightly in his seat, leaning his upper body closer to mine. His warm breath brushed against my ear, making my skin tingle. “You will surely see for yourself very soon, dork,” he murmured darkly.