My eyes grow wide as I stare at her blankly. “In my head? Do you have any idea what I’ve seen today alone?”
“What could you have possibly seen today other than the beach? You’re acting like you walked in on me seducing one of the guys in my nighttime attire.”
I shake my head, trying to digest everything she’s saying. “Agreed to what? And, you were seducing one of the guys—Tristan. You’re doing this on purpose. You’re trying to make me feel crazy.”
She ignores it all except for what I agreed to. “Ashley, you agreed to live here, rent-free. Everyone knows nothing good in life comes for free. Everyone also knows that not everything revolves around them.”
“Ladies,” I hear from a distance. It’s dark on the beach and I can’t make out who the voice belongs to, but I’m quick to see it’s Max as his shadowy figure falls within the moon’s glow the closer he gets to us.
“No,” I mutter beneath my breath.
“Are you okay?” Max asks.
“Yeah, we’re fine,” I tell him. After his presentation of flowers and disgusting pick-up lines earlier today, he’s definitely the last of the men I want to see at the moment.
Max reaches for me and I pull away. “You must be terrified,” he says, taking another step in toward me.
“Max, go back to your villa. I don’t need this type of attention from you. I’m fine.”
“I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
“Great, yeah, I’m fine.”
“Need a hug?” he continues.
“No, I need you to leave me alone.”
“Ashley,” he says, sounding breathless. “I love you and I’m worried.”
“What?” I snap. “You what … me?”
“I love you, baby.”
“Hold up. Back up, back way up, Max. You don’t know me. Not even a little bit. You have done nothing but try to oddly woo me with lousy, gross pick-up lines that make no sense. There is no way in this universe I could love you after knowing you for less than a week and only interacting with you twice, which weren’t great interactions.”
Max places his hands on his chest as if my words gut him. “Ouch,” he says. “I just—I can really see myself being with you, getting married, having lots of babies. I just—I want this, Ashley. I want you.”
“Holy psychopath. Dude, go. Get the hell away from me before I call the police.”
“You don’t want this?” Max continues, waving his hand around his body as if “this” is an object.
“No, Max, I don’t want any part of you.”
“Cool, yeah, I understand. Maybe if you give me a little more time, I can prove myself to you.”
“I’m leaving tomorrow, so there’s no chance of that happening.”
Max and Kricket share a look that bothers me, like they’re silently agreeing with each other that I won’t be leaving tomorrow. I probably should have kept that tidbit to myself.
“Max, go back to your villa so I can talk to Ashley,” Kricket says.
“No problem,” Max agrees. “Love you, babe.”
No. “No! NO, you do not love me. Go home.”
“Shh,” Kricket tries to soothe with a breathy hum. It works just as well as a wet mop trying to soak up more water. Not much is going to fix things at the moment.
“Listen,” she says. “Just hang in there. You’re not in danger. You have free rent. You just got a job. Focus on that.”
