chapter 7: Back to Reality
477 Words
The warmth of Alex's body still lingers on Isla's skin as she wakes, the soft sheets tangled around her. The sunlight filters through the sheer curtains, casting a golden glow over the spacious bedroom.She turns onto her side, expecting to find him beside her, but the bed is empty.
A faint frown croses her lips. Slipping out of bed, she grabs one of Alex's white dress shirts from the chair, buttoning it loosely before padding barefoot through the house. The sound of waves crashing against the shore mixes with the faint clicking of glass from the kitchen.
She finds him standing by the counter, dresses in nothing but grey sweatpants, sipping his morning coffee as he stares out at the ocean. The sight of him-- barefoot, relaxed, utterly unguarded-- makes her heart swell.
"Did you plan to leave me in bed alone?" she teases, stepping up behind him and wrapping her arms around her waist.
He smirks, setting his mug down before turning in his arms."I was going to bring you coffee."
Her fingers trace the muscles of his stomach, feeling the slow rise and fall his breath."I'd rather have this."
He cups her face, tilting her chin up before pressing a slow, lingering kiss her lips. "You're insatiable," he murmurs against her mouth.
"You love it."
He chuckles but doesn't deny it. Instead, he kisses her again, deeper this time, his hands sliding beneath the oversized shirt she's wearing. His touch ignites her skin, making her gasp softly. Just as he lifts onto the counter, his phone buzzes on the table.
Alex groans, resting his forehead against hers. "I should throw that thing into the ocean."
She giggles. "Duty calls."
He reluctantly reaches for his phone, his expression shifting from relaxed to tense in an instant. Isla watches as he reads the message, his jaw tightening.
"What is it?" she asks softly.
He exhales, rubbing his tample. "The board is demanding an urgent meeting. They're not happy about the media's reaction to our relationship."
Her stomach knots. "Because I'm not from their world?"
Alex's gaze sharpen. "Because they don't understand that I don't give a damn what they think." He cups her face, his thumb stroking her cheek."I won't let them touch you. Ever."
She smiles, though a part of her worries. "I know."
But the call back to reality is undeniable. Their perfect getaway is over, and soon, they'll be returning to the city, to the pressure of his world.
And when just Isla thinks things couldn't get more complicated, an email notification pops up on her phone. A prestigious fashion institute in Paris has accepting her application--a dream opportunity.
Her breath catches, she had applied months ago, before she ever met Alex. And now, just when she's fallin in love with him, fate is offering her different path.
A choice.
Her dream or....her heart.
- Writer
