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I unlocked the door, holding it open and letting Emilia through. But we were late, so we had no time to talk or do anything.

Everybody left the beach before the sunset, eager to get ready for the engagement party tonight but Emilia didn't want to leave. When we walked out of the water after swimming with everybody else, the plan was to dry off, get dressed, and come back to the hotel. But she sat in her seat, sighing, and stared ahead of her at the sunset.

I remained standing, ruffling my hair a bit dry. "I think we should leave with the others," I said, waving absentmindedly at Nana and Pops as they left.

"You can go," she replied.

"I'm not leaving yet."

I sat down. "Why? You'll be late for the engagement party."

She glanced at me. "The sun's about to set. I'm already here, so I might as well watch it."

I paused, glancing at the orange and pink cotton candy sky. "You know, your sister is only getting engaged once."

"This is the second time they're getting engaged. They already did right after he proposed."

"You can watch the sunset tomorrow too."

She turned to me. "But can you promise me the sunset will be this pretty tomorrow?"

"Sunsets are always pretty."

"Not this pretty." She faced forward again. "You can go if you want, Adam, I'm not going to hold you back. Should I give you the keys? Here." She took them out, holding the card between two fingers.

I took the key card but just held onto it, not standing up.

She glanced at me, biting back a smile. "We'll just get ready super quickly."

I glanced at her soaked hair. "You have to wash your hair. It takes ages to dry."

She shrugged, "I'll manage."

So, that's why now we're rushing into the hotel room. She dropped her beach bag on the ground and kicked off her flip-flops quickly while letting her hair down. I shut the room door, dropping the shirt that I had on my arm onto my suitcase. "I'll unpack the beach bag later," she mumbled.

I nodded, "Okay. You shower first, you need more time."

"Thanks." She rushed inside, closing the door behind her.

While waiting for her to wrap up, I opened my suitcase and pulled out the suit I folded neatly and figured I should ask the hotel if I could borrow the laundry room to iron it or if they could send someone to do it for me if I'm not allowed to, but I thought I should ask Emilia if her dress needed the same thing. I hesitated, knocking on the door.

"What happened?!" she called out, her voice muffled behind the noise of the shower.

"Do you need your dress ironed?" I asked.

"What?!"

I repeated the question, louder this time.

"I can't hear you!"

I sighed, dropping my head down and trying the handle. It was open.

"Don't look!" she yelled immediately.

"I'm not, Jesus," I huffed. "I'm asking if you want your dress ironed." I stared at the floor, my grip tightening on the doorknob.

"Oh. Yeah, I do, are you going?"

"I might ask the hotel staff." I shut the door without another word before I felt too tempted to look up. Because I did.

What is happening to me? I was friends with her for years and nothing like this ever... Well, that's just not true now, is it?

To distract myself, I called the front desk and a few minutes later, someone came and collected our clothes. The door opened a few minutes later and she came out dressed in the hotel bathroom with her hair wrapped up in a towel.

I shut the balcony door, stepped back into the room, and faced her. "They'll bring our clothes in a minute."

"What time is it?"

"We have some time, don't worry. After your super quick shower, I think you'll be fine," I snickered, walking past her and into the bathroom. I showered and cleaned up and while I did, I heard the doorbell ring outside. Once I was done, I put a towel around my waist and went to open the door but hesitated.

Should I go out in just a towel? Should I ask her to give me my clothes?

"Adam," she said, knocking on the door and stretching out my name, almost whining. "I need the bathroom to get ready the rest of the way. Are you—" I pulled the door open, sending her stumbling and I realized she was leaning against it. She let out a small, "Ah," when she crashed into me before quickly taking a step back and lifting her gaze to mine. "Um, hi." She blinked in confusion at her own words.

"Hi," I nodded.

"I uh... I need the bathroom."

I stepped aside. "All yours."

She left the door open since the bathroom had become stuffy and I turned to her, leaning against the doorframe. I watched her through the mirror for a minute while she brushed her hair, cringing and softly wincing whenever the bristles got caught on a tangled knot. She glanced at me in the mirror, raising her brows at me. "What?" she questioned.

"You're going to rip your hair out."

"I don't have time," she said under her breath.

A sigh escaped me and I started losing all control over my body and actions when I found myself stepping forward and snatching the brush out of her hands.

She spun on her heels quickly. "Hey!"

"Don't 'hey' me. Turn around."

She paused, staring at me, dumbfounded. "You've never brushed my hair. Don't get too friendly with me, Adam," she warned. "I still don't like you," she added quietly.

"I know. But I like your hair. I don't want to see you rip it out. Just turn around."

"It's weird. Don't do it."

"Just let me."

She hesitated and then in that minute, her demeanor changed completely. She stole the brush out of my hand again. "No," she said sharply, "can you just leave me alone? I'm trying to get ready; I don't have time for this. I can't play your stupid game right now, just get out."

I blinked in surprise, staring at her, my eyes roaming over her face as I tried reading and understanding her expression, trying to comprehend what just happened and why her behavior changed so unexpectedly for no real reason. "Emilia."

"Get out," she repeated, sounding more and more agitated by the minute.

When I still didn't leave, she spun her back to me and got back to brushing her hair. I was torn between letting it go or interrogating her if I had to. Fair enough, I can't expect her to suddenly be my friend again just because she wants to, we have too many unresolved issues, but I would hope she'll stop shutting me out and trying to hurt me. I couldn't understand what suddenly made her so mad and frustrated, if she was second-guessing her decision or if I said something wrong, if I did something wrong. "Emilia, don't snap at me like that."

She glanced at me but ignored me otherwise.

"I understand that you're still mad at me for what I did but you can't take one step forward and three steps back. You can't be friendly whenever you want and then let go. I could be mad at you too for not choosing to stay with me back then. I could do what you're doing. I'm sure you wouldn't like it."

She put her hairbrush down and grabbed the hairdryer, drowning me out with the loud air it blasted.

I flipped the switch off and she huffed, facing me again. I moved closer before she could ramble on again and rested my hands on the counter behind her on either side of her waist, caging her in. She blinked in surprise, leaning back and staring up at me. "There's nothing I don't know about you," I said, my eyes scanning her face, dropping to her lips for a heartbeat too long. Just a heartbeat. "That means I can tell when you act differently because you're genuinely angry versus when you're scared of something."

She rolled her eyes. "What would I be scared of? I am angry, you're right. I forgot for a minute what actually happened and you know what, you're acting like nothing happened at all."

I stared at her, anger bubbling up inside of me slowly. "Because that's what you asked me to do. Emilia, I am more willing to put everything out on the table right now. But you asked me to wait till we're back in New York. You said you still wanted me to be your friend here."

"But you're not a friend, Adam and you're not acting like one," she argued.

"Then what the hell am I to you? Other than obviously a joke. Stop pushing me around, Rubes, I can't—" I cut myself short, realizing I blurted out that nickname.

She sighed, throwing her head back and staring at the ceiling. I tore my gaze from her neck, looking to the side until she faced me again. "You're not a friend anymore, Adam. I'm trying but I just can't see you as one."

"What do you see me as?"

She stared at me silently, her eyes filled with doubt and dilemma.

"Say it," I demanded.

"I don't know," she whispered. "I don't know anymore."

I could read her but I couldn't pinpoint what was making her act this way. "I have no idea what you're so scared of. I know everything there is to know about you, we've done everything together. I read you like an open book but you have me stumped here. You don't want to lose me but you don't want me too close. What do you want?"

"Something I probably shouldn't, okay? Look, can we please talk about this later? I really have to get ready, you do too."

I sighed in defeat, taking a few steps. "Fine. Whatever you want, Emilia."

It seems like that's all I'm doing these days. Whatever she wants.

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