Nothing that he did here was for show. It wasn’t to earn likes or favor. He wanted nothing in return. It was simply an act of his heart, and this has deeply touched my heart.
Back at the resort, I’m sitting quietly on the wooden deck, wondering if I should go for one more swim before we leave. Marlen arrives next to me. “We need to leave earlier, now actually. The Captain says that they’ve issued a weather warning for later tonight, and he wants to get going and be back home before it hits,” he says, looking down at me.
“I’m packed. I’ll just put my shoes on, then I’m ready,” I say, standing up.
“I’ll have them bring your bag down then, meet me on the beach in five minutes?”
I nod, hurrying away to grab my sneakers that I left out of the bag for the trip home.
***
From the yacht, the island looks smaller than it really is. The water is choppy, and I can tell why the captain wanted to leave earlier. The boat keeps dipping slightly, trying to tilt me off balance.
Even sitting on the circular couches on the top deck, I still have to reach out and hold onto something now and then when a larger swell lifts us and drops us.
It’s not terrible, though, and doesn’t draw my attention off the island.
I watch it in the distance, knowing I’ll never come back here. It makes me sad because this place is truly special. A piece of my heart will always live here, in the tropical forests and the crystal clear ocean waters.
“It’s a beautiful place, isn’t it?” he says, sitting down next to me.
My skin tingles immediately at his presence.
I nod. “It has its own magic. What you did for that family back there was really amazing, Marlen,” I say.
“Anyone would have done the same,” he replies.
“That’s not true. It’s not true at all. In fact, most people wouldn’t even have sent the doctor, let alone followed up and still helped them get to the hospital. You saved that little girl’s life. You changed the future for that family.”
He cocks his head to the side and shrugs. “I just did what was right.”
For a while, we sit quietly, both of us staring into the ocean. The boat rocks and our legs bump against each other, spiking my heart rate with each touch of our bodies.
Marlen keeps glancing at me. He looks like he wants to say something.
I steal a glance at him, too, and the tension grows stronger.
I have something I want to ask him. But I can’t seem to find the right time. Is now the right time?
My eyes trace over him. His chiseled jaw and full lips, and those beautiful hazel eyes. I could stare at him for hours.
I can’t stop thinking about the kiss. His hands on my body. The way it felt when he slipped his fingers inside me and…No, stop this. These thoughts aren’t helping anything.
Still, my lips part, and I take a sharp breath, yearning for the man I can’t have. The man who has rejected me twice.You’re thinking about the wrong things, Stef. Think about what matters.
My heart beats nervously as I look for the courage to ask what I want to ask. It takes me a moment, and the words come out soft when I speak them.
“Did you ever think that maybe there’s a chance Bardil wasn’t telling you the whole story? That maybe my family and the Abashins aren’t entirely at fault in that situation?”
“What?” he snaps, his entire demeanor changing. His shoulders square off a scowl crosses his brow.
“I just meant… there might be a chance… if you just looked into it…” I try again, anxiety bubbling inside me.
“This is not something I am willing to discuss with you, Stefania. I trust my family,” he snaps.
I bite my lip and sit up straighter. He isn’t even willing to consider it?
“Marlen, sometimes people make mistakes. Maybe your brother made a…”
