CHAPTER 29: CHAPTER 29

"Come on, I’m not missing any fun places this time. Last time I came, I locked myself inside all day because of a man."

"I believe not this time, ehe?" Tia replied with a smirk as they rolled their luggage out of the airport.

"Not this time," Rhea said with a grin, breathing in the fresh evening air.

They stood at the entrance of the airport when a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado pulled up beside them.

"My ladies, welcome to Miami," the chauffeur greeted warmly, opening the door for them.

The car stopped at a manor with ancient aesthetics, a medium-sized garden, and palm trees surrounding the compound. A lion fountain stood in the middle of the driveway just past the gate.

Two elderly couples in their 50s stood outside, arms locked with each other.

As the girls stepped out, Rhea sprinted toward them, beaming.

"Mrs. and Mr. Gunther!" she exclaimed excitedly, throwing herself into their arms.

"Ay, mi corazón! Te extrañé tanto, mija," Mr. Gunther said, cupping Rhea’s face tenderly.

Tia trailed behind, a soft smile spreading across her face.

"Come here, Tiana, ay, mi corazón!" her mother called, pulling her into a hug. "Look at you! Let tu madre see that gorgeous face. Dios mío, you grew taller than me now, eh? Are you both hungry? Of course, you’re hungry—come, come! I made arroz con pollo just for you two."

"Mmm..." Rhea hummed, her eyes fluttering shut. "Mrs. Gunther, your food is delicious as ever."

"I’m glad you liked it." A smile cracked on her face, stretching the small wrinkles on her lips and forehead deepening with joy.

"So what have you girls been up to? Any pretendientes?" Tia’s father asked, placing food in his mouth.

Tia and Rhea exchanged a look before looking sideways at their food, avoiding his gaze.

"Oh, come on, don’t be shy. You know you can always talk to Padre." He said, trying to nudge them, thinking they were just shy.

But they weren’t; they didn’t have any. And if they did, both of these "goddesses" were running away from their pursuers like a plague.

"Eh! Don’t tell me you’re both still single," he said, leaning over to catch their expressions. "Even you too, Rhea?"

He turned to his wife, who was already laughing her heart out.

"Just look at these girls. You will be graduating soon and you don’t have a man to warm your bed at least?"

"Papi, we have just been very busy with studies. That’s why." Tia managed, looking at her mother to save them.

"That’s not an excuse. What are the men doing in that school? Are they blind?!" he grumbled, brows furrowed. "It’s not too late. I’m going to introduce you both to good men during the party. Wealthy ones, who’d sweep you off your feet like I did your mother." He turned to his wife, gently squeezing her hand.

"But Mr.—"

"No buts," he interrupted Rhea. "I’m glad I invited you both."

Tia’s mother turned to Rhea. "Hope you are not going to cry over a worthless boy this time?" She held Rhea’s hands. "Because I won’t allow you to go down that road again."

"No, Mom. I’m over that now."

As if waiting for her reply, her father added with a chuckle, "Good. Now, why don’t you two angels go shopping and spoil yourselves before the party? Get your nails done or something. Whatever it is you ladies do."

He placed a debit card on the table. "Go relax, okay?"

"Yes, Papi." They answered in unison.

Tia and Rhea sprawled across the king-sized bed after dinner, their luggage already arranged by the maid.

"What could we possibly do with these cards?" Rhea mused, swiping both cards together.

"Want to go to the beach?"

"Oh, that would be great. We could also try a bunch of different restaurants, a sea tour, or even street art."

"You have a lot of options. Sometimes you’re more of a Pinterest board than me." Tia teased.

"I don’t think I measure up to you." She fired back.

"What are we packing?" Tia asked, moving to a closet at the far end of the room.

"A bikini is one—" Rhea’s legs gave out, and she fell to the ground, clutching her head.

"Hey, Rhea, what’s wrong with you?" Tia dashed to her side, helping her up.

"I don’t know, my head has been ringing since before the club and I feel dizzy sometimes."

"And you didn’t say anything?!" Tia snapped, panic flashing across her face.

"I thought it was stress. That it would pass."

"And now it’s not passing." Tia brought out her phone. "Dad, please call the doctor."

"Sir, what’s wrong with her?" Tia asked as the doctor folded up his stethoscope.

"She’s fine. Nothing serious. Based on the symptoms you mentioned, including the nosebleeds, I’d say it’s just stress. A little rest and she’ll be back to normal," the doctor assured them all.

"Thank you, Doctor," Mr. Gunther said, walking him out.

"See? I’m fine. I just need to eat, sleep, and chill," Rhea muttered, noticing the worried eyes on her.

Tia and her parents sighed with relief.

"I was so scared. Tomorrow is cancelled," Tia said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"No. We can’t cancel it. That’s part of my relaxing, right? I won’t even be doing anything—just eating, soaking up the sun, having fun," Rhea said, making cute faces.

"I was so scared. Tomorrow is cancelled as of now," Tia murmured, sitting at the edge of the bed.

"No. We can’t cancel it. Having fun is also part of my relaxing, right? I won’t even be doing anything other than eating, taking in the sun, and having fun," she said, making cute faces.

"Are you sure it won’t be difficult for you?" Tia’s mother uttered.

"What? Since when did having fun become difficult to do? I’ll be fine," she assured them.

*

"Come on, Rhea, when are you going to finish preparing? The day isn’t waiting for you."

That morning, Tia had told Rhea she was taking her driving to feel the breeze on her skin and take in some fresh air.

But unbeknownst to her, Tia had asked the butler to bring out her race car. And she was going for the ride of her life.

"Coming, just a sec!" Rhea shouted, grabbing her jacket.

Tia clicked the final buckle on her heels, her tight ponytail whipping behind her as she strutted into the sleek underground garage like it was a runway. "Rhea! Get your slow little butt down here. I’m about to show you what relaxation actually tastes like."

Rhea tiptoed down the stairs, hugging her jacket closer. "Tia, tell me we’re just going for a normal drive. Like, windows down, music on, you know... a soft life?"

"Of course! What else?" Tia turned around with a wicked grin. "Just with a bit more speed than you’re used to."

Rhea’s mouth dropped when she saw the silver beast gleaming under the garage lights. "Tia... That’s the Jesko Absolut? The one that costs more than a literal island?!"

"Correction." Tia winked. "This baby is my island. Now get in."

Rhea stood frozen. "Tia, I don’t even think this thing has seatbelts. Does it have airbags? I like my bones intact."

"Oh, please. It has everything."

Before Rhea could run back upstairs, Tia had already opened the passenger door and practically shoved her inside. The doors hissed closed like the start of a sci-fi nightmare.

"Okay! Rules!" Tia clapped. "One: No screaming in my ear. Two: Don’t puke. Three: Try not to die."

"I hate you!" Rhea clutched the sides of the seat, pale and already sweating.

Tia smirked, revved the engine, and the garage roared with thunder. Then—

It blasted off.

The car launched down the private road like a bullet from hell, pressing Rhea so hard into the seat she could barely breathe.

"This is not a ride, Tia! This is a death wish!" Rhea screamed, her knuckles white as she gripped the door handle.

Tia just laughed, a wild, exhilarating sound swallowed by the roar of the engine. The car, a blur of silver and black, sliced through the coastal highway.

"Don’t worry, Rhea! I’ve been driving since I was ten," Tia yelled over the wind.

"Driving a bicycle, maybe! Oh my God, we’re going to die! My life is flashing before my eyes! I can’t believe I came on this trip with you, knowing you’re a menace to society!"

"THIS IS NOT DRIVING! THIS IS DEATH ON FOUR WHEELS!"

Tia laughed maniacally, shifting gears like she was racing demons. "Oh, come on, you said you wanted to feel alive!"

"I DIDN’T SAY I WANTED TO FEEL THE AFTERLIFE!"

The landscape was a green and blue streak, and Rhea was sure her stomach had been left behind a few miles back. Every sharp turn felt like a brush with death, every straightaway a terrifying acceleration into the unknown. She squeezed her eyes shut, a silent prayer forming on her lips. A small, mortifying thought crossed her mind: she might wet herself.

The car finally screeched to a halt at a scenic overlook. The sudden silence was deafening, broken only by Rhea’s ragged, gasping breaths. She fumbled with the seatbelt, her hands shaking so badly she couldn’t release it.

Tia, completely unbothered, was already out of the car, stretching her arms. "Wasn’t that amazing?" she said with a wide smile.

Rhea finally managed to get the door open and stumbled out, collapsing onto the grass. She took deep, shuddering breaths, the world still spinning around her.

"Never," Rhea declared, pointing a trembling finger at Tia. "Never again. I value my life too much to let you risk it. You are a certified psychopath. I will walk before I ever get into a car with you again."

Tia just laughed, a hand on her hip. "Oh, come on! You’re being dramatic. You didn’t even get a little pee-pee on your pants."

Rhea’s eyes widened in horror. "How did you even—"

"Just kidding!" Tia snorted. "But seriously, you should’ve seen your face. You looked like you were about to meet Jesus himself! You were shouting like we were on a roller coaster."

"A roller coaster has seatbelts that work, and it doesn’t try to murder you!" Rhea shot back, still hyperventilating. "That was the most terrifying five minutes of my entire life. I’m going to need a full therapy session just to get over this."

"That was cute. Wanna go again?"

Rhea pushed her away, but a small smile finally broke through her terror. "You’re lucky I’m too weak to punch you right now."