Chapter 360

The next morning, Isabella and the gang spotted Lila hanging out in the lobby.

"Hey, Benjamin and crew, morning! You guys had breakfast yet?" Lila called out, waving.

'I really want to know what she's up to,' Amelia thought.

"Morning, Lila. Yeah, we've already eaten. Have you been waiting for us?" Amelia asked, linking her arm with Benjamin's.

Lila grinned. "Yep, I made plans with Benjamin yesterday to go skiing together."

'When did Benjamin agree to that?' Amelia wondered, keeping a smile on her face.

Benjamin frowned a bit. He wasn't great at saying no, but he wasn't about to let Lila make stuff up.

"I didn't agree to go skiing with you. We just invited you to join our group. If you have a guy friend, bring him along," Benjamin said calmly.

Lila's smile faltered for a second, but she quickly recovered. "How could I find another guy? It's my first time here, and I don't know many people. You're the only one I trust to keep me safe."

Amelia looked up at Benjamin and said, "I heard there are lots of tour groups that make sure tourists are safe."

Benjamin nodded at Lila. "We're all couples here, so we might not be able to keep an eye on you. If you're worried about being left out, you can join a tour group. There should be plenty of handsome single guys."

Benjamin's message was clear. Any sensible woman would take the hint and back off. But Lila didn't see it that way.

'Why does Benjamin keep bringing up other guys? Is he still mad I dumped him in college?' Lila wondered.

"No, I don't like hanging out with other guys. I'll just stick with you guys. If I fall, at least you can call an ambulance," Lila shrugged, smiling at Benjamin.

Benjamin sighed, clearly frustrated with Lila's persistence.

"Alright then, let's go. Hopefully, there's still room in the car," Amelia said, grabbing Benjamin's hand and heading for the door.

Lila followed right behind them without missing a beat.

Michael and Isabella trailed behind.

"Looks like after making things official last night, Benjamin's totally on Amelia's side," Isabella whispered to Michael, pleased with Benjamin's behavior.

Michael nodded. "From what I know about Benjamin, he's probably really annoyed right now. If Lila keeps pushing, he's definitely going to snap. Just because he's got a good temper doesn't mean he doesn't have a breaking point."

Isabella chuckled. "I'd love to see Benjamin lose it. By the way, since you went to the same college, have you ever seen him blow up before?"

Michael nodded. "Oh yeah, I've seen him lose it. Once, he got into it with a professor over a project. They almost threw punches, but Benjamin held back since the professor was old. Instead, he snuck into the professor's house and shaved his cat bald."

Isabella's jaw dropped. "Are you serious? Benjamin did that?"

Michael nodded. "Yep, I was the lookout."

Isabella couldn't help but laugh. She never expected Michael and Benjamin to pull off something so wild.

"So, what happened after that? Was the professor furious? And what about the poor cat?" Isabella asked, eager to hear the rest.

Michael shrugged. "Benjamin got in trouble with the school and had to clean the pet hospital for a week as punishment."

"Your school had a pet hospital?" Isabella asked, intrigued.

Michael nodded. "Yeah, I originally wanted to study computer science, but Benjamin convinced me to study medicine. He always felt like he was in my shadow and wanted to beat me at something. And he did. He's way better at medicine than I am, both human and veterinary."

"I had no idea you studied medicine! That's impressive. Is there anything you can't do?" Isabella asked, curious about Michael's talents.

Michael grinned. "I know a lot, but there's plenty I can't do. For example, I can't give birth to a child, you know, lacking the necessary equipment."

Isabella rolled her eyes and playfully pinched his waist. "Are you hinting at something? It's not my fault we haven't had kids yet! I've been checked out, and everything's fine. So why can't I get pregnant?"

She patted her stomach, feeling frustrated.

Michael wrapped an arm around her shoulders and smiled. "It's okay, babe. No need to stress. Getting pregnant isn't always easy, but we'll keep trying and it'll happen."

Isabella gave him a look. "You think it's just about your body? Let's give it another shot tonight then."

Michael hesitated for a second, then nodded. He was game for another try.

Isabella chuckled. As they neared the parking lot, something clicked in her mind.

She frowned and turned to Michael. "Wait a minute. Didn't you say you and Benjamin were high school classmates? Why have you only been talking about college stuff, and it sounds like you two grew up together?"

Michael froze, thinking, 'Crap, I messed up.'

Isabella tilted her head. "If anyone grew up with Benjamin, it would be John's uncle. Could it be that you..."