Chapter 18

They made it back to the resort safely, thanks to Mia noticing their absence and reporting it to Anne and the other instructors. A search party had been organized, and luckily, they were found before nightfall.

As Riley explained what had happened, the instructors listened with concern but didn't hold back on giving them a stern lecture. Both Riley and Sienna nodded along, though they shrugged it off internally-they hadn't planned for any of this to happen.

Anne, however, gave Riley a sharp pinch on the shoulder, causing her to flinch. "Ow! What was that for?" Riley hissed, rubbing the sore spot.

"You!" Anne pointed a finger at her. "You're not playing with fire, are you?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"What fire? What are you talking about?" Riley asked, feigning confusion.

Anne glanced quickly in Sienna's direction before locking eyes with Riley again. "With her," she clarified.

"Who-Sienna?" Riley scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. "I'm not playing with fire, come on. What's going on in that head of yours?" She stifled a laugh, trying to dismiss the thought.

Anne crossed her arms, eyeing her friend with a knowing look. "Riley Pierce," she said firmly, "I'm warning you-if you're planning to do any miracles, at least find the right place for it."

Riley grinned mischievously, glancing over at Sienna and giving her a playful wink. Sienna simply rolled her eyes in response.

Anne, observing the interaction, tapped her thumb thoughtfully against her lip. "You know," she mused, "I think Sienna's jealous of me."

Riley raised an eyebrow. "Jealous? Why would she be-"

Before she could finish, Anne grabbed Riley by the arm and pulled her closer, causing their faces to nearly touch.

From across the room, Sienna scoffed in disbelief. "Seriously?" she muttered under her breath. "She literally wanted to kiss me just hours ago, and now she's-"

"And why don't you just admit that you're actually jealous?" Mia's voice interrupted, causing Sienna to jump in surprise.

"What the hell, Mia?" Sienna exclaimed, her pulse still racing from the sudden shock.

Mia plopped down beside her, her eyes flickering between Riley and Anne. "They look awfully close, don't they?" she commented casually.

Sienna nodded, resting her chin on her arms, which were folded on the table.

"Riley was never like that with other girls," Mia continued, her tone teasing. "She can laugh and joke around with them, sure, but she never lets anyone cling to her like that-except for us. Mostly me," she added with a chuckle, "because, you know, you never really cling to her. At least, not until recently."

Sienna's eyes narrowed as she tapped her fingers impatiently on the table. "Stop making fun of me, or I swear I'll tie you up with those two," she muttered, her irritation barely concealed.

Mia just laughed, clearly enjoying the situation a bit too much. "Relax, Sienna. We all see what's happening here. It's only a matter of time before you admit it to yourself."

The campfire had been fun and lively, but Riley needed some air. She slipped away to the smoking area, pulling out a cigarette. She didn't light it, though. Instead, she spun it between her fingers, lost in thought. Anne's teasing words kept replaying in her head.

"Why would Sienna even be jealous? She literally said she's still figuring out her feelings for me," Riley muttered to herself, a soft laugh escaping her lips. "And here I am, almost kissing her again." She stared at the unlit cigarette, feeling the weight of confusion settle over her.

"Ah, it's fucking hard," she sighed, closing her eyes and leaning back.

"What's fucking you hard?" came a voice that made Riley's eyes snap open. Sienna was standing there, arms crossed, gazing down at her with a mix of curiosity and amusement.

"What the heck!" Riley jolted, quickly clearing her throat. "How... how long have you been standing there?" she stammered, adjusting the collar of her shirt, trying to play off her surprise.

"Just now," Sienna replied casually, turning to sit beside her. "So, what's fucking you hard?" she repeated; her tone light but with a hint of intrigue.

Sienna notices the cigarette in Riley's hand. "Oh, you're going to smoke?"

Riley glanced at the cigarette still in her hand. "Oh, this? No, I wasn't gonna smoke. Just... playing with it," she shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant, as she stuffed it back into her pocket.

Sienna handed her a can of fruit juice. "Here," she said, holding out another for herself.

"Thanks," Riley murmured, taking a sip. The quiet between them lingered for a moment, but then Sienna shifted closer, her voice a little quieter.

"Hey," she said, drawing Riley's attention.

"Hmm?" Riley replied, looking up from her drink to meet Sienna's gaze. The warmth of the campfire flickered in the distance, but here, it was just the two of them, the night feeling more intimate than before.

"Are you..." Sienna hesitated, her brows furrowing slightly as if she was unsure whether to continue. "I mean, I know it's none of my business, but I just need to ask... do you have a thing with Anne?" Her voice was calm, but her eyes betrayed the anxiety behind the question.

Riley blinked, caught off guard by the directness of it. "What?" she coughed, nearly choking on her drink. "What are you even-"

Sienna's hand was on her back in an instant, rubbing gently as Riley tried to regain her breath. "You alright?" she asked, concern lacing her voice.

"Yeah, yeah," Riley managed after a moment, rubbing her throat. She took a second to compose herself before turning back to Sienna, still in disbelief. "But seriously, what made you think I have a thing with Anne?"

Sienna averted her gaze for a second, her expression hard to read. "You two just seemed so close earlier, and I guess... I don't know. You looked comfortable with her, and she's always around. It just got me thinking."

Riley's face softened. "Comfortable doesn't mean anything is going on, Sien," she said, her voice gentle yet firm.

Sienna nodded, but her posture stayed tense. "I know. I just... I don't know, I guess it just made me wonder," she murmured, her eyes flicking back to meet Riley's.

Riley swallowed, sensing the weight of unspoken feelings hanging in the air between them. "Sienna," she began cautiously, "I told you, I want to risk everything for you; to love you."

Sienna held her gaze for a moment, searching Riley's eyes as if trying to find any hint of doubt. After what felt like an eternity, she sighed softly, the tension in her shoulders easing just a little. "Alright," she whispered, giving a small nod, though the vulnerability in her eyes remained.

Riley wanted to reach out, to say more-something that would ease the confusion for both of them-but instead, she simply offered a faint smile. "You don't need to be jealous," she added softly, hoping it would reassure her.

Sienna blinked, looking almost surprised at the word 'jealous.' She bit her lip, not responding immediately, but the flicker of a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Yeah, maybe I was," she admitted, almost whispering.