Vivid Imagination

Thea woke to the soft sound of a bird chirping just outside the window. The sun streamed into the cabin, bathing the room in a golden light.

She stirred, a content smile gracing her lips as she recalled the events of the night before. The kiss… it was everything she had hoped for and more.

She reached her hand out, searching for Seth’s body, but her fingers found only empty sheets. Her eyes fluttered open, he was gone. Thea sits up, eyes scanning the room. It was quiet, she was the only one in the cabin, that much is certain.

The space beside her was cold, it was nothing compared to the warmth of his body last night.

She sank back into the bed, her mind drifting back to the long night in bed. After the kiss, Seth wanted to head back to the sofa after wishing her a good night.

Thea wanted him next to her and he agreed. They simply got in bed, hands still intertwined. Seth had just stared at her, a look of profound concentration on his face. He had run his fingers through her hair, tracing the line of her jaw and the curve of her lips, almost as if he were trying to memorize every line on her face.

It was the most tender, most intimate thing he had ever done and before she knew it, she had drifted off in sleep.

And now he’s gone. A wave of uncertainty washed over her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that things would return back to normal like last night never happened.

The thought of him going back to his cold, distant persona made her heart ache.

Thea pushed herself up, a frown on her face. The bed felt too big, too empty without him there. She needed to get dressed, to leave this room before her mind drifts off to everything that was wrong with her situation.

Thea grabbed her clothes and headed to the bathroom. The shower, hot and steamy, felt like a much-needed reset.

After her shower, Thea returned to the room and dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a spaghetti top, her hair pulled up in a bun.

Her mind was already on Daisy. She needed a distraction from all of this and her friend was the right person for that job. She wasn't sure if she wanted to tell her what had happened last night but she wanted to forget it. She didn't want Seth's action replaying in her head and messing up her emotions.

Thea headed out of the cabin, the fresh morning air filling her lungs. The resort was quiet, with birds chirping and a distant rush of water filled the air.

Could that be the waterfall Seth was talking about? Perfectly! She's going to check it out with Daisy later in the afternoon.

Thea made her way towards the main lodge, hoping to find Daisy, but what she found instead stopped her in her tracks.

On the field outside the main lodge, with trousers rolled up and a bucket of soapy water, were Seth and Arian. They were shirtless, hosing down and scrubbing a vintage car that was parked just outside.

Arian was singing a song loudly, scrubbing the side of the car.

“Oh I want her and I need her! I'll give it all up for her!” Arian sang, gesturing at Seth who shook his head. There was no talking to Atian to keep his voice down that early morning.

“You're loud.”

“And this would be the ninth time you said that and my answer remains the same. I know.” Arian offered and Seth groaned just as his friend returned back to singing out loud.

She didn't care about the lyrics of the song, it was Seth who captured her attention. He was standing with his back to her, and the sight of his broad, muscled back sent a shiver down her spine.

The water glistened off his body, highlighting the lean, powerful muscles of his arms and shoulders. This wasn't the first time she had seen him shirtless, but there was something different about it this time. The memory of his hands on her, of his skin against hers, made her breath catch in her throat.

“Ei! You have a good scrub in your hands uh!” Arian teased.

They might have been born into wealthy families, but Celine didn't hold back to teach them basic skills. Besides, it was her way of punishing them when they were younger. Celine didn't grow up with a lot of money and she missed the good old values her own mother had taught her. She had to pass it down to the boys and washing her car was a sign of respect.

So she says. But they knew it was a lie. She just got creative with how to punish them for their misbehaviour.

“Oh!” Arian said, his eyes landing in Thea. “Good morning Thea. How was your night?” He asked, a smile on his face.

Seth froze on learning about Thea's presence. He was in the middle of scrubbing the car’s hood, but his hands went still. He turned slowly, his eyes meeting hers across the field.

His gaze went over her whole body in silence. The warmth in his eyes was gone,his expression cold and unreadable.

All the easy charm from the night before was gone.

He looked away almost immediately, his attention returning to the hood and scrubbing away.

“Good morning, Arian.” Thea started. “Yes. Last night was something…out of my wildest imagination.” She adds, her eyes fixed on Seth.

The silence was thick and awkward. It was strange. Arian looked from Seth to Thea, his brows furrowed in confusion. He had no idea what was going on, but he could feel the tension in the air.

"Did something happen?" Arian asked, his voice low, a note of concern in his tone. He looked at Thea, then back at Seth, who was now scrubbing the car's tyres, as if his life depended on it.

Thea gave him a slight shrug, her heart sinking. Her fears from earlier were coming true. Seth was back to his old self, cold and distant. She swallowed hard, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

"Do you know where Daisy is?" she asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Yeah, she's with Celine," Arian replied, his attention still focused on the bizarre interaction between Thea and Seth. He knew something was wrong.

"They're in the main lodge. I think Celine was waving the staff goodbye. Apparently, they don't work on the weekends, so we're on our own for a bit." He laughed, trying to lighten the mood, but the sound fell flat in the tense air.

Thea glanced at Seth again, hoping for some explanation, some acknowledgement, but he still wouldn't look at her.

He was completely ignoring her, his attention fixed on the car. It was all the answer she needed. She turned and walked away, fist clenched in anger.

If he's going to pretend that last night didn't happen or pretend like she didn't exist then she'll reciprocate with the same energy.