SERENA’S POVI woke up to the sensation of someone shaking me vigorously, and for a moment, I was disoriented, unsure of where I was or what had happened. Then, I saw Kaden’s concerned face, and the events from earlier flooded back into my mind.“Thank God you aren’t dead,” I heard him say. “You had me there for a minute.You hit your head pretty hard. How are you feeling?"I winced as I brushed my fingertips across the growing lump, sitting up slowly. "The plane..where are we?"He sighed. "Stranded on some island." Looking past him, I saw the dark plume of smoke still rising from the burning wreckage in the distance.My eyes followed the long stretch of white sand, nothing but jagged rock faces and thick jungle as far as the eye could see. A shiver ran through me that had nothing to do with the cooling air."Oh my God, did the pilot make it?" I asked, my heart pounding with fear.Kaden’s expression darkened, and he shook his head. "I didn't see the pilot land on the island. The

KADEN’S POVTo the lady that said she was going to keep watch to make sure the animal doesn’t come near us,well….she had actually dozed off on my shoulder and was about to break her neck.I laughed softly thinking of how determined she was earlier only to give up several minutes after. She must have been really tired and I could tell. I placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and swiftly carried her in my arms, placing her gently into the tent before resuming my position at the fire making sure we were safe. I looked at how she slept soundly and how beautiful she looked and it felt nice to watch over her. I watched over her and stayed by the fire, making sure the animal or whatever the fuck it was didn’t come near.The next morning, the sounds of birds chirping welcomed me. I stretched my sore muscles and sat up from where I was crouched by the fire the night before. In total,I got like… thirty five minutes of sleep if I wasn’t mistaking. The first light of dawn was breaking throu

SERENA’S POVI peered upwards at the sky, the bright sun no longer visible. "Do you think it will be a bad one?""I'm not sure, but it's moving in quickly. We'd best prepare in case.""What do we need to do to get ready?" I asked, trying to ignore the knot forming in my stomach. Kaden didn't respond right away, his eyes scanning our surroundings intently. After a long moment, he said grimly, "I'm afraid this spot might not withstand a serious storm. We need to find somewhere else for shelter."My concern grew at his words. "Somewhere else? Where else is there?" As if in response, a few fat raindrops splattered onto my shoulder. The breeze swiftly swelled into a howling wind."Come on Serena. We gotta fucking go.Now.Grab your things!" Kaden's tone brooked no argument.I gave a hurried nod and threw my backpack over my shoulders. By the time I had it settled, the rain was falling steadily heavier. Kaden took my arm. "This way, come!" We raced into the cover of the dense forest as the

SERENA’S POVMy eyelids fluttered a little before my eyes snapped open hearing excited voices in my bedroom.Blinking in the bright light, I was greeted by the smiling faces of my family around my bed. "Happy birthday!" they sang in unison. I gasped in delight at the confetti blowing everywhere and colorful balloons on the floor.Thank goodness last night wasn’t one of those nights I slept roughly and had more than half of my boob peeking out from my night gown. Mom approached with a kiss on my forehead and a tight bear hug. “Happy birthday my sweetheart. Make a wish and blow out your candles, birthday girl!" "I almost forgot it was my birthday," I admitted, still in a bit of a daze. "Oh my goodness,you guys… you all managed to make this the most memorable day. I’m literally short of words right now"Cameron stepped up next, proudly holding a three-tiered cake dripping with frosting roses and sparkling "27" candles.“No need to wish that you want to have me forever because you alre

SERENA’S POVThe door to my office swung open with a force that caught me off guard, and the next thing I saw was Bianca was striding over to my table like a runway model. She was hard to miss in her tight red dress, expertly applied makeup, and heels that added at least 4 inches to her height. I arched an eyebrow, unable to suppress a note of annoyance. "Bianca, couldn't you have knocked? There's a thing called courtesy, you know."Bianca tossed her hair back, a haughty smirk on her lips. "Courtesy? Who needs that when you're the daughter of a Ramirez? I can do as I please."I sighed, rubbing my temples, bracing myself."Bianca, what are you doing here?" I asked, getting straight to the point. "I just thought we should chat some more. Clear the air, you know?" She replied innocently, taking a sip of coffee from the mug she wrapped her fingers over . I tensed, not in the mood for her games. "I just asked,what do you want, Bianca?""Oh, don't play dumb with me, Serena. We both know