Ashley awoke to the loud sound of a helicopter's rotor blade battling with the wind. She shot up on her bed and blinked at the morning light that burned her eyes through her curtains. She blinked the tears back and pulled her cover open. Slowly, she planted her feet onto the warm carpet beneath her bed and approached the window behind it. She grimaced and reached for the dark blue curtain, then pulled it a little to the left to reveal the open compound in the back of the cabins. She had always wondered what that free, empty space was for. She pursed her lips and watched as the helicopter came to a smooth landing, it's gigantic rotor blade way too close to her window for her liking.

The door swung open and Ashley let out a groan. She watched as none other than Mariana Carvalho stepped out in all her gorgeous glory. The wind picked up her hair as she dismounted from the plane and her shirt followed suit, reveal her smooth abs that she didn't bother hiding. Turning, she reached for something from within the plane and took a step back as she grabbed it. Ashley gulped when she put the suitcases on the floor.

Akira Takashi got out after her, putting his suitcases down first, before he followed after Mariana with a scowl on his face. Ashley frowned and cocked her head to the side, wondering why the two of them could possibly be together.

The chopper then roared back to life and took off, leaving the two of them stranded in the island like the rest. Ashley pulled the curtain back to it's original position and decided to get ready for breakfast since she was already up. Sighing, she approached her bathroom after grabbing her towel and got ready for what the day had in store for her.

She could only hope that Mariana wouldn't try anything, and that all her threats were just that. Turning on the shower, she instead thought about the night she had with Reece, causing an automatic grin to wound itself across her lips. Reece Smith was something else. She hadn't expected things to move this fast with him, but he had made it clear that he was a man who knew what he wanted, and didn't like beating around the bush. She would be a fool to say that she didn't find him attractive. If anything, she had no idea she could have feelings for him until that kiss. 

Was it wrong for her to move on so quickly? She wondered as she kneaded her hair with her fingers and her eyes shut. She grimaced, realizing that it wasn't the time to be thinking about her former roommate. He made it clear countless times that he wanted nothing to do with her anymore from the way he has been ignoring her. They weren't dating either, but Ashley couldn't shake off the feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her there was something she wasn't seeing; that there was more to the picture.

Shaking her head and rinsing her hair, Ashley cleared her mind and scrubbed the rest of her body before turning off the water and grabbing her towel. She didn't want to think too much into it and just go with the flow of things instead. Besides, he probably wouldn't care if she moved on to someone else. 

"Ugh—," She paused, wrapping her towel around herself, "—screw it." She continued as she grabbed another towel and dried her hair while approaching her bedroom.

Did you forget how he almost killed you?

Ashley thought and clenched her teeth. How could she ever forget that night. A man had died, an there was a chance that she would have been next if Eros hadn't walked away when he did. She frowned as she slid the tower away from her somewhat dried hair. The guy had been sent by Eros' father. She had so many questions as to why that was necessary, and what kind of relationship Eros has with Gregor; other than doing this bidding. Of course she knew that it wasn't your typical father—son bond, but for Gregor to use Eros as his personal hitman made absolutely no sense to her. 

Just who exactly was after him, and why?

With the way things were going between her and Eros' however, it became clear to her that she would never get any answers. She wasn't sure if she wanted them to begin with. She touched the necklace around her exposed collarbone with a far away look in her eyes, realizing that she had other things to figure out as well. She sighed and picked out her clothes, knowing that even if she somehow came to understand what was going on, she wouldn't be able to help that much given her low status compared to everyone else. 

After all, this time, it really wasn't any of her business.

🔱🔱🔱

"When did they get here?" Reece asked, nodding his head towards where Mariana and Akira were seated; taking his own in front of Ashley and in between Casey and Ally. 

He was the last one to show up for breakfast this time and everyone could tell why. His eyes were still swollen from his sleep and his hair was uncombed, though not enough to look untidy. He let out a humongous yawn and leaned back on his seat as the waiters begun filling everyone's plates with bacon, eggs, tea, sausage fingers and French toasts. Reece wrapped his arms around the back of both Casey and Ally's seats and snuck a glance at Ashley from beneath his lashes before turning to Alessio with a ghost smile on his lips. She pursed her lips and diverted her eys to the waiter beside her as she filled her cup.

"You didn't hear them?" Alessio asked as he briefly lowered his eyes to Reece's arm around Casey's seat, "—they came with a whole chopper. How did you sleep through all that noise?"

Reece answered him with a shrug, "I'm a heavy sleeper."

Alessio scoffed and shook his head at him before he leaned back and place his arm over Reece's, not seeming to be in a hurry to pull it off. Reece smirked and leaned forward, pulling his arm from Casey and Ally's seats; getting the unspoken message. Ashley shook her head at them and grabbed her cutlery. She silently ate her breakfast, not looking up once unless someone caught her attention.

"I'm guessing they're done with the promotions?" Jason asked as he popped a piece of bacon into his mouth. He looked at Ally with a raised eyebrow, waiting for an answer to which she scowled back at him and narrowed her eyes.

"What makes you think I know the answer to that?" She argued as Seb shook his head beside her.

"Don't you?'

"That's—," She paused pointing at his with a fork held between her fingers, "—not the point, but I do." Ally said with a small pout on her lips.

"You're a movie director, in case you somehow forgot." Seb begun with a scoff, "—it makes sense that you would know, Al." He finished with a scoff of his own.

"Aspiring director." 

"Same thing." Seb said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders while she shook her head at him, "—so are their parents really doing a movie together?"

Ashley cocked her head to the side, having learned something new about Ally. She frowned suddenly and pulled a shell from the tip of her tongue before she tossed it beneath the table. She looked down at the half finished egg for a few beats, shrugged and stabbed it with her fork and knife before shoving a cut piece into her mouth. Lifting her eyes back to the conversation, she froze when she met hard, icy blue eyes instead of Ally's forest green ones. She gulped and forced her heart back down her throat with the bite she had took, then looked away from Reece. From the corner of her eyes however, she saw him smirk at her, his gaze dropping to her lips before turning to Ally.

"They are. It's going to directed by Tim Burton, so I'm guessing it'll be interesting. Actually yeah it is, it's all over their Instagram. It's a remake for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Mariana's mother and Akira's dad got the leading roles. It's a musical/thriller . I wonder how they'll both pull this one off. Man, I would kill to work under him one day." She ranted as she scrolled through her phone enthusiastically.

"Benjamin vows to seek revenge from the judge who framed him for a crime he did not commit. In order to do so, he reopens his barbershop and begins murdering his customers with a razor." Blake reads from his phone moments after Ally was done. He sent her a look that spoke volumes and caused the whole table to laugh at his reaction.

Ally chuckled but shrugged her shoulders and leaned back on her seat, "I like him because he has his own vibe, you know?"

Seb sent her a deadpanned look, "That and because he casts Johnny Deep often." He teased, leaning towards her enough and hovering his lips inches from her ear, "—you and I both know you've had a thing for him since you saw him in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

Ally pursed her lips and cleared her throat, "So—so did ever other girl who saw it."

"You're kidding, he was creep." Brock said, looking at Ally in disbelief and disappointment clouded in his brown eyes, "—y'all simp for the weirdest characters, I swear."

Ashley raised an eyebrow at him then turned to Reece who was nodding aggressively at what Brock said, "For real. Don't even get me started on Hisoka. Of all the guys there were in hunter—."

"Uh, woah there bud. Lets not go there. Hisoka is daddy material and you know it deep down." Ashley said, pointing a fork at him with narrowed eyes.

Reece pursed his lips and shook his head, "Well to be fair, it's the same for guys." He said with a shrug and leaned forward, lacing his elbows on the table as he kept his eyes on her, "—though these days, there's only one woman I can confidently simp for." He finished with a smirk.

There was a series of coughs and oohs to which Ashley tried to stopped with a look in their direction before turning back to Reece. She searched her brain for an answer but could only come up with silence. She let out a huff and scowled, crossing her arms over her chest. 

Reece lowered his eyes to her perked chest before snapping them back to her eyes and leaning back on his seat. He held her eyes for a few more beats before he looked away first with a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. Ashley gulped and looked away with her heart hammering in her chest and ears.

Oh I'm so far gone.

🔱🔱🔱

"You and I need to talk, you know." He said as he fell into step with her and stood impossibly close to her, with his shoulders lowered so that his lips were leveled with her ear. 

Ashley pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest, keeping her gaze at Alessio and Casey's back as they led them to god knows where. She had an idea on what Reece wanted to talk about and she wasn't sure if she was ready to have the chat. It was then or never however, and so she sent him a nod and stuffed her hands in the front pocket of her jeans.

The weather outside was a bit chilly hence why no one was in their swimsuit. It had been a calm afternoon and everyone hanged out at the resort where they had their breakfast and vibed by the pool seats. They ended up staying there for a while talking about anything, before Casey had a great idea of checking something out. 

Because of the last time Casey had an idea about exploring, not everyone was keen on joining her; except of course, for Alessio and Ashley couldn't say no to her best friend when she sent a pleading look her way. She could only assume that Reece had offered to go with them so that he and Ashley could have a chance to talk.

She turned to him and was blessed with the beautiful sight of his very sharply defined side profile that glowed with the sun in front of them. He turned and met her eyes, the blue in his own standing out and reminding her of how gorgeous he was. 

"So about last night." He begun, a smile playing at his lips as he inched closer towards her, "—I meant what I said."

Ashley held his gaze for a few more beats before she looked away from him. She did not expect him to get right to the point that fast.

"I see."

Was all she could come up with as she cleared her throat and looked up at the bright, cloudy sky as it gaze down at them. If the clouds had faces they would probably be looking at her with disappointment because of her dull answer. She could almost imagine them beckoning her to make a move on him too.

She frowned and looked at the sand beneath her white sneakers, contemplating whether she felt the same or not. She knew she was attracted to Reece, but to go as far as to say she liked him was what confused her. He did have an effect on her, there was no hiding that fact, and she did enjoy the kiss they shared yesterday. If anything, a major part of her didn't want to stop yesterday. A part of her wanted him to carry her to his room and continue from where they had left off.

"I can hear your wheels turning." Reece said, bringing her back from her thoughts. He let out a breath through his nose and straightened up.

He then wrapped his left arm around her shoulders without missing a beat, "—you know, not overthinking these things helps a lot." He paused, stopping on her tracks and causing her to do the same without realizing.

"Tell you what," he paused, diverting his gaze towards Casey and Alessio who were now standing impossibly close to each other, giggling amongst themselves, "—how bout we ditch these two? I get the feeling that all we'll be doing is walking with the way things are going." He suggested, looking back down at Ashley in time to catch her eyebrow shoot up in question.

"Besides. I want to take you out." 

Ashley scoffed, "We're on an island."

Reece raised an eyebrow back at her and tilted his head to the side, "That's even better. I'm sure we can find something to do." He said, a determined glint shining in his eyes as a smile slowly wound it's way across his full lips, "—who knows, maybe you'll be in love with me after today."

Ashley snickered and gave him a light shove on his chest, to which he barely swayed on his feet, "In your dreams." She said as they stopped by a notice board on their left. As they got close to it, Ashley could make it out to be a mini map and a somewhat detailed activities log of everything that was offered by the island, and where to find them.

Reece looked to his right at Casey and Alessio and shook his head at them, not surprised that they had barely noticed them leaving. It was then that he realized that they had most likely forgotten that they were with them, leave alone that they were supposed to go to this mysterious place Casey had discovered. He turned back to Ashley.

"So, did anything catch your attention?" He asked, stepping closer towards her side and pressing his chest flat against her right arm.

Ashley briefly looked at his chest before meeting his eyes, "I mean, the spa sounds—."

"You're kidding."

"What? Weren't you the one who insisted on a massage yesterday?" Ashley teased with a smile as she shrugged her shoulders at him, feeling just how heavy his arm was.

"Funny." He said, leaning impossibly closer and pointing at a specific spot on the map, "—how about this then?" He paused, looking down at her, "—we don't get wet, there's free food, and if you really need a massage, I'd be more than happy to give you one." He finished, wiggling his eyebrows expectantly.

Ashley snickered, "Keep this up and I'll start thinking you just want to get in to my pants."

Reece's eyes darkened almost instantly as his free hand shot up and rested on her cheek, "Trust me, Red. What I want from you is genuine." He said, sinking his hand to her neck and leaning closer, "—I want to date you."

Ashley's cheeks immediately heated and she did everything she could to look anywhere but at him. She cleared her throat and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, turning her attention to the notice board as if it was her first time seeing one. Reece snickered and gently held her chin between his fingers, "Are you always this easily flustered?"

"N—no." Ashley said, turning her body to face him, "—I just didn't expect that."

"Mhm." Reece said, disbelievingly. He pulled his hand from her chin and grabbed her hand in his, "—let's go then. The yacht leaves in like five minutes." Was the last thing he said, before they were making a bee line towards the direction Casey and Alessio were headed. 

Reece was walking so fast, that they past the couple without them even noticing. Ashley snickered, but that was all she had time to do because of how fast Reece was leading them. The man was almost lifting her at this rate, but she wasn't complaining. If anything, she was quite flattered that he was this hell bent on not missing the ship.

Keeping up with him, however, slowly proved to be impossible even with him holding his hand and they only had about two minutes before it leaves. They would have to wait two whole hours for the next one, and they both knew that neither of them was patient enough to wait.

"Y—you know, we could always do something else while we w—." 

She never got to finish her sentence when Reece suddenly stopped and swept his hands under her knees and shoulders, hoisting her up and flush against her chest. Ashley gasped and wrapped her arms around his neck for support, before she glared up at his smug look on his face. Reece didn't give her enough time to scold her and took off running, letting out a deep chuckle when she yelped after biting her tongue. 

"We're not missing this ship." 

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