The restaurant is busy and loud with tourists and locals mixing in the partake of the evening meal. The platter of seafood and fish in front of Aimee is beautifully prepared and even the deafening sound of the live band playing two tables away, cannot deter the conversation between the foursome. 

Aimee has warmed up to Liz fast, which seems to enjoy some like-minded company. 

"I'll need you guys to give me your passport and NI Number. You will be officially employed by the charity whilst you are working with us." Liz says. "I need to set up your paperwork. I will also need your UK account. You'll be paid there but some money can be wired here with our maintenance money, you just need to tell me how much each month."

Aimee nods while taking a bite from a piece of fish marinated beautifully in an exotic combination of spices. She looks up at Scott that is immersed in his discussions with James about the work that needs to be completed at the orphanage. 

"How long have you guys been here?" Aimee screams in Liz's ear trying to cut through the live band noise.

"Almost one year now, we've always wanted to start something like this. I was working on it back home and proposed the project. It took a while to get approved, but here we are."

Aimee takes another bite of the fried fish. "This food is delicious."

Liz nods, "It's an amazing place. I adore India but I've fallen in love in Goa and with Goa." She looks at James adoringly.

"How did you guys meet?"

"Here, when James and Scott passed through Goa the first time around." 

Aimee frowns at the disclosure.  

"You didn't know?" 

Aimee shakes her head in response and lays her eyes once again on Scott that smiles at something that James said. 

"James and Scott were backpacking together. India was one of their first stops. They had been in the country for around three months and this was their last destination. They got here and James met me and I introduced him to my project. It took only three weeks and we were in love, and James told Scott he was going to stay back. Scott ended up taking off on his own." 

Aimee stares at the two friends that banter together showcasing their lifelong bond. 

"I knew he would be back just didn't expect he would bring company." Liz takes a sip of her lime soda. "But, I'm really glad he has." 

Aimee blushes at the comment 

"Even if you are just friends." Liz's eyes Aimee intently looking for a reaction to her statement. 

Aimee's eyes lower to the plate and she considers her words. Were they just friends?

"Hey, you're ok?" Scott leans in.

"I'm fine. Why you didn't tell me that you've been to India before?"

Scott shrugs, "Does it matter?"

"I guess not."

"Oh, FYI we've told some people you are back," James says with a mischievous smile and looks at the restaurant door where two tall guys with platinum hair and a beautiful girl, with loose curls and tanned skin, stand smiling at him. 

Scott gets up and runs to greet them. He bro hugs both the men and embraces the girl. The girl gives him a kiss on the lips that is more than just a peck and discloses a history between them both. 

"I see those two will be back right where they've left off," James says nonchalantly. 

Liz kicks James on his right leg. "Ouch!" he complains while looking at his girlfriend. "What was that for?" 

Liz glares at him and nods at Aimee that stares at Scott laughing with the company that has arrived, while his arm holds the girl's waist. 

"Oh..." James says."Sorry, Aimee, I thought you guys were just friends..."

Aimee wakens up and plasters a smile to hide the pang of pain she's feeling. "We are. I made that clear to him." 

"Let me talk to the manager so we can get some tables pushed together." James gets up and waves at the guy at the bar counter.

"Are you ok?" Liz asks and places her hand over Aimee's arms.

"I'm fine."

"I thought James only invited the brothers, but I guess they invited her along." 

Aimee shrugs trying to suppress the pang of jealously cursing through her veins. 

"She's not good for him."

Aimee sips her beer and lowers her eyes. Two waiters come with an extra table and a few more chairs and connect them to the table. Liz pointedly gets up and sits next to Aimee protectively while Scott, James and the newcomers make their way to the table. Aimee takes a bite of a prawn but all of the sudden the food doesn't feel the same as before. 

"Odin and Sten" Scott talks to the two blonde men. "Sophia" he points at the gorgeous human intertwined in his embrace. "This is Aimee." 

Aimee raises her hand in a polite hello. The two men smile back politely, while the woman scans her from head to top protectively before lodging her face to Scott's ear and whispering something to him before placing a lingering kiss on his cheek. Scott blushes at the comment and lays his eyes on Aimee that lowers her gaze to the table. 

He gulps dryly, "You guys know Liz."

James sits down with another beer bottle in his hand. "The gang is back together" while the others take their place on the table.

Sophia takes the seat next to Liz and pulls Scott down so he can sit next to her. Odin sits next to James and Sten takes the vacant seat by Aimee.

"Welcome to Goa" he raises his beer to Aimee.

"Thank you." she raises her own and they clink. She takes a sip of the beer and lays eyes on Scott that also stares at her, while Sophia's hand lays on his thigh.

"Don't drink too much. You are working tomorrow morning." Liz warns James.

"It's a good thing I'm five minutes away from home," Scott says.

"You still need to get up early." She turns to Aimee. "Make sure his bum is out of bed bright and early." 

"Are you two staying together?" Sophia asks in a distinctive Scandinavian accent. 

Scott hums and looks again at Aimee while Sophia leans towards Scott. 

"You should stay over at my place tonight" she purrs.

"Stay over at your place?" Scott stutters. 

Odin and Sten cough and laugh knowingly. Liz gives an apologetic smile to Aimee.

"I can't. I have to give a ride Aimee tomorrow to the orphanage. We are starting to work tomorrow there." Scott offers as an excuse.

"I'm sure that James can pick her up, right?"

James coughs his beer awkwardly, "Sure, I guess so." 

Liz glares at him and James shrugs.

"Ahem..." Scott clears his throat. "Aimee still needs to head home tonight."

"You just said it's only five minutes away. She will be fine walking for five minutes. Won't you?" it's the first time Sophia addresses Aimee.

Aimee looks at Scott that plays with his beer bottle avoiding eye contact with her. Her blood boils. "Yeah, no problem. I can take care of myself," she says with unexpected confidence in her voice, although her heart aches at the words.

"There! All problems have been solved," she says while kissing Scott's cheek.

"We'll walk you home," Liz whispers to Aimee.

"Thanks," she says with a smile that doesn't reach her eyes. She glances up and sees Scott looking at her. His eyes are a cloud of mystery. 

"So, where are you guys from?" she asks Sten avoiding Scott.

"Norway" he answers. "You are English?" 

Aimee nods but her mind is unfocussed on Sophia's exaggerated laughter.

Liz nods to James, "Sorry but I need to leave. My morning sickness is more a midnight sickness. This child is clearly in a different timezone from me." She says jokingly before turning to Aimee. "Do you mind if we go now?"

Aimee shakes her head and gulps the rest of her beer. "It was nice to meet you." She says to Odin and Sten, pointedly avoiding Sophia.

"We'll see you around," Odin says cheerfully.

"Don't get him in too much trouble," James warns playfully. "And, you tomorrow 9 am sharp. There's a lot of work to do." James pats Odin's back. "Don't be a beach bum like these guys" they all laugh and Sophia intertwines herself even more around Scott while playing with her hair.

Scott looks up at Aimee that is getting her small purse from the back of the chair. "Do you want me to walk you back to the house?" 

She glares at him coldly, "Liz and James are walking me there."

"She's not a child..." Sophia says sarcastically.

Aimee huffs. This woman is really rubbing her off in the wrong way. "Enjoy your night." She says pointedly to Scott and walks away. 

Once outside the restaurant, Aimee releases a breath she didn't realise she was holding, 

"Hey" Liz walks outside. "don't mind her. She's got the looks, so she thinks she can talk to everyone that way. Honestly, I don't like her one bit."

Aimee smiles at Liz forthcomingness, "How are you feeling?"

Liz rubs her stomach. "As if I'm about to spill dinner."

"You guys should head out. The house is right there."

"No, we'll walk you home." Liz insists. "We just need to wait for James to settle the bill."

"Oh shit! Forgot about the bill!" Aimee blushes and starts making her way inside. 

Liz stops her with a smile, "It's our treat. A welcome back to Scott, and nice to meet you, Aimee." Liz's face scrunches with nausea. 

"You look like you are about to spill your stomach at any moment. Go home. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," Aimee responds. 

James walks outside and joins them. "Shall we go?"

"You guys go ahead."

"Are you sure you're ok going by yourself?" Liz reiterates. 

"I'm sure." Aimee looks at James. "Take her home, she needs to rest." 

Liz gives Aimee a tight hug. "James will get you tomorrow morning."

"Yeah, of course. Is 8.30 ok with you?"James asks. 

Aimee nods. 

"And, I'm sorry about Sophia. I didn't know she was coming with the boys." 

Aimee glances at Liz that takes his arm adoringly. 

"I wish she didn't. I like the way he is around you, and I hate the way he is around her. I've told that nob that much just now... Anyway, see you tomorrow at 8.30." James hugs Aimee and takes Liz hand and together they make their way to their bike that is parked in the small open space in front of the restaurant.

Aimee starts walking away from the restaurant. With every step forward the music fades, and her heart clenches a bit more with the thought of him in her embrace. Her thoughts run wild with the last months spent together. If he had been in India why do it all over again? Her heart leaps at the possibility that perhaps he did it all over again for her. Their nights together laughing and talking about every little detail of their lives played in her head, and her desire for him to kiss her that morning haunted her senses. 

She hangs her head low. The sound of the restaurant is now barely audible with a faint drum set playing far away. He liked her, and she shut him down. He made her smile in New Zealand when she needed it the most. Encouraged her to leap of faith by travelling on her own. And, showed her a country he already had seen, to distract her mind from another man. And, she made it clear they were just going to be friends. Yet, she wanted nothing more than not to be just his friend. 

"Stupid," she mutters and her feet came to a halt. Her mind toys with an idea. "No," she says to herself and takes two steps forward. 

Her heart commands her legs to come to a halt and as soon as she starts walking, she stops again. She fidgets and glances back to the restaurant. "Ok..." she says to herself and turns her body back to the restaurant. 

Without a beat she strides back to the restaurant, sprinting so her head doesn't catch up with her heart and convinces her that this is a bad idea. Her head tells her that she's not going fast enough, thoughts of Sophia's legs intertwined with his playing in an incessant loop. Without realising she's now running in the dark path towards the sound of the music. 

A bike speeds by her while her body keeps moving towards the restaurant that inches closer. The bike stops and reverses back. Her amygdala responds to the sound fearfully. It might be someone unsavoury. 

"Aimee?" his voice asks hesitantly, with the lights of the bike lightening the path back to the restaurant. "Why are you heading back?"

Aimee turns to Scott. "Where are you going?" she asks noticing he's alone on the bike.

"Home to you," he says without missing a heartbeat.

"To me?" Scott nods and gets off the bike.

"Yeah, to you" he whispers and approaches her while glancing at the dirt ground nervously. "Listen, I know you told me this before but..." he gets cut off with her lips on his. 

He embraces her instinctively and grazes her lips with his own. Aimee pulls his hair more demanding. He pulls her to him and kisses her back passionately. Their tongues grazing one another teasingly. Aimee moans in his mouth and he hardens a bit. He breaks contact with her lips without breaking contact in her embrace. 

"I thought you just wanted to be my friend," he says.

"Do you just want us to be friends?" she asks. 

He shakes his head in response. 

Aimee kisses him passionately. "Neither do I." 

Liam groans in arousal at her kiss. 

"Now, take me home," she says and leads him back to the bike.