Chapter Twenty-Two:

"I can't believe we just did that." Ria breathed out the words, still perched on the edge of the sink, struggling to tug her jeans over her thighs and hips against the plane's turbulence.

"Yeah, neither can I." He murmured in return, buckling his belt as he kissed gently over her temple, a large toothy grin on his face as though he were the cat that got the cream.

"You know how to make a girl feel special, huh?" She giggled, the hint of sarcasm dripping from her words as she grabbed onto his forearms, using him as a lever to lower herself onto the floor again.

"You want me to make you feel special?" He gazed down at her, his hand flicking away a couple of strands of hair that had escaped from behind her ear during their intense activity, "let me take you out on a date, Ria."

"What?" She was first to break their eye contact, hauling herself away from him as she prepared to unlock the door.

He positioned his hand on the door to stop her exit, "Let me take you on a date." He repeated, his finger curving under her jaw to make her meet his gaze, "Please?"

"No," she said sternly.

"No?"

"No, Blaine." She reasserted. "This was supposed to be fun and easy. I don't need this," she gestured between the two of them, "complicating things. I already have so much on my plate with mum and Reid, and..." she broke off her words, choosing not to mention her secret investigation with Rocco regarding her father's murder.

"Isn't it so exhausting worrying about other people all the time?"

"I don't know, Blaine, is it? It's rich coming from you as though you don't have Benji and your parents to worry about." She retaliated, "you don't need this extra burden either."

"I don't think of you as a burden, Ria." He chuckled, but there was a hint of something else in the sound, hurt? Disappointment? Ria wasn't sure, "It's quite the opposite. I don't think I'm ever more at ease than when I'm with you."

She gaped up at him as the implications of his words dawned upon her. He cared about her; she knew that. She knew that the moment he'd confronted Rocco after he harassed her in the workplace, even if it hadn't been what she wanted. But, this was more than just caring for her. She didn't think she was ready for what his words really meant.

"Fine," he moved to the side, his hands gesturing her to open the door, "but at least think about it. Don't say no just yet."

"Okay."

Ria unlocked the door and was startled to come face-to-face with a short black-haired air-hostess.

"Oh, um. I was just about to knock." The woman spoke, her eyes rapidly moving between Ria and Blaine; her eyes widened with surprise.

"We were just talking in there," Ria blurted out, "I swear, we were literally just talking. Nothing else."

A soft flush was evident on the air-hostesses face, "it's part of the protocol to report whenever this happens." Ria noticed that Blaine was the focus of her gaze, "whenever passengers use the toilets for...intimate reasons, we have to report it."

Ria gulped audibly. This was it. This was when she would get her first caution, a tainted mark on her criminal record. And once Ms McQueen got wind of this, Ria would lose her job. The job she'd worked so hard for years would be gone because she and Blaine couldn't control their arousal for twenty minutes. She wondered if her dad looked down upon her with shame, and then she shuddered at the thought that her dad had seen what she'd just done in the bathroom with Blaine.

She'd barely heard Blaine speak up from behind her, "I'm sure we can come to some sort of agreement to avoid that," He chuckled, gently shoving Ria out of the way; silently telling her with his eyes to leave, "Has anyone ever told you that you have the most beautiful smile?"

"Oh." She giggled, "Nobody's ever said that to me before."

Ria rolled her eyes at him, but she rushed away nonetheless, using her hands to comb through her hair, ensuring she didn't appear as muddled as she felt. She could hear the soft giggles of the air hostess behind her, and she felt a pang of jealousy in her chest before she reminded herself that it was all an act. Blaine was flirting with the air hostess so they wouldn't get in trouble.

As she re-entered their cabin, she noticed Indiya, Reid, and Lydia were now wide awake and gawping up at her.

"Where were you?" Reid raised his brows as he glimpsed up at his sister.

"And, where's Blaine? You've both been gone for the last like fifteen minutes?" Indiya enquired, suspicion swirling within her brown irises.

"I think Blaine's back there seducing one of the air hostesses," she waved her hand behind her, "Sorry, I actually just went to ask if there were any...organic food options for my lovely sister-in-law." She smiled over at Lydia.

"Oh, Ria. You are just a star." Lydia replied, shifting toward Reid and poking a finger into his shoulder, "see, at least someone cares about my nutritional needs."

Reid furrowed his eyes and replied a little too seriously, "I care about your irritable bowel syndrome."

Hazel snickered out loud, "Lydia has irritable bowel syndrome? No wonder the toilet at yours is always blocked when she's over."

Lydia gasped and peeked over at Reid, "I do not have irritable bowel syndrome. I just have a sensitive gut." She squared her eyes behind Ria as Blaine entered the cabin, immediately noticing the remnants of red lipstick around his mouth. "Oh, Blaine, I didn't know you dabble in drag?"

"What? I don't?" He responded, puzzled by her words, until she motioned to her lips, prompting him to use the cuff of his sleeve to wipe away the residual of Ria's lipstick. He noticed Indiya's piercing stare, a warning crossing her lips, "Sorry, I got busy chatting with the flight attendant and --"

"Exploring her goods?" Hazel offered.

"You're disgusting, Blaine." Lydia moaned as she leaned back onto Reid's shoulder.

----

They arrived at six p.m. at Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus. They were immediately collected by a pre-booked taxi service and driven straight to the hired villa.

The villa was only a ten-minute walk from the seashore. From the balcony, Ria could see the moment where the ocean met the pale night sky, the dancing sea ripples causing waves of wind to wash over her, her hair flying in the process.

The villa had four spacious rooms - the largest shared by Lydia and Reid, the second by Blaine and Felix, the third by Hazel and Ria and lastly, Leela and Indiya.

Ria positioned her luggage onto the bottom bunk bed in her and Hazel's room; she unzipped the bag and prepared to unload her luggage for the next five days but was interrupted by an overly-excited Hazel.

"Wait, Ria. Before you unpack, take a picture of me for Insta." She pivoted to her side and popped her derriere out, "Does my ass look good like this?"

"Yes, Hazel." Ria groaned as she snapped the picture, "as good as a flat ass can look anyway."

"Oh, you take that back right now!" Hazel flipped her middle finger up at her best friend jokily as she snatched the phone back to see the outcome. The two girls were disturbed by knocks on the door, followed by Leela poking her head in, "hey, we just wanted to check you guys were settling in, alright?"

Indiya strolled in after Leela and sat down on Ria's bed, glancing periodically at the girl. Ria kept her back to Leela, avoiding sharing eye contact with the older girl any longer than she needed to.

"All good. I'm just unpacking now," Ria mumbled.

"So, you and Blaine. Spill the tea, sis." Hazel gushed, and Ria felt herself swallow hard, her heartbeat racing in her chest, doing impossible somersaults and finally falling once she realised she was talking to Leela and not her.

"There's not much to tell, honestly," Leela replied, a coy expression on her face, "I think I might try it on with him, again, see where things go. We dated ages ago, and he wasn't the best boyfriend, but he seems really different now." She glanced between Hazel and Indiya, "He's kinder, and he was so caring at Lydia's engagement party," she let out a soft whistle, "and he's ageing like fine wine. I mean, he was always cute, but damn."

"Honestly, I always had a tiny crush on him, but I think you guys would make the hottest couple," Hazel exclaimed.

"Really? You think so?" Leela bit her lip in thought.

"I agree." Indiya said, "What do you think, Ria? Should Leela go for it?" She peered up at the girl still standing, pretending to unpack. Indiya's words had a hidden second meaning to them; almost as though she were asking Ria to speak up now if she didn't want Leela to go for Blaine.

"Yeah. I agree. Absolutely." Ria bit out the words, the shadow of a smile evident on her lips. She'd told Blaine herself earlier that she only wanted to be friends. So, despite her heart drumming in her chest and her palms moistening with sweat while listening to Leela's words, she smiled at the girl.

"Hey." Lydia popped her head through the door, "are you guys ready to go? We've got the dinner reservation for half seven."

"I think we're all ready," Leela replied, yanking the crimson bodycon dress that had somehow shimmied up to her mid-thigh.

—-

They made their way over to the restaurant on the seafront. Ria found her gaze frequently falling onto Blaine's peach-tinted lips that always seemed relatively full for a male. She wasn't sure their rendezvous in the plane toilet had left her wholly satiated because every time he would laugh, she was drawn to his chiselled jawline that appeared to have been carved out from a kitchen knife, secretly wishing she could trace her tongue with it.

Likewise, Blaine found himself acutely aware of Ria's presence thanks to her dainty-silver anklet that rattled with each and every step she took.

"So, Blaine, what's new in your life in the last few years? How's the football going?" Leela asked, maintaining eye contact for a second too long.

There was a brief second of discomfort on the table, Reid tensing beside Ria, an uncomfortable cough arising from his throat, "Has it been that long since you two have spoken, Leela? Blaine's not interested in football anymore."

Ria narrowed her eyes at her brother – she was sure that wasn't true. And it wasn't the impression that Blaine had given her either. It was true he'd said he wasn't good enough for football but never that he wasn't interested in it. The atmosphere on the table reignited that niggling feeling in her stomach that there were words left unsaid - that there were things she wasn't being told.

"Really? I thought it was your dream, Blaine." Leela's mouth fell open forming a perfect 'O' shape in response.

"Yeah, well, things change, I guess." His eyes were glued to the table as he spoke.

"Anyone special in your life at the moment, Blaine?" Hazel interjected, giving a not-so-subtle wink to Leela over the table.

Blaine's eyes locked on Ria's for a moment before Ria dropped her gaze down to the table, "Yes, there is." He replied.

Ria almost felt his stare burning her skin, scalding her just like his kisses would every night. She found herself nibbling her lip, hoping nobody else noticed, "I have lots of special people in my life. Like my brothers and my best mate over here." He pointed to Reid, tactfully avoiding the question.

"That's not what she meant, Blaine." Lydia objected, "if you're stringing multiple women along, just say that."

Blaine scoffed, but before he could answer, Felix spoke up, "What about you, Ria? Are you seeing anyone at the moment?" The friendly boy offered her a curt smile.

"Oh, Reid, it looks like someone doesn't know the bro code," Hazel whispered, "Felix, friend's sisters are strictly off limits. I would know. It was not a fun time when my brother walked in on his friend and me."

"Oh? I didn't know there was a code against that," Blaine muttered, a soft smirk on his face. Ria glimpsed at him and kicked her foot up at the table to give him a gentle warning.

It had been a bad move on her part because he grabbed her ankle and refused to let go of it, his fingers grasping against her anklet, enjoying the feel of the jewellery against his fingers. Ria slowed her breathing before turning to Felix, "No, Felix. There's absolutely nobody in my life right now."

"And we'll keep it that way, huh, Ria?" Reid replied jokingly. Ria focussed her gaze on Blaine whilst firmly shaking her leg under the table and accidentally knocking it against the hardwood, "Ria, you alright? Why are you shaking under the table?"

Blaine coughed to suppress a chuckle, and Ria almost snarled at Blaine; she could tell he was enjoying her discomfort a little too much. "My legs are cramping. Don't you hate when that happens? You just kind of have to shake it off."

She felt his finger trace against the bare skin of her calf, teasing the freshly-shaven skin with soft feather-light strokes before inching higher and higher up her leg. He could only go as far as just below her knee but continued tracing circles against the supple skin. She cursed herself for wearing a dress and not a pair of trousers, and then she cursed herself a second time for actually enjoying what he was doing to her.

"Blaine, it looks nice outside. Shall we go for a stroll on the beach for a bit? Just until the food comes?" Leela said, removing Ria and Blaine's sole attention from her leg.

"I think the food will be here any minute now," Blaine replied, his fingers slowing their exploration of Ria's leg.

"We'll be quick. Ten minutes?" Leela offered.

"Okay," Blaine said, finally releasing his hand from Ria's calf, but as he did so, the clasp of her anklet caught under his watch and fell off into his hands. He rapidly placed the piece of jewellery into his pocket.

As he withdrew his chair from the table, the chain fell free from his pocket and directly onto his empty plate.

"Ria, isn't that yours? It's the one I gave you for your birthday last year." Hazel spoke up, bemused as to why it was with Blaine.

"Why is Ria's anklet in your pocket, Blaine?"

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Author's Note: So the secret is out....or is it? ;)

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