Everyone began moving toward the car, the morning sun glinting off its polished surface.
Joren stepped ahead, reaching for the passenger door — but a subtle tug on his shirt stopped him.
He turned.
Lana gave him a look. Soft and expectant.
Without a word, he nodded and followed her to the back seat.
Zuri noticed. Her eyes flicked toward them — just for a second — before she turned away.
Lucy slid into the front passenger seat beside Zuri, already chatting about something on her phone.
Joren climbed into the back, settling into the middle seat. Lana took the left, leaning slightly into him, while Leon dropped into the right with a grin and a stretch.
They shut the doors. The car purred to life.
And just like that, the trip began — with Zuri behind the wheel, lips pressed tight, and hte others doing their own things to keep them busy.
The drive stretched on for hours. Leon kept the backseat lively with his antics, tossing out half-true stories and wild theories that made Lucy roll her eyes and Lana chuckle. Joren played along, occasionally chiming in with a sarcastic jab or a laugh here and there.
Zuri hadn't said a word in over an hour.
She drove with the kind of focus that made it clear: she wasn't ignoring them. She just simply didn't want to join the conversation.
Every now and then, her gaze flicked to the rearview mirror — just a glance — before snapping back to the road.
The car's interior was mostly uneventful, save for the usual stops at gas stations.
Then the road curved, and the scenery changed.
The trees gave way to manicured lawns. Then they saw the sign of a suite on a marble slate set in an intricate wall.
They had arrived.
The car slowed as it approached the entrance of the resort — a towering structure of glass, steel, and elegance. The kind of place millionaires frequent.
Joren leaned forward slightly, eyes wide as the building came into full view.
He didn't say it out loud, but the thought hit him hard:
This place was way too high class for someone like Jim.
The car glided through the resort's winding entrance, the towering suite just ahead, shimmering like crystals.
Joren leaned forward slightly. "Zuri… how were you able to afford all this?"
Zuri didn't answer.
"I mean, this place looks like it costs a fortune. How much do you even make?"
Still nothing.
Leon chuckled from the side. "Dude, maybe just enjoy the ride instead of grilling her like she's your accountant."
Joren frowned. "I'm just saying — how am I supposed to enjoy this when I don't even know where the money's coming from? People don't just take their friends to places like this for a casual outing."
Lucy glanced at him through the rearview mirror, her tone sharp. "Not everyone's a broke loser, dude. Some people actually earn enough to afford places like this."
Joren's frown deepened. "She's a college student. Even with a job, this kind of luxury doesn't add up. For all I know, it might not even be legit."
The car jerked to a sudden stop.
Everyone lurched forward.
Zuri's hands were still on the wheel, knuckles white. Slowly, she looked up at the rearview mirror, her eyes locking with Joren's.
"That what you think of me?" she said, voice low and tight. "That I'm some scammer? A thief? A whore who'd do anything for money?"
Joren's heart dropped. "Zuri, no— I didn't mean it like that—"
"Get out," she said, cold and flat.
He hesitated, but the look in her eyes left no room for argument. He opened the door and stepped out.
Lana followed without a word, her expression unreadable but her silence loud.
Leon sighed and got out too, Lucy trailing behind with a muttered, "Well, that escalated quickly."
Zuri didn't say another word. She turned the wheel, and drove off toward the parking lot — leaving them standing at the suite's grand entrance, the weight of her silence hanging in the air.
Leon broke it first, arms crossed, voice low but firm. "You messed up pretty bad, man."
Joren sighed. "Yeah…"
Lana nodded, her tone gentle but honest. "You shouldn't have said all that. It came off wrong."
Lucy, arms folded and eyes narrowed, added with a sharp tone, "Seriously. She invited you, and you turned it into a courtroom. You're a real wet blanket, you know that?."
She didn't say more, she didn't mention that he was one of the reasons Zuri had planned this trip, didn't say how Zuri had spent weeks trying to make everything perfect. Because she had made them promise not to tell Joren.
Leon glanced toward the parking lot. "Just apologize when she gets back. Don't make it worse."
Joren nodded. "I will."
A moment later, Zuri appeared, walking toward them, her expression unreadable.
Joren stepped forward. "Zuri… I'm sorry. I spoke out of turn. I shouldn't have said any of that. You were kind enough to invite me, and I ruined it."
Zuri looked at him for a long moment.
Her face softened — just slightly. But beneath it, there was still a trace of hurt. And something else.
She nodded. "It's alright."
Leon, ever the instigator, raised an eyebrow. "You gonna apologize too? You kinda overreacted."
Zuri turned to him, deadpan. "No shit, Barney. You better save your crap for someone else."
Leon blinked. "Okay, damn."
She turned to the rest of them, her voice steady again. "Let's go in."