Chapter 1
I have spent the most romantic and dreamy week with my boyfriend, Ryan, here on this beautiful island. It has everything, from a refreshing sandy beach to a lush green forest climbing the mountains. Ryan had a concert on this island, and he suggested that if I came along, we could have the long getaway that we had been trying for the past few months. But with our busy schedules, it never worked out until now.
I jumped right on board with his idea, and here we are after a week filled with sex and island adventures, without a care in the world about early morning work commitments. We’re up now, and I’m watching Ryan as he is getting ready for his practice for the big event he has later tonight.
Ryan is halfway to the door, his signature duffel slung over his shoulder, when I push myself up against the pillow, giving him that soft, sleepy, totally illegal smile.
“Seriously?” I drawl. “You are gonna leave me in this insane bed?”
Ryan pauses, smirking over his shoulder. “Someone’s trying real hard to get me in trouble.”
I stretch out across the massive king-size bed, the silk sheets sliding with me. “Maybe I am. This bed is cozy,” I whisper. “And I am naked and damn needy under these warm sheets.”
He laughs under his breath and comes back to me, bracing one hand on the mattress. “Yeah, trust me, sweetheart, I know. It’s taking every bit of discipline I have got not to crawl in there with you.”
I hook a finger in his shirt, dragging him closer. “Then don’t fight it. Stay. Ten minutes.” I wink. “Only.”
Ryan dips down, brushing a slow kiss against my lips. “If I stay ten minutes, its gonna turn into an hour, and my band people will lose their minds.”
“Worth it,” I mutter, tugging on his shirt again.
He rests his forehead against mine, eyes squeezed shut like I am physically weakening him. “You are absolute trouble, you know that?”
I grin. “Only for my boyfriend.”
Ryan growls. “And that is why I need to walk out the door right now...before I don’t.”
With one lingering look at my stretch, he forces himself to turn, shaking his head like a man barely holding it together and heads out of the room. I kick back against the headboard and start pondering what to do for the rest of the day by myself.
I get out of bed and think about treating myself to a nice, long bubble bath to let all my negative vibes out and feel good. I get that I have to spend a day by myself, so it’s up to me to either keep a smile on or just let myself get lost in my thoughts and feel down all day.
I step out of the bath and feel like my whole body is just loosening up, like the week’s stress finally slid off my shoulders with the steam. I towel my hair, humming softly, then drop to my knees beside my suitcase. Everything is already packed since it’s our last day at the resort, but I dig through my bags anyway, searching for something that feels right for today.
My fingers land on my favorite floral dress, the one with thin spaghetti straps and a skirt that moves like the wind when I walk. Perfect. I slip into it, add a pair of strappy flats, and then check myself in the mirror. sun-kissed skin, beachy waves, and that relaxed vacation glow people post on Instagram and pretend is effortless. I smile. Not bad.
I grab my phone and sunglasses and step outside toward the shoreline. The ocean’s waiting, waves crashing, salty breeze in my hair. Sand is warm beneath my feet as I take off my flats and hold them in my hand. I want to say goodbye to this island properly, to roam around like I own the damn place one last time. No schedule. No rush. It’s just me and the sea.
I don’t know why, but it feels like something is coming. The tension in the air I can’t name, a pull I can’t ignore. The simple goodbye walk feels heavier than it should, like the ocean carries a warning I can’t read. Every step along the sand makes my heart thump a little faster; I can’t shake the feeling that something—chaos, trouble, or maybe both—is waiting just around the corner.
Cold water splashes across my bare foot, and it shocks through me like a jolt, sharp enough to drag a small gasp from my lips. I step deeper into the shoreline anyway, letting the tide chase my ankles before pulling away like it’s just teasing me. A playful, icy hit every few seconds. It wakes me up in a way coffee never can
The waves crash and roll in, loud and steady, but to me it sounds like music, slow, soft, and almost meditative. I watch them build tall and wild, only to break apart against the sand like they never stood a chance. Something about that hit me differently today.
Maybe it’s the goodbye settling in my chest, or maybe I am getting sentimental, but I have this sudden epiphany: everything ends eventually. Even things that feel huge and unstoppable, like these waves.
They roar like a wild animal; they rise like the sun; they threaten like they’ll swallow the whole world, and then the second they hit the beach, it’s over. Quiet. Gone. A moment of nothingness before the next one forms.
I stand here, toes sinking into wet sand, ocean breeze tangling my hair, thinking about how life does the same thing. Big. Beautiful, messy chaos, here one second, gone the next.
As I am strolling along the beach, my eyes catch someone I’d never, ever expect to see here at this time. Not because he can’t afford to be on this island; money has never been a problem for him, but seeing him now? All alone? Knowing he’s marrying my best friend in just two days? Yeah...that’s a hard no. My stomach twists.
