Seraphina's POV
I left the kitchen and went to my room to take a bath. I prepared my clothes and laid them on the bed. Just as I was about to head to the bathroom, I heard a loud bang.
I froze.
I opened the door and looked outside. Then another bang, this time from the wall. My brows furrowed as I tried to figure out where it was coming from. It seemed to be from the room at the corner of the second floor. I couldn't even remember who was staying there.
Should I check?
Curiosity and concern got the better of me. I walked toward the room where the sound came from. I turned the doorknob, and luckily, it wasn't locked.
As I opened the door, my breath hitched.
Lucca was gripping Dominic by the neck, pinning him against the wall.
I gasped at the horrifying sight. Why would Lucca hurt Dominic?
"Lucca? Dominic?" I called, fear creeping into my voice.
They both turned to me, Lucca with a dark, unreadable expression, and Dominic with a flushed, strained face. The moment Lucca noticed me, he let go. Dominic collapsed to the floor, coughing harshly as he clutched his neck.
"Dominic!" I rushed to his side and rubbed his back, trying to help him breathe. "Are you okay?" I asked, instantly regretting the question. Of course, he wasn't okay.
"I'm fine," Dominic said, attempting to laugh, but it turned into another cough. "Lucca and I were just playing."
"Playing?" I repeated, horrified. "Is that how you play? By trying to kill each other?"
They were insane. If that was their idea of playing, then something was seriously wrong.
I helped Dominic up and guided him to sit on the bed. Meanwhile, Lucca stood quietly, arms crossed, watching us as if nothing had happened. I stared at him, confused. I couldn't understand what was going on.
"Do you need water? I'll get some," I said, about to leave, but Dominic grabbed my wrist.
"I'm fine," he insisted. The redness on his face had started to fade.
He glanced at Lucca and smiled. "It's nothing serious, Seraphina. Lucca wouldn't even know how to kill." He chuckled softly.
But the fear in me didn't fade.
I wasn't convinced. What I saw didn't look like playing. If I hadn't heard that noise… would Lucca have gone further?
"Don't fool me, Dominic. I'm concerned," I said firmly.
We hadn't even been here long, yet too many strange things had already happened. After this trip, I was going to tell Mira I wouldn't join them again. They were driving me crazy with their behavior.
"I'm fine. Seriously," Dominic repeated.
It was clear he wasn't going to tell me the truth. I glanced at Lucca again, and he still looked completely unaffected, as if he hadn't almost hurt his friend.
"Was the noise too loud?" Dominic asked with a small chuckle. The redness on his face was gone now, though faint marks were still visible on his neck.
I nodded.
"I'm sorry if I disturbed you," he said with a smile.
"Let's go downstairs. Your neck needs ointment. I'll put some on it," I said. I planned to ask Damian if they had any.
"No need," Dominic replied. "It'll be gone by tomorrow. I should be the one asking, how's your foot?"
He was changing the subject.
I let it go.
If Dominic didn't want to tell me, I wouldn't force him.
"I'll take a bath and clean my wound again," I said.
Dominic nodded. "Go ahead."
Though I hesitated, I followed his suggestion. Whatever was going on between them… it was their business.
When I returned to my room, Mira was already there, smiling like an idiot.
"What happened to you? Where have you been?" Her smile quickly faded when she saw my slouched posture and worried expression.
"I'm not going on another trip with them," I blurted out. "I can't handle them."
"What happened?"
"What happened?" I repeated, my face heating up in frustration. "I just saw Lucca hurting Dominic, and Dominic said they were just playing."
"Lucca was hurting Dominic?"
I nodded. "He lifted Dominic with one hand, by the neck," I said, still shaken.
"And that made you mad?" Mira asked.
"Of course! Who wouldn't be?" I snapped. "They acted like nothing happened! If my house were nearby, I'd go home right now!"
"Try to relax," Mira said gently.
But her words didn't calm me. I excused myself and went to the bathroom. Maybe a cold shower would help.
I let the cold water run over me for a few minutes.
It worked.
The tension slowly eased from my body. When I finished, I got dressed and stepped out. Mira had already prepared the first aid kit and was waiting.
"I can do it myself," I said.
"Let me," she insisted.
Too tired to argue, I let her.
"Does it still sting?" she asked as she cleaned my wound with hydrogen peroxide.
"Not anymore," I said. "But my head hurts."
"Do you want medicine?"
"Do you have some?"
"Yeah. I brought a kit, just in case."
I nodded and stayed quiet. It only took her a few minutes to finish treating my foot.
"I'll get you some water," Mira said.
I didn't stop her. I was too exhausted to think about anything or anyone.
After a few minutes, Mira came back with a glass of water and took some medicine from her bag.
I took the medicine and finished the glass of water. I told Mira I was going to sleep and that she shouldn't disturb me. She agreed and stayed quiet until I drifted off.
I woke up later that night from my deep afternoon sleep. I was alone in the room.
Where was Mira?
I was about to go downstairs, but remembering what had happened earlier made me stop. I didn't want to see Lucca and Dominic. They had annoyed me and made me worry for nothing.
I grabbed my phone and planned to scroll through my social media, but there was no internet connection. I sighed deeply and lay back down on the bed. I didn't even have any games on my phone.
Useless.
I looked around the room, searching for something, anything to keep myself busy and forget why I was sulking.
Then I heard a soft knock on the door.
I quickly pulled the blanket over myself, pretending to be asleep. The door opened, though I didn't know who it was. I felt someone sit on the edge of the bed. If it were Mira, she would've woken me up.
"Seraphina?"
It was Dominic. His voice sounded gentle, almost like he was trying to coax me awake.
I didn't move or make a sound. I didn't want to face him, not after what I saw earlier.
"She's probably tired, Dominic," Mira said.
I silently sighed in relief at the sound of her voice. At least I wasn't alone with him.
"She hasn't eaten dinner yet," Dominic added.
"I'll let her eat when she wakes up," Mira replied.
"Okay. I'll go," Dominic said.
Relief washed over me.
I heard his footsteps fade away. When the door opened and closed again, I immediately threw off the blanket and turned to Mira.
"You're awake?" she asked, surprised.
I nodded. "I don't want to talk to him."
"Why?"
"I just don't," I replied shortly.
"You didn't join us for dinner," she said.
"I'll eat later if I get hungry."
Mira didn't push further. She simply lay down beside me.
"You've looked really happy since yesterday," I said.
She smiled. "Who wouldn't be? My crush is here. And guess what? He asked me out."
I sat up and faced her. "He asked you out?"
Mira sat up too, giggling. "Yes!"
"But isn't that too fast?" I asked, a bit worried. They hadn't even spent that much time together.
"There's no such thing as 'too fast' when you're in love," she said.
I didn't know what to say. I had never been in love before, so I couldn't really give advice. Still, I was worried, what if Damian didn't have good intentions?
"Just be careful," I warned.
Mira chuckled. "There's nothing to worry about, Sera. It's just a date. We're not in a relationship yet. He hasn't even courted me."
"I'm just warning you as your friend," I said.
Mira took my hand and gave it a playful pinch. "I know. Don't worry, I'll be careful. I won't let anyone hurt me," she said with a smile.
"Don't turn me into your crying shoulder," I joked.
She pouted. "Then who will be? You know you're my only close friend. The rest are just companions."
I smiled. "I'm just kidding. But seriously, don't trust Damian completely yet. We still don't know him."
Mira nodded. "Aye, aye, Captain!" she said, and we both laughed.
****
I woke up early to the sound of my stomach growling. I hadn't eaten dinner the night before since I was avoiding Dominic and Lucca. I didn't want to talk to them either. But since we'd be staying here for another day, I didn't really have a choice; I would have to face them eventually.
Mira was still sleeping peacefully, so I didn't wake her. I went to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. After that, I headed downstairs to the kitchen.
As I got closer, I could already smell food being cooked. It only made me hungrier.
When I stepped inside, I saw Lucca wearing an apron, busy preparing something. It was too late to leave; he had already noticed me. I gave him a small smile in greeting, but he didn't return it.
I walked to the refrigerator and opened it. I grabbed some nonfat milk, poured it into a glass, and took a sip. Somehow, it made me even hungrier. My stomach growled loudly enough for Lucca to hear.
"Everyone's still sleeping. You can go ahead and eat breakfast," Lucca said without looking away from what he was cooking.
"Is that okay?" I asked, just to be sure.
"You didn't have dinner last night."
I stayed quiet. How could I tell him I was avoiding them?
I took some toasted bread from the table and grabbed peanut butter from the refrigerator. I spread it over two slices of wheat bread and took a bite. A moment later, Lucca placed scrambled eggs and ham beside me to go with my bread.
I ate my breakfast there in the kitchen while he continued cooking. It was a bit awkward since neither of us spoke, but maybe it was better this way. At least I wouldn't risk annoying him.
When I finished eating, Lucca was done cooking as well. I noticed the utensils he had used in the sink and offered to wash them. He didn't say anything and just started making his coffee.
I washed everything as quickly as I could, eager to leave his presence.
After drying my hands on a towel, I headed for the door. But just as I was about to leave, Dominic walked in.
"Good morning, Seraphina," he greeted.
I gave him a small, half-hearted smile. "Good morning," I replied before quickly excusing myself, pretending I needed to go to the bathroom.
He didn't question me and simply let me go.
Lucca's POV
I could tell Seraphina wasn't comfortable around Dominic and me. She hadn't eaten dinner the night before and didn't even try to start a conversation this morning.
"You woke up too early," Dominic said, still yawning as he made himself some coffee.
I didn't respond. I just focused on sipping my coffee while sitting at the table.
A moment later, Dominic joined me.
"Has Seraphina eaten already?" he asked.
I nodded.
"I think we scared her last time," he added, taking a sip of his coffee.
"If you hadn't provoked me, that wouldn't have happened," I said flatly.
"You know I like provoking you," Dominic replied with a chuckle.
"And that habit of yours leads to misunderstandings," I said.
Dominic kept laughing as if nothing serious had happened.
"If only you told—"
"Shut the fuck up," I snapped.
But instead of backing off, Dominic seemed amused. He enjoyed getting a reaction out of me, as always. He kept teasing me until Damian walked in, interrupting us. He made himself some coffee and joined us at the table.
"Let's go horseback riding later. I'll tell the girls," Dominic suggested.
"Sounds good," Damian said, taking a sip of his coffee.
I didn't comment. I let them handle the plans.
A little later, Mira came into the kitchen and joined us for breakfast. She seemed different, brighter, almost glowing. The way she looked at Damian made it obvious she was falling for him. And Damian… he returned the look, like he was trying to charm her.
I shook my head slightly.
Too bad. Mira would probably just end up as another one of Damian's conquests.
After breakfast, Mira called for Seraphina. We were going horseback riding. A few moments later, the two of them came downstairs. I had expected Seraphina to refuse or make an excuse, but she didn't.
Dominic led us to the stables. Once we arrived, he explained what we would be doing and introduced his favorite purebred horse. Mira and Seraphina listened attentively like eager students with Dominic as their enthusiastic instructor.
"Seraphina, do you want to try?" Dominic asked.
I thought she would decline.
But she didn't.
She nodded.
Mira paired up with Damian, while I stayed on my own, which I preferred. I chose Dominic's most temperamental and most expensive horse. He didn't like the idea of me riding it, but he knew better than to argue. Once I set my eyes on something, I take it.
He let me borrow the brown-gray horse, while he took his favorite, a white horse with a pinkish hue. Damian chose a black-and-white one.
Mira looked excited, whether because of the horse or because she was with Damian, I couldn't tell. Seraphina, on the other hand, looked hesitant, even nervous.
"Seraphina, let's go," Dominic said, offering his hand.
I expected her to refuse.
She didn't.
She took his hand, and he helped her up onto the horse.
Soon, everyone was mounted, Dominic with Seraphina, Damian with Mira, and me on my own. Dominic took the lead.
It looked like we were heading toward the river, far from the house.
Seraphina's POV
I didn't know exactly where we were going. Dominic had said we were heading to a river.
Our position on the horse felt a bit awkward. I was in front while he sat behind me, holding the reins. It almost felt like he was hugging me from behind.
It was my first time riding a horse. At first, I was scared, but since I was already here… I figured I might as well try.
"You okay?" Dominic whispered near my ear.
My ears turned red at how close he was.
"Y-yeah," I stammered.
I didn't know how long we had been riding. I only realized we were close when I heard the sound of flowing water. As we approached, Dominic slowed the horse to a stop.
"We're here," he said.
The others stopped as well. Dominic got down first, then held out his hand to help me.
The moment I looked at the river, I was speechless.
"Paradise…" I whispered.
I had only ever seen places like this in movies or series. I couldn't believe I was actually here, seeing it with my own eyes.
I didn't even notice Mira had come up beside me and hooked her arm around mine. She was smiling brightly as she stared at the view.
"We can swim later," Dominic said.
The boys led the horses under a nearby tree and tied the reins to its branches.
"It feels like we're in paradise. I don't want to go home," Mira said, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath.
I smiled, agreeing with her. The place was breathtaking, like something out of a dream. All the confusion and annoyance I had felt yesterday completely faded away.
"Let's swim later," Mira added.
I nodded.
"Sera, let's take pictures," Mira said excitedly.
"Did you bring your phone?"
"Yes! Come on, let's go over there."
I followed her. She started directing me on how to pose. Even though I wasn't really into taking pictures, I went along with it, doing cute poses, wacky ones, even serious looks.
"Let's take a selfie," Mira said.
We both smiled as she snapped the photo.
Then I took turns taking pictures of her while she struck pose after pose. It felt like it was just the two of us; we had completely forgotten about the guys.
Dominic walked over to us, smiling. "Let's take a picture, all of us," he said, calling Damian and Lucca.
At first, the two of them refused, but Dominic was too persistent. Eventually, they gave in.
Dominic placed his phone on an elevated rock so it could capture all of us. We arranged ourselves—Damian beside Mira, then Dominic, then me… and Lucca next to me.
I didn't know how I ended up beside him, but I didn't have much choice.
"Say cheese, guys!" Dominic called out.
I smiled. I wasn't sure if the others did, especially Lucca, who always had that unreadable expression.
"Let's do a wacky pose!" Dominic added.
I made a small half-heart with my fingers, placing it against my cheek as I smiled.
"Okay, we're done," Dominic said.
Mira quickly went to him to check the photos, and I followed. The other two stayed behind, sitting on the grass like they didn't care.
"We look so good! I love this," Mira said, admiring the serious shot.
But when she swiped to the next photo, the wacky one, my eyes caught something.
Lucca.
He wasn't making a goofy face.
He was staring at me.