Sariya Island

Ashley heaved a long sigh when she finally get herself out of the busy airport. She can barely breathe inside it despite the airport being well ventilated and having a humongous space. There are just too many people there even though they are still 5 months away from the holidays, specifically Christmas and New Year. She just arrived on an island less than two hours far away from her hometown. She's there to attend her cousin's wedding. That cousin of hers is a pain in the ass. He never takes no as an answer. When Ashley turned down the invitation, he threw a tantrum like they are still teenagers. Ashley doesn't have any plan of attending the wedding if only her cousin will stop bothering her.

Ashely mentally cursed when she remembered that she forget to give her big oaf cousin, a call. She pushed the loose strand of her long bob-cut dark brown hair behind her ear and searched for her smartphone in her handbag. Searching didn't take that long since her handbag doesn't have that much stuff inside of it. While holding the handle of her gray 2-wheel suitcase, Ashley dialed her cousin's number while looking around the place, watching other people's reunions without feeling any envy for at least an inch. It only took 2 rings for her cousin to pick it up.

"Hey, big oaf, can you pick me up at the airport?"

[Airport? What do you mean? You know I'm in Sariya Island right?]

Ashley's cousin, named Harry, answered. She heard horns from the other line. She figured that her cousin is currently driving or at least inside a vehicle.

"That's exactly why I'm asking you to pick me up. I just arrived in Sariya Island for your wedding."

[My wedding? Aren't you too early for that?]

Ashley pursed her lips and furrowed her brows, failing to understand what does her cousin meant when he said that Ashley is pretty early for his wedding.

What does he mean early? Tomorrow will be his wedding. How is arriving a day before the wedding can be fucking called early? What is he even expecting? That I'll arrive on the very same day as his wedding? That was too hectic for me.

"What hell are you saying? How the heck did I became early? It's just a day before the wedding day. That wasn't early at all."

Ashley heard her cousin curse loudly from the other line.

[You didn't know?!] Harry asked, louder than needed.

Ashley stopped herself in swearing at the loud voice of her cousin. She instead rolled her eyes and shifted her feet.

"Know what?" Ashley asked, going impatient at the conversation. What she just wants is for Harry to just go there and pick her up.

[There's conflict at the first date of the wedding so we adjusted the date to 1 month from now.]

Ashley felt like someone just threw a bucket of cold water to her face.

"What? Are you kidding me?" Ashley asked, her voice isn't that loud but her tone is really hard.

[No, I'm not. It was the truth. The wedding will be on July 17.]

Thousands of curses circled Ashley's mind. She was more than annoyed now. She was about to ask why Harry didn't inform her but her cousin beat her into talking, got the feeling that Ashley will ask that.

[I did inform you. I sent you an email last week. You can even check it to prove that I'm telling the truth.]

That's right, Ashley no longer needs to check her inbox because she remembered that she received an email from her cousin but she ignored it. When she received the email, she was really busy so she said that she will just read the email later that day until she completely forgot about it, until that email from her cousin was piled up with emails sent from work.

"Fuck."

Ashley cursed, looking down at the ground and massaging her head that suddenly throbbed in pain when she heard the news.

I felt so stupid. Not only did I waste money but also time. If only I knew then I will be at my apartment, with my laptop and doing some work. This is such a waste of time.

Ashley heard a womanly voice over the phone, she assumed that it was Camila, her cousin's soon-to-be wife. Camila seemed to be asking Harry what is the problem and what is going on with Ashley.

Ashley heaved a long frustrated sigh and even if she is annoyed, there's no way she can blame Harry for that, after all, Harry informed her. This is all her fault for not reading the email.

[Hey Ashley, we're currently on our way there. We'll be there less than 10 minutes from now. Let's just talk later.]

Harry said and immediately ended the call, not even waiting for Ashley to say something.

Ashley mentally cursed again and a loud sigh again slipped her mouth, making other people look back at her in curiousness. Ashley slightly bowed her head on them and offered them an apologetic smile then averted her eyes from their gazes.

She was about to say that she will no longer need Harry to pick her up at the airport because she was planning to book a flight back to her city and just waited for her flight into the airport. But since Harry immediately ended the call after saying he was on his way towards the airport already, she had decided to just let him be. She will instead rest in a hotel while waiting for her flight.

Harry arrived less than 10 minutes into the airport with Camila. Ashley suddenly gets embarrassed with the thought that she bothered the date of the two or whatever plans the couple had.

"Sorry for being a bother to your plans for today." Ashley apologized when she's finally sitting in the backseat of Harry's car.

"Oh come on. You aren't that a bother to us and we no longer have any plans for the rest of the day. We just bought something close to the airport when you called."

Camila responded, looking back at Ashley while Harry started driving again.

"Thank you so much, Camila. You can just drop me at the nearest hotel Harry. I'll just wait for my flight back to my city there."

Harry frowned, as well as Camila.

"Why are you going back to your city already? You just arrived. Why not wander around the island first?" Harry asked, sparing Ashley some glances on the rearview mirror.

"I can't do that. I have work to attend to, and you knew already that I'm not into traveling or having fun, right? I'm busy."

Ashley replied, eyes fixed on her phone and currently checking the flights' schedule to book a flight.

Harry groaned, "Oh come on. It's just one month. You can just wait for our wedding since you're already here. One month isn't that long, you shouldn't waste time and money."

Ashley rolled her eyes, "No way. Your wedding is still one month away from today, that's way too long. Staying here will be a waste of more time and money."

"1-month vacation won't hurt your ass." Harry again said, trying to convince his cousin.

Ashley just ignore her cousin and busied herself on the phone.

"Let me call my Dad."

Harry said and gestured for his fiancée to dial his father's number and to hand his phone to him. Ashley didn't bother raising her head. She didn't think anything about it. She sees it as nothing that concerns her.

"Hey, Dad."

Ashley heard Harry greet his father. Ashley can't hear the other line and she isn't that interested in listening to their conversation too.

"Can you give Ashley a one-month vacation?"

Harry suddenly asked, looking at Ashley through the rearview mirror, grinning widely.

Ashley's eyes widened at the question. Harry's father is the owner of the firm where she's working as an engineer. She glared at Harry, asking what is he talking about but Harry just averted his eyes, still grinning. She clenched her fists, annoyed at her cousin. Like what she said earlier, that cousin of hers is a pain in the ass.

Ashley wanted to grab the phone and stop Harry from saying any more words but she can't do that because Harry is currently talking to his dad, Ashley's uncle, and at the same time boss. Warren, the name of Harry's father isn't strict. He's a pretty cool guy but Ashley respects him, that's what his father taught her despite being blood-related.

"Okay. Thank you, Dad." Harry answered, sounding happy. He ended the call and gave the phone back to his wife.

Ashley wanted to punch him on his back or his arm but she can't do that because Harry is currently driving, she just reminded herself to do that later when they get themselves out of the car.

"What the hell did you say to Uncle Warren?"

Ashley asked, annoyed. She stared at the rearview mirror, waiting for Harry to look at her directly in the eyes through the mirror.

"I just asked Dad to give you a 1-month vacation and he said yes."

"And why the hell did you do that?"

Ashley is fuming but Harry is still cool. Fighting is not a new thing for them. Every once in a while, they are having a childish fight because Harry loves to tease her and Ashley is sometimes quick to lose her temper. They're childhood friends so they knew each other like the back of their hands.

"Ash, come on. It's just a 1-month vacation. You haven't taken any for years, since you and Catalina broke up. You just drowned yourself in work. Sometimes you also need to enjoy your life." Harry said, sounding serious now. He meant everything that he said. Ashley is like a little sister to him so he is worried about her. He wants the best for his cousin, at the same time, his closest friend.

"Don't include Catalina in this conversation."

"Why not? Since she left you've been like that."

Camila just shut her mouth, doesn't want to get herself involved. She's sending her soon-to-be husband signals to just drop the topic but Harry isn't backing off. She doesn't want to intervene but at the same she wants. She's worried that these two will have a misunderstanding then she remembered that this isn't the first time she saw them argue at each other.

Ashley heaved a long sigh and rolled her eyes. "I've already moved with her. This is not all because of her."

That's right. This is not because of her break up with Catalina. It's been years since that happened. She no longer has any feelings for Catalina. She and Catalina are now just friends. She changed her bubbly personality to a serious one not because she was hurt with the break-up. She just realized something that pushed her to behave like this.

"If you no longer have any feelings for Catalina then stay at this island for one month. Take a break with work."

Ashley snorted, lazily staring and scrolling down her phone.

"And what would I do for the whole month I'm here? I'm just going to bore myself in a hotel room."

"Who said you're staying in a hotel room? You'll be coming with us. You knew we have a house close to Sariya beach. We have a spare room. You can use it."

Ashley lifted her head, eyes widening a little bit while shaking her head. "No fucking way."

"Yes, fucking way. You won't regret it. There are tons of tourists spots there. 1 month is not even enough to fully enjoy the island."

Harry is not taking no as an answer. Ashley hates that about him. She hates how spoiled is him. Ashley just rolled her eyes and didn't speak. She instead looked outside the window. Shutting herself doesn't mean that she had already given up. She just decided to set aside the argument later when she can hit, kick, or whatsoever her cousin.

"Who knows maybe that's where you will find the girl that will make you fall in love again."

Ashley again didn't reply and just busied herself with the view outside the window. The grip on her phone tightened and her teeth clenched at what her cousin just said. Instead of feeling happy or excited, she was irritated.

The girl that will make me fall in love again? Then what? That will be the end because the next thing that will happen, that girl will leave me for someone else. I don't hate love nor I'm bitter over relationships. I just realized that I shouldn't waste my time with that word. I realized that I shouldn't waste my time in a story that I will never be the main character.