Fine. I'll be fine.

It's just a wedding, with the nosiest people in my life and me flying solo.

I couldn't have been more excited when Ellie told me she and Logan opted for an all-inclusive Maui destination wedding. When I thought of Hawaii, I pictured beautiful beaches, island breezes, colorful tropical flowers, pineapples and coconuts, just the ultimate relaxation destination.

The spring semester flew by, spring turned into summer, and in the second week of June, here I was for Ellie and Logan's wedding. Technically, I was homeless and lived back at Dad's in Santa Cruz for the summer but contentment flowed through me as my feet touched down onto Maui ground.

After both Li and Kieran passed their MCATs, both were accepted into the University of California in San Diego medical program. I'm sure in someone's mind they looked like they rode off into the sunset together but Li promised me that they'd return whenever she visited her parents.

I wasn't entirely sure why but she felt incredibly sad about the rift between Kieran and Jake. So sad that she made me promise, pinky swear and all, that if I ever was with Jake again then she and I worked to mend their friendship.

I didn't have the heart to set her straight on that pipedream.

Kieran spent half the spring semester assuring me that he'd initially gone along with Ethan's 'Fuck Jake Harrison' plan but quit before it'd gotten further than the party where he'd met Li. I told him if he apologized one more time then I revoked my roommate approval, which finally shut him up on that topic.

The second half of the semester, he grumbled at me about Jake. As relentless as a dog with its favorite squeaky toy being threatened, he never let up.

The one person I hadn't seen was Jake, who stayed true to whatever unspoken word where he left me the fuck alone. His posters, for what they were worth, got donated to an USC-sponsored online auction for the Children's Hospital. I had no idea who they went to or for how much, I just wanted them out of my life but couldn't bring myself to throw them in the dumpster.

"Just you, Miss?" A cab driver's greeting pulled me out of my fuzzy-headed thoughts.

What I hadn't imagined for this destination wedding was Eddie getting a work emergency the night before a six-hour direct flight for a week-long vacation. Dad insisted on a redeye from LAX and I was so tired by the time the plane arrived at Kahului Airport that I unappreciated how the scenery was better in person.

"Yep," I replied dryly. "Just me."

"These are... all yours?" The taxi driver's eyes roamed over three of my large, over the weight-limit suitcases. In his defense, my bridesmaid's dress bag did look like it smuggled a dead body inside because I'd also crammed all my sundresses in it.

"Yep." I patted my over shoulder carryon bag, which honestly just contained my makeup, and made sure I still had my purse.

With a slight grunt, my tired legs lifted me up while my bags were all heaved onto a large Jeep with an overhead white and turquoise canopy. I lifted my fingers and slipped my black, Valentino cateye sunglasses down until they concealed my tired eyes. Once we left the airport, I closed them the best I could for the bumpy, fourteen-mile but thirty-minute shuttle ride straight south to the Wailea Beach Resort for Ellie's last days as a Harrison and first days as a Hightower.

"Hey Harper," Eddie's warm, smooth voice hit my ear between the bumps that jostled the edge of my phone against my cheek. I still caught the guilt in his voice when he asked, "Did you make it?"

"Yeah, sorry if I'm calling you during your shift." I did feel bad for calling but he'd asked me to call once my feet were on stable enough ground.

Last night at eight pm, an hour before Eddie and I were supposed to leave for LAX and me still unsuccessfully convincing him to try a speedo instead of board shorts, his boss called with the news that half his unit had gotten sick with the flu. In a moment of desperation, he asked if Eddie canceled his travel plans.

Was I upset? Disappointed mostly, especially because I wouldn't get to spend time with him and all his amazingly black-inked up skin on the beach sand and blue ocean. We'd gone a few times to the beach. Playa Del Ray was his favorite because of the flat, almost exposed beach sand that led straight into the water, but this was Maui.

Eddie's preferences were definitely simple and straight to the point, that was obvious. Although I was just glad he hadn't said Santa Monica Pier because of my associated 'Uhh, Jake was going to take me there before I ruined everything' explanation would've been awkward as fuck.

Eddie knew enough about Jake, from as little as I could have possibly told him. Annoyingly, he asked a lot and tried to get me to open up more, always from the angle that was my 'last relationship' but that wasn't it. Eddie had sure talked my ear off about the elevator exchange and left our conversation convinced I still had strong feelings for Jake.

Of course I do, that's what happens when you leave things unresolved.

Correction, Eddie thought I was in love with Jake and vice versa. One elevator exchange had convinced him of that and no words from me since then had changed his stubborn mind.

While Eddie thought that and still dated me, even I wasn't sure. His only answer over and over was that he thought I needed a friend in my life but he hadn't convinced me. Whatever his reason was, it couldn't have been our sex life. My libido improved the more days I spent without my toxic mother in them and less I thought about her, which was hard because Wyatt and I had kept in contact.

Maybe it was better Eddie didn't come. If I saw him ship Jake and me then I'd swim myself back to LA.

Maybe Eddie was bothered by my insistence that whatever my feelings were, they didn't matter. He hadn't told me that directly but my emotional baggage was a weird conversation whenever it came up.

"Don't be," he assured me. "I'm glad to hear from you. Although honestly I wish I was there, given that sexy show last night."

A quiet giggle tickled my throat and bounced my shoulders. I'd modeled each new bikini before I'd packed it, although they'd ended up on a piled heap next to my suitcase.

Dad's guilt over my shitty first months at UCLA extended well into this trip. He'd splurged for seven nights in an upgraded, ground-level room with a walk-out terrace that supposedly featured a western water view, gave me a blind-eye credit limit for any clothes I needed, and indirectly suggested I did whatever ladyscaping I wanted.

Given that offer, selfishly, I'd gone through enough laser treatments that my Brazilians had come to an end. I'd gone all out and zapped off my pubic hair, armpit hair, and my leg hairs. The process took two hours each time, smelled worse than it felt, and I second-guessed the decision from the extra hairs that sprouted out additional spots each week after the first two sessions.

But the hair fell out beautifully and while Eddie had reaped most of the benefits, my skin had never been smoother. Plus, I hadn't needed any intermittent shaving or coordinated wax sessions before this trip, so I was happily hairless.

So, of course, I'd bought a shitload of new bikinis to enjoy my new hairless existence. Although now tourists, retirees, honeymooners, and Ellie's wedding guests would be the only ones to see them.

Dad too.

While the overwhelming majority of 'new' options in the stores were micro bikinis, I hadn't gone that far because even I had covering up standards and, at that point, one should just go naked. As much as I enjoyed a good Dad tease, the last thing he needed was a heart attack and not just because I needed him to pay for our trip expenses. But I had gotten some string bikinis and halter tops, one for every day that I was here.

"I'll send pictures," I promised Eddie as a sinking feeling spread through my chest. Not even the warmth from the overhead midday sun and salty breeze that flowed over my cheeks dissolved the weighted sensation inside me.

I'd hoped that this weekend could have been a chance that Eddie could have gotten to know Dad and Grace, plus Ellie a bit more. Even after we talked in Napa Valley, she hadn't warmed up to the idea of him at all but hadn't offered why.

Knowing Ellie, she'll crack as soon as I mention he couldn't make it.

"Well, remember what I said last night," Eddie's voice dropped slightly, which brought my attention out of my thoughts.

"How can I forget," I replied dryly. "I thought it was just a post-sex slip-up."

"I'm serious," he said, well, seriously and I sighed.

"I'll think about it." While that was the same answer I'd given Eddie last night, part of me doubted his motives.

Since we'd planned that we traveled together, I'd driven from Dad's house back down to LA and spent the night at Eddie's. While the two of us laid in his bed, sweaty and sated, he'd leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. "Stay here," he murmured quietly.

Wordlessly, I'd nodded since I assumed he meant stay the night. With Eddie's patience, I'd really tried not to go with my post-sex flight instincts. He was also a light sleeper and not much of a cuddler, which was fine with me.

"No." My eyes slid closed behind my sunglasses and I still saw the tender look in his hazel eyes, hooded as they gazed down at me. "Stay here here. When you start up the fall semester, move in with me."

Still can't believe he asked that.

My mouth had dropped so fast, my jaw nearly unhinged itself. I was lucky I hadn't fallen out of his bed and Eddie was lucky I hadn't kneed him right in the nuts. "What?"

"Li is going to medical school but you're still going to UCLA, right?" Stunned completely numb, I just silently nodded.

He'd launchd into a few other reasons but they all blurred in my mind, even hours later. Eddie's casual offer repeated itself over and over in my head like a bad playlist loop. I'd tapped a nervous beat on my plane seat's armrest, which was another reason I hadn't slept on the overnight flight.

I should be excited, honored that he asked, not scared shitless... right?

"How do you know I'm not some terrible roommate?" I asked him now and swept a few blonde strands off my nose.

"Li's still alive." His warm laugh hit my ears, nestled in between the wind that whistled over them. "And I've slept next to you enough times to know you won't suffocate me."

Give me the right pillow and we can really test that theory.

"I'd say you have minimal standards, but that's a given if you're with me," I tossed back as the taxi pulled up past large, multicolored lightbulb blocked letters that read 'Aloha' near the front of the resort. "I just pulled up, so I'll call you later."

"Miss you already," he offered before I basically grunted goodbye.

That probably wasn't nice. This is why I'm shit at relationships.

Am I supposed to miss him? I did while we were apart but I just saw him last night, for fuck's sake.

I stared at my phone, nestled in my palm, until the screen turned black. It reflected the underside of my chin, with a backdrop of the light blue sky and puffy white cotton ball clouds overhead and the taxi's lurched forwards stop snapped my head up.

"Welcome to Marriott Wailea Beach Resort," a short woman with long, straight black hair smiled brightly at me and slipped a ring of purple tropical flowers over my head.

Whatever the flowers were, they smelled beautifully, until she handed me a cold glass that was best described as fruity and those senses went straight from my nose into my brain.

"Passionfruit, Orange, and Guava," she offered, smiled brightly, and pressed a hot towel into my other hand.

Right, fruity.

"Thank you." I shifted my eyes between my hands, then went with the towel awkwardly patted over my face and cringed when I saw a few spots of concealer on it as I handed it back.

"Enjoy your stay," she offered with a flash of her dark brown eyes and extended one arm towards the glass, double-entrance doors.

My tired reflection pulled away to the sight of a sleek, modern hotel interior. Cream tiled floors, white walls, and silver metal accents greeted me as I stepped inside. I got sidetracked when a side door opened for a young couple glued at the hip. My nose twitched and filled with the smell of smoke and a cooked meat smell that reminded me airline pretzels hadn't done anything for my stomach.

With soft squeaks, my tennis shoes stepped over the pristine, cream-colored floor tiles. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, I paused and looked at a lush courtyard area with benches and white shade umbrellas, then a ridiculously amazing pool area that looked like it had been carved out of the massive gray, textured volcanic rock that surrounded it.

Step by step, I delayed my check in and ventured out further. The NALU Adventure pool attracted the kids and families, understandably. The walk-in entry with turtle and whale water sculptures and water jet splash areas were already filled with kids' shrieks of joy.

I think my ovaries just shrunk.

My eyes traced over two small waterslides there, plus two longer ones at the other end of the pool. A wide smile tugged across my lips at the Maluhia Serenity Pool and its 'Adults Only' warning sign. Double-level, white canopies covered cushy lounge chairs in an infinity pool whose edge dipped straight off into the Pacific Ocean.

Now this is more like it.

Lush, green trees encroached on the edge of the view but from the angle where I stood, the hazy blue of the Pacific Ocean backdrop practically screamed for a closer look.

My ass is going out there today, after a nap.

Humidity dampened my skin and the hairs in my ponytail clung to the sides of my neck and bare shoulder blades where my halter top dress scooped down in back.

And a shower.

Begrudgingly, I turned around, retraced my steps, and went back inside the hotel. The entrance easily led me to the check in desk. Metal fabricated in a lattice pattern was attached to the walls like wallpaper, which I passed under and walked to the dark wood desk with a light green counter. The hotel's logo hung in silver letters on the wall behind a man dressed in all black, with one exception, beautifully bronzed skin, and short, cropped black hair.

"Aloha," he smiled and his dark brown, almost black, almond-shaped eyes beamed at me. "Welcome to the Marriott Wailea Beach Resort, how may I assist you?"

My eyes crinkled as they took in his red shirt, open at the collar and splayed with a giant white flower print. "Checking in, please." I unzipped my purse and pulled out my license. "Harper Reynolds."

"Reynolds..." he murmured, checked my ID, and tapped as his screen. His eyes widened, probably at the number of rewards points Dad dropped on our rooms. "Ahh, one of the executive ground floor rooms. Yours has an excellent view."

Wait, Dad and Grace better not be next to me. If I have to hear them -

"Is there a Mister Davis also checking in with you?" His eyes lifted and roamed behind me but without looking I knew the lobby was empty.

"Just me," I offered meekly and took back my license from him.

"Alright, these are both yours then." He slid two black plastic keycards to me and a half-sheet of black stock paper that listed the executive perks, courtesy of Dad's corporate card. "Room twelve, down the hall and on the left. Press zero on your phone if you need anything, any time day or night, Miss Reynolds."

"Thanks." I grabbed them, then noticed a bellhop approached with my suitcases and slightly elevated breaths.

"Enjoy your stay, Miss Reynolds." The receptionist smiled brightly. "And thank you for choosing Marriott."

I nodded silently because Ellie and Logan had actually made the choice, then skimmed over the perks card. The salon, spa, scuba diving, and poolside drinks in the private beach cabanas were already on my radar but I made a mental note to substitute Ellie in for the yoga and taste-testing in the six nearby restaurants.

Ha, do they have nap times for Logan?

With a quick click and buzzed unlock on room 12's access slot, the door opened to a miniature slice of island relaxation. The thick, simplistically square, black headboard contrasted the natural light that filtered into the room. Purple flowers spelled out 'Aloha' in capital letters across the white bedspread, which my hand swept aside as I stepped towards the captivating view on the other side of a wall-to-wall sliding doors.

"Here's your luggage, Miss," a voice coughed out behind me.

"Thank you," I tipped the slightly sweaty guy who lugged in my suitcases in three separate passes. He nodded, wiped off his forehead, and bowed out.

As soon as the door clicked shut, I walked to the outside doors and opened them. A breeze struck me right away and I stepped out onto a red cedar deck that ran perpendicular to the doors. Fully shaded by the slight overhang from the room above's deck, my eyes roamed upwards. The covered area was extended by a black arbor feature that half-shaded my deck, which included a white table with four chairs and two outdoor chairs with tan cushions.

Shower first, Harper.

My feet dragged me back inside, where I locked the door and slipped my clothes off and left them in a puddle on the floor. Once I fished out my shampoo and conditioner, my bare feet padded into the all-white bathroom except for the wood vanity under the sink. The small space surrounded me with simplistic features but I smiled at the shells in a glass jar next to the packaged shampoo and soaps.

Once I'd washed the flight off my body, I swept one hand over the flowers that remained on the bed and faceplanted softly.

"Mmm..." The softly crashing waves were the last thing I saw before my heavy eyelids fluttered shut.

An undetermined amount of time later, my eyes cracked open and I groaned. With a long stretch, I extended my stiff limbs, relaxed my jaw with a deep yawn, and wiped at the corners of my eyes. With another groan, I wiggled my fingers and toes, then rolled towards the door side of the room and gasped at the most breathtaking sunset.

A reddish-orange sun kissed the ultra-aquamarine water and streaked yellow and orange rays across the sky.

"Oh wow," I murmured then inwardly groaned at the six pm time on my phone.

Well, that'll fuck up my sleeping schedule. I should eat though.

Since I was still ass-naked, I slipped into a strapless, short, white sundress that fluttered comfortably over my thighs. A brush dragged quickly through my hair was all I had patience for, so I tied it up into a high bun. A light concealer and Chapstick application later, I patted my cheeks, grabbed my room keycards, and tucked them into my dress' pockets.

A soft hum vibrated my throat as I walked down the hallway, back towards the check-in desk. Ellie and Logan's wedding party wasn't scheduled to arrive until tomorrow afternoon, except for Dad and Grace who I expected later tomorrow night based on his earlier text.

More hotel guests lingered and passed by but my feet stopped at the tall, muscular, broad frame of a familiar, dark-haired, muscular football player.

Did I say muscular twice?

For once, my eyes glued not on Jake but the blonde that he wrapped his arms around... not just any blonde but a particular blonde that I could've happily gone the rest of my life with never seeing her again.

What the fuck of all fucks is she doing here!?

My eyes had been so focused on Camille Park that I barely looked at Jake. I mean, let's be honest, she looked way better now than she did during any year of high school.

For a girl who I would've assumed peaked as a cheerleader and both Homecoming and Prom Queen, she looks... Uhh, her chesticles have deflated.

Dressed in a thin-strapped, light pink, ankle-length maxi sundress and white sandals, she looked delicately casual. Her formerly bleached out hair hung in loose, almost frizzy dark blonde waves down her back and she wore it naturally down with a side part and a white flower tucked in her ear.

Curiosity filled her blue-gray eyes when they looked at me but the smile that lingered on her lips was all I needed before my heel spun and feet saved me from further embarrassment.

Fuck... fuck, fuck, fuck, of all the rebounds, he went back to her!?

My hand fumbled into my pocket for my phone, which I pulled out and dialed Eddie's number. Halfway through his double shift, I sank into a nearby lobby chair and closed my eyes at his voicemail.

"Hey, you've reached Eddie. Leave a message please."

See? Simple, direct, and straight to the point.

My chest lifted slowly and I released a breathy, "Hey," on my exhale. "It's me, I just wanted to let you know that I've thought about your offer and..."

And I know you'll never hurt me.

A sinking sensation dropped my shoulders and I cupped my free hand over the dull throbs in my forehead. Softness crept into my voice, "I've thought about it a lot, actually..."

Large, warm, and callous fingers wrapped over mine, lowered my hand from my face, and drew my eyes up. Dryness crept up my throat and coated my tongue, where my next words died.

Inch by inch, my eyes roamed up the broad chest muscles that stretched an awfully horrible Hawaiian print shirt. Seriously, it looked like a Macaw parrot had exploded in vain, or a blindfolded toddler had a paint party.

Tingles rushed over my skin as my eyes traveled higher, up to the parted open collar and hints of muscle definition under the rainbow-vomit shirt, starting with the small indented divot at the base of his throat. My fingers twisted as my eyes ran upward over the chords of his neck, just faintly visible from his relaxed expression. Short, dark stubble peppered the sharp line of his jaw and framed his pink lips, except for the tiny crescent-shaped scar near his slightly angled cupid's bow.

His nostrils expanded and slightly flared as I gulped and looked higher. Heat flushed through me as I dragged my eyes, now heavily drunk with a chain reaction of emotions that rose inside me. With visual interest, I mapped the striations of his irises, the darker brown streaks interwoven with medium tones that looked highlighted golden from the sunset behind me.

The warmth that flooded into his eyes spread through the charged airspace between us, which struck into the center of my chest, trickled shivers down my spine, and nestled between my thighs. A warm pulse of ache pooled in my core area, then throbbed once.

Oh fuck. Now?

At just one southern heartbeat, my lips parted. "I..." My words faltered again, which lifted up the corners of Jake's mouth. "I'll call you back, Eddie."