5

AVA

I couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss.

It wasn’t part of the plan and neither was his client there with us to keep up the performance. But it happened.

And it felt real. So real.

The way Ryan touched me, the way his lips moved with mine; that wasn’t fake, not even a little. My heart still raced every time I thought of it. It kept replaying constantly in my head and I honestly wished the kiss had lasted a bit longer.

Maybe I was overthinking it. It probably didn't mean anything to him. I wasn’t supposed to feel this way. Ryan was a mere business deal, a distraction, a mere favor.

The next day, there were no meetings to attend so I stayed in my cabin. I didn’t want to see him or anyone else.

Thankfully, his client had canceled the fancy dinners I was supposed to attend with Ryan and had met with him alone to discuss business. I stayed behind with my camera, taking pictures. It helped clear my head most of the time. I wandered around the yacht, capturing beautiful moments like sunlights on the waves, kids laughing near the pool, couples kissing or holding hands.

It was peaceful for me, my safe space.

Until I saw him. Ethan.

He was walking towards me and for a moment, I froze where I stood. Then I quickly turned away, hoping he hadn’t noticed me yet. But before I knew it, he shouted.

“Ava!”

I didn’t respond, pretending not to have heard and kept walking away.

“Ava, wait,” he shouted again, his footsteps getting closer.

I tried to run but he got hold of me, grabbing my arm. He spun me around, his brows furrowing. “We need to talk,” he said, breathing hard.

I yanked my arm back. “We have nothing to talk about, Ethan,” I snapped.

“You think you can just dump me for that scum?” he barked. “Listen, that guy’s going to screw you and walk away the second we get back to shore.”

I scoffed. “That’s my decision to make, I'll live with it,” I said through gritted teeth. “At least, I'm not like you that chose to break our relationship the moment we got into the cruise.”

“And to be honest? He’s better than you,” I added.

Ethan laughed, but there was no humour in it. “Spare me that bullshit, Ava. I know you to be smarter than this. Is he paying you to make a fool of yourself?”

I turned to leave again, but he grabbed me, tightening his grip. His hand dug into my arm and I struggled to free myself. Our arguments had gotten the attention of others on the yacht and their eyes flicking between us. I hated this, I hated being the center of attention, being the couple everyone stares at.

“Let me go!” I shouted.

He didn’t. “You’re coming with me,” he sneered.

“Let go of me,” I yelled again. Yet, he refused.

Suddenly, Ethan’s hand was gone. He was now on the floor.

I gasped as he tried to get back on his feet, his hand holding his cheek. I turned and saw Ryan standing behind me. He had punched Ethan.

The crowd around us went silent. Ryan’s eyes were blazing with rage.

“She asked you to leave her alone,” he growled.

Ethan wanted to fight back but the way Ryan stood; strong, calm, ready, he thought twice about his choice. He scowled at me before turning to leave.

“We’ll meet again,” he threatened.

My heart raced.

“Are you okay?” Ryan asked.

I nodded, though I wasn't sure.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said gently.

I followed as he led the way. I didn’t know what to say, I didn't even know what to feel, all I knew was that he had come to my rescue.

Ryan didn’t say a word on our way back to his cabin. His jaw tightened and his hands were clenched. I could tell that he was still angry at what Ethan did.

When we got inside, he shot the door behind us and turned to face me.

“You’re staying here from now,” he said in a firm tone. “Until we get to shore.”

He was serious, he wasn’t asking, he was telling. His voice was deep and authoritative.

I didn’t mind. “Okay,” I said, giving a small nod.

There was no point arguing with him, not after what had just happened out there. I didn’t want to be seen alone, I didn't feel safe anywhere else without him.

The next evening was the Christmas gala. Ryan had mentioned several times to me, stating its importance in securing the contract. I agreed to go with him without hesitation, besides the gala had always been part of the plan. Only now, it felt a bit different.

I came out of the shower and found a dress hanging in front of the closet. It was a beautiful deep green gown, it was elegant and soft. It shimmered under the light.

“Is this for me?” I asked, my eyes wide with admiration.

He looked up from his laptop and nodded. “You will look stunning in that outfit, trust me.”

I swallowed. I wasn;t used to receiving gifts from anyone, talk more from a total stranger i made a strange deal with. I didn;t know how to take it.

At night, we had to share the cabin together, the bed was big enough for two but Ryan refused it. He grabbed a pillow and a blanket and headed straight to the sofa.

“You don’t have to do that,” I said softly. “We can share the bed.”

He shrugged. “I’m fine here. You can have the bed.”

I didn’t argue further.

I lay on the bed, wrapped in his clean sheets and stared at the ceiling. I found it hard to sleep. It felt weird sharing a room with someone I had met a few days ago. But then, the kiss we shared, the fight with Ethan and the way Ryan stood for me, ran through my head like a movie I couldn't pause.

“Ryan?” I called out in the dark.

“Yeah?” he responded.

“I’m sorry. Can we talk?” I asked in a low tone.

He sat up a little. “Sure.”

I hesitated for a while. “What plans do you have after New year? I mean once we get back to shore?”

He thought for a second. “I usually work most of the time. Sometimes i go to small parties, fundraisers, but nothing big.”

I smiled a little. “Don’t you have a big plan or goal you intend to achieve?”

“Oh, that,” he said. “That’ll be to expand the business.”

“Expland the business? I don’t understand,” I asked, staring at him with suspicion. “I thought you were just a team leader at your work. Do you have a business you’re silently building?”

He sat upright this time. “Yeah….um... .yeah. That’s true. I…um, have a business, a small business that is thriving while I work elsewhere.”

“Okay. But don’t you think you should focus more on building your company instead of working elsewhere?” I asked, curiosity dawning on me.

“You’re right. I’ll keep that in mind,” he said.

I sat on the bed now, staring at him intensely. He was just like me, trying to start up something of our own despite the struggles.

“Tell me about your little business,” I asked.

He scoffed. “It’s nothing interesting, Ava. I don't want to bore you with too many details.”

“Try me and see,” I insisted.

“What about you? What are your plans after the New year?” he asked, drifting from my question.

I smiled. “I’m planning something. An exhibition.”

He sounded surprised. “For your designs.”

“Yeah. I've been taking photos on the cruise and I think I want to show them. Maybe use it to open my very first studio. Might be small, but it’s mine.”

He paused for a second. Then he said, “That sounds amazing.”

Even in the dark, I could tell that he meant every word.

“Thanks,” I whispered.

He lay back on the sofa. “You’re going to do great things, Ava. I know it.”

His words stayed with me all through the night even after I fell asleep.