“Come on, you have to come see this.”
Naomi springs out of bed and laces her arm through mine, dragging me into the sitting room. As she does, I look over my shoulder at Olivia, who is still facedown in her pillow.
I turn my gaze from Olivia toward Mohammad. He’s parting the curtains that run along the entire wall to reveal the pink horizon.
“Wow,” Naomi breathes out when we get to the sitting room.
We take a few steps closer to the window and look out across the park. It’s aglow in the morning light.
Pink and perfect.
Like nothing can taint it.
And I instantly feel sick. Because all I can think about is my dream. About Noah. And how wrong it is that in the midst of this beauty, my heart aches.
Naomi releases me and presses her palms against the window.
“It’s stunning,” she gasps, turning to me brightly.
I force back tears.
“It is,” I agree.
I wrap my arms around my waist, holding on to myself.
“This is mad. Who knew the sky could look like this?” Mohammad says, walking over to me.
He drapes his arm over my shoulders, pulling me to him. I wrap my arm around his waist and let out a deep breath. Mohammad stands strong and firm, and I fold into him. He exudes energy and warmth, and I know that I need some of both this morning. So, I let myself relax in his embrace.
“Come on, Naomi,” I say. She’s still plastered against the window, looking out in awe. “You’re missing out.”
“On what?” she replies, not breaking her gaze from the window.
“On our moment.”
When she turns to look at me and Mohammad, I wave for her to join us. She comes to stand on the opposite side of Mohammad, lacing an arm around his waist. He puts his arm over her shoulder, so we’re all three wrapped up together. Naomi tickles against my arm and gives me a warm grin.
I smile back at her before looking out at the horizon. At the rising sun.
I take in the color of the sky. The love I feel, holding on to Mohammad. The happiness that Naomi radiates.
And it’s perfect.
“I feel like someone should wake up Olivia for this. She’s missing out,” I say, feeling better.
One glance up at Mohammad reveals a wide grin on his face. His eyes flick down to meet mine before he looks over at Naomi.
“Haven’t you heard the expression, Don’t wake the sleeping beast?” Naomi giggles. “If you’re going to wake her, you’re on your own for it.”
Mohammad lets out an easy laugh.
“Not a morning person?” I ask.
“She only becomes a morning person when there’s food involved. It’s a general rule that I don’t wake her without the promise of food arriving soon.”
“Well,” I say, unwrapping myself from around Mohammad, “I think I’ll chance it. It’s too beautiful for her to miss.”
I walk into the bedroom, leaving Mohammad and Naomi alone. She still has her arms wrapped around his waist. I smile at them before turning my attention to Olivia.
One glance at her in bed shows she’s back asleep.
I walk to the window, peeking out. It’s the same view as the sitting room and equally as beautiful. I drop the curtain, letting the sliver of pink light disappear.
“Olivia,” I whisper, crawling next to her in bed.
She stirs, letting out a quiet groan.
“I know that you’re sleepy, but the sunrise this morning is worth waking up for. I promise.” I tentatively place my hand on her shoulder, wondering if she’s going to wake up and start swatting at me. But before I have a chance to think better, I shake her gently, hoping to ease her awake.
“Go away.” She bats her hand out at me, rolling in the opposite direction.
I lay my head back against the headboard with a smile.
“Not a chance. You won’t win this one.” I laugh.
“Have you met me?” she mumbles back, sounding more awake.
“Have you met me?” I question.
She peeks over her shoulder at me, looking annoyed. “Fucking Americans. You never quit,” she mutters. But at the same time, she sits up.
And I know that I’ve won.
“We do have a never-quit spirit,” I agree, perking up.
“Where are Naomi and Mohammad?” she asks, glancing over to me.
“Watching the sunrise in the other room. It’s slightly romantic.”
“That is romantic,” she says groggily. “And you want to interrupt it?”
“It’s actually the same view from the window in here. I just figured I should let you wake up before pulling the curtains open.”
“Smart decision.” Olivia rubs her hands across her face. She blinks a few times, looking more awake. “All right, let’s see it.”
We both slide off the bed and move to the window. Olivia sits cross-legged on the floor as I pull back the curtains. She closes her eyes briefly at the light, but they slowly flutter back open.
“Wow,” she exhales.
“I know.”
I sit down next to her on the floor, both of us looking out at the skyline. We sit in silence, watching the sky turn from a light-cotton-candy pink to a deeper shade of purple. It’s mesmerizing in its innocence.
In its newness.
The entire day is awaiting us, and it makes me grateful that I’m sitting here, experiencing this with Olivia.
I glance to her.
“Thank you for being there for me this week. Letting me sit with you at lunch. The birthday party last night … I really appreciate it,” I tell her.
Because Olivia has been by my side since the moment she told me what Noah said to Harry.
That he loved me.
Maybe that’s when she finally realized that I wasn’t trying to steal Harry from her. That I wasn’t playing some game.
Harry. Noah. Olivia. Me.
It’s all just been a collection of events and moments that wound us up together and somehow resulted in one big, complicated disaster.
“Don’t worry about it. We’ve been through a lot together,” she reflects. “Plus, Naomi always gets what she wants. And she wanted us to be friends …”
“It always surprises me how much you own up to these things,” I say, knowing that’s probably the best I’m going to get from Olivia.
Olivia lets out a laugh. “What can I say? Naomi’s my best friend. Her opinion matters to me. And usually, she’s right. So …” Olivia shrugs.
“She does always provide unique insight.”
A knock comes from the other side of the hotel room door, and I listen as either Naomi or Mohammad answers it. A few seconds later, Mohammad pops his head into the bedroom.
“Food’s here,” he says excitedly.
He quickly leaves us and starts talking to whom I assume is room service. Olivia stands up, pulling me with her. We both go into the sitting room, the smell of coffee lingering in the air.
“Yum.” My mouth waters at the scent.
And the thought of some caffeine.
Mohammad rolls the cart toward the couch with a wide grin.
“It smells amazing,” Naomi says, falling down onto the couch. And she’s glowing.
I raise an eyebrow at her, wondering if it’s the food she’s flushed about or the fact that Mohammad is pretty much serving her breakfast, shirtless. She just grins back as I walk over to the cart.