Justin’s POVI promised myself to make sure that I gave Emily all she wanted from me because, without her, I never would have seen Ayva look so happy. I never would have seen her smile so brightly at me, brighter than the morning sun. Who knew that a trip was all I needed to make Ayva feel like the happiest woman alive?We arrived at the hotel soon and after speaking to the receptionist and confirming the reservation I’d made online, she gave me the key card to the room, thanking me for choosing that hotel. “Just one room?” Ayva asked, her eyes narrowed and glimmering. “Would you have rather I got us separate rooms? It’s not too late to get another room if—”“No.” She quickly said, wrapping her arms around my left bicep. “No, this arrangement is perfect.” The room was vast and luxurious like I’d seen online. There was a large living room, a balcony, and a room. And like I’d wanted, there was only one king-sized bed in the room. There were so many things I wanted to do with her on
Justin’s POV“Can I have the key? I left something in the room.” Ayva asked just as we arrived at the reception. “I’ll be back real quick.” She said before running over to the elevator. I walked over to one of the green couches in the waiting area and took a seat, patiently waiting for her to get back. “Senhor,” a feminine voice called with a gentle hand placed on my shoulder. I looked in the direction of the voice, a look of familiarity shining in both of our eyes. “It’s you.” She said in Portuguese. Her eyes shone with surprise as if she never expected to run into me again after our little encounter that morning. She flashed me a wide grin and to be polite I gave her a small smile. She must have taken it as an invitation because the next thing she did was sit next to me. Maybe I shouldn’t have tried to be polite. “I don’t remember getting your name earlier.” She said. Maybe that was because I told you what it was…“I’m Alexia,” she said with an arm outstretched. I must have tak
Ayva’s POVThere were two things Justin did that made anger bubble within me. Firstly, he was still sitting so close to the lady, despite me standing right in front of him. He made me feel as though they’d been doing something important and I’d ungracefully interrupted them. Secondly, the way she looked at him. While Justin had no power over the way she was looking at him, he’d given her the access. He’d let her be so close to him that one may think he’d gone on that trip with her instead.I wasn’t someone who irrationally got jealous or was against my partner interacting with the opposite sex but something about that lady’s fondness with Justin ticked me off. Where did they meet? In LA or somewhere else? Could she have been one of those girls he used to have sex with during his whore phase? Jace did say something about Justin going wild those two years I was away. Did they meet then?Her eyes scrutinized me and I couldn’t help but feel a bit insecure under her stare. I mean sh
Justin’s POV"I forgot to ask, how's Ethan doing?" Ayva suddenly asked, catching me off guard. I felt a mix of surprise and relief that she decided to break her silence. It was the first time she had spoken to me since we boarded the cruise ship.Gabriel, one of the staff members on deck, had given us a tour of the ship, a journey that lasted about thirty minutes. Throughout the tour, Ayva remained silent, not sharing her thoughts on the ship's ambiance and facilities. Even when I asked for her opinion, she simply nodded. There was no excitement or joy, unlike the previous day on the jet. Most of the time during the ship tour, she was engrossed in her phone.I blamed myself for the situation.If only I hadn't stared at Alexia as she left. If only I had been more mindful of where my gaze wandered.I had attempted to address the issue multiple times since then, but each time, she found a way to deflect the conversation before it could even begin.When I tried to broach the topic at the
Ayva’s POVI was scared. I couldn't figure out if it was because it was the first time I'd seen Justin that angry with me or because he was walking away like he didn't want to be near me anymore. It felt like I was losing him.Maybe I went too far by calling him a liar. The hurt in his eyes when I said those words kept replaying in my mind."Justin," I called out, but he didn't stop. Panic started to set in. I was afraid he was going to leave me. Justin would never purposefully ignore me; I had upset him so much."Justin, please wait," I pleaded, the desperation clear in my voice. I was sure he could hear the fear in my words, but he kept walking, not looking back.My heart was racing in my chest, my palms were sweaty. Tears were welling up in my eyes, and my throat felt tight.I pushed myself to walk faster, to catch up to him. Somehow, I made it, managing to stand in front of him, blocking his path."I'm sorry for what I said earlier. It's just that you were sitting really close to
Ayva’s POVDinner turned out to be amazing. Justin had arranged for a private chef to whip up a delicious Greek dish, the name of which slipped my mind. However, the wine stole the show. Although I wasn't a big drinker, I found myself downing more than half the bottle. I should have stopped when I started feeling a bit tipsy, but I just couldn't resist.Suddenly, my phone rang loudly, breaking the serene atmosphere. Justin peered curiously, asking, "Who's that?"We were dining on the balcony of the ship, surrounded by a stunning night. The cool breeze gently caressed us, while the moon's silver glow illuminated our faces. The stars sparkled brightly above, creating the perfect romantic setting.As I glanced at my phone, I hesitated, unsure if I should reveal the caller to Justin, who sat at the opposite end of the table. The name "Aiden" flashed on the screen, and I debated whether to answer, pondering Justin's reaction."It's Aiden," I murmured, but before I could act, Justin command
Justin’s POV“Is it morning yet?” Ayva groaned as she stirred, her eyes remaining closed. I smiled down at her and replied, “It’s past noon.”She groaned loudly. “I wanna sleep some more. Give me five minutes.” She murmured. “You said that ten minutes ago,” I told her, biting my lip to hide my smile. It was the fourth time I’d tried to wake her that day. My first attempt was around 10 am, I’d brought her breakfast in bed and like she did minutes ago, she’d told me to give her five minutes, which turned into an hour. Her breakfast had long turned cold so I had to return it to the kitchen and have the chef prepare some brunch instead. “I did?” She questioned, without opening her eyes. “Yes.” She groaned, pulling the covers over her head. “I’m tired.” She mumbled, and chewed down on my lips, feeling guilty because I knew I was responsible for that. I’d put her through a whole lot all through the night. We’d be so busy that neither of us got any sleep until 6 am. We probably would h
Ayva’s POVJustin had kept his words like a true gentleman. Even when I tried to seduce him and get him in bed, he didn’t budge. Two days had passed since the day he made that vow and although I’d significantly gotten better, Justin wasn’t convinced. We’d left the ship that night as Justin’s only made a twenty-four-hour reservation. He’d wanted to pay extra cash for us to extend our stay there but I’d told him not to. Just because he had an abundance of money didn’t mean I felt comfortable with him throwing it around for me. It was our fourth night there. During the day, we’d gone to the beach and joined this four-hour cooking class for young married tourists where we learned how to make some popular Greek dishes. Justin had made us wear a matching ring before we got there so everyone would believe that we were truly married. The experience was beautiful yet I couldn’t be truly happy about it. Justin must have noticed because after we left the cooking class, he kept insisting that