I dabbed a tear from my eye, sniffing noisily when another tried to escape. How did him turning into a zombie and then dying make any sense in the storyline?"You should stop watching those Korean dramas of yours, Elizabeth. They give you false illusions about love and make you look silly," Cole complained into my ears just as the episode credits began to roll."Good morning Cole," I responded sourly, the sarcasm evident in my voice as I turned to face him. He shot me a sharp look in response before stalking off into the toilet. By the time he got back, the flight attendant–a middle-aged man this time– was done serving the breakfast and I had begun to dig in.He glanced at me and asked, "Did you make an order for me?"I nodded my head, my mouth full of food, and pointed at his seat where a dish was covered with cutlery and a serviette by the side.I watched as he opened it and raised an eyebrow turning to me, impressed. "How did you guess?""I worked with you directly for years, Si–Co
"Why did you pack so much?" Cole complained, even as he stood watching the driver load our luggage into his boot.I glanced at them and folded my arms as I responded, "They are not plenty, Cole. Besides, we are staying for two whole months. I do not want to run out of clothes."Men never understood our plight. While he could carry one box and fit all of his necessities inside, I had to have one large suitcase for my clothes, a medium sized box for footwear, make-up and jewelry, then a handbag for my body care products."What's the point? You'll still end up buying more anyway," he said and opened the car door for me."Still, you can never be too prepared. Anything could happen," I argued back, seeing the driver glance between us and give a short smile. The man was enjoying our banter, and I could bet he supported Cole."If you say so."I nodded once and looked outside the window as the car started to move forward. Long coconut palms spanned along the sidewalk, swaying from side to sid
"This is not my kind of scene," I shouted into Cole's ear, trying to drown out the thrumming beats of the music. We were squeezed together on the couch, and the unwelcome scents, loud noise and smoke were beginning to give me a headache.Cole laughed out and offered me a glass, shaking his head. "But I'm having fun."I looked around, still surprised by his definition of the word. We were sitting directly behind the blasting sound, numerous people grinding and gyrating to the awful beat as they passed cups filled with alcoholic content to each other. The disco bulbs shone different colours of light into my eyes. The whole scene reminded me of a high school party, and I felt disgusted.One girl stumbled towards us and tried to flirt with Cole, but I shot her a glare and she quickly walked away. He made a face at me and pouted, the dark shades covering his eyes, "Why did you do that?"I shook my head and groaned. Gods, the guy was totally wasted and we had not even been here up to two ho
"I would have handled it," I responded stubbornly, even though I was still shaking. I turned to look behind us, counting my breaths when I saw the assaulter still on the ground."Can we get away from here first?" I asked quietly, and Cole looked at me for a moment before sighing and driving silently towards the hotel.Immediately he parked the car at the front of the hotel, I stepped out and walked straight towards the elevator. As it chimed and moved down, the fact that I could have been raped seeped into my thoughts, and I broke down. If only Cole had not come at that moment–Anger flooded me as I got rid of that particular thought. I would not have been outside if he had chosen another place, or even responded when I complained about being uncomfortable. Instead, he watched me as I walked away to my near doom.By the time Cole got to the suite, I was already in the shower shaking as I furiously scrubbed my body over and over again to get rid of the grime and smell of that man.When
Cole placed an arm on my shoulder casually and leaned back, like he had been doing it for years.I took my mind off it, and continued to talk to Crystal. She was naturally sweet, and like me, had a sarcastic side and a love for Koreans."Have you watched that new series, The Boss and me? Gosh, they are so cute," she cooed, showing me a picture of the main characters."No, I have not. Been so busy after the wedding," I said, inserting my fingers into Cole's hand and smiling when he held on tighter. Crystal's eyes caught the action, but she did not say anything. Perfect. "I barely had time to watch anything, but I will try. Is it that good?""It's totally amazing. The main girl, Soon-Hee is a high school student but the guy is–""Babe. You'll end up telling her all about it, and there will be no point of her watching it," Zach chided softly, but she stuck out her tongue at him and continued showing me pictures."Liza will still watch it though. She spent half of the flight time watching
"What about the beach?" I suggested again, giving Cole a hopeful smile."You've said it before," he said, his eyes on the TV screen as he watched the business section."Well, because it will be nice," I pressed on, fighting the urge to stand in front of the screen so he would give me his full attention."Mmm…," he responded absently, and I tapped him twice on the shoulder."Are you listening? Or should I go alone?" I asked, and that got his attention as his eyes immediately whipped to my face. He gave me an unreadable expression and shook his head."No. We'll go together. Are you ready?" I nodded and did a mini happy dance in my head, carrying out the bag I had specifically packed for this purpose. Of what use would it be to come to the Maldives and not experience the blue water?"You seem very excited about this whole thing," Cole commented when we walked out of the hotel and got into the car, putting on his shades as he began the short drive."Yes, I am," I admitted, trying to rearr
"The number you're trying to call is not–"Still no answer.I cut off the automated voice and threw the phone into my bag, screaming internally. Fortunately Cole left the car keys in my bag, like he knew he would not be coming back, so I quickly packed up and left the beach area.I made my way to the hotel and checked the time at the reception desk. 6:10pm. Ordering dinner for one, I groaned and walked into the elevator trying to suppress my anger and disappointment. I wasted an entirety of four hours at the beach, waiting for that guy to get back.I dragged my feet into the suite, one of the valets entering a few seconds later to drop the meal. I dug in with forced fervour, but it tasted bland so I pushed it away and focused on the wine instead.Out of curiosity and partial boredom, I read the writing on the label. Expression 1942. Thirty-one percent alcohol. Drink responsibly.Like anyone would, I thought as I opened the bottle and took a few sips. My face scrunched up in disgust at
"Are you going out?" Cole called immediately I stepped out of the room. He was curled up on the sofa, a small blanket draped across his folded legs and a small sense of satisfaction filled my chest at the fact that he slept in an uncomfortable position."Yes, I am. I thought about what you said last night, and you are right. Like you, I also have the right to do whatever I want." I left the room and stepped out the door, not bothering to wait for a response.When I reached the hotel lobby, I put on a pair of medicated glasses and glanced at my reflection as I stepped out. My usually free hair was tied tightly into a bun, giving my look a thicker shade of nerdy vibes.I strolled down the street, going down the opposite side than Cole and I had passed, and looking around at the secenery with no particular destination in mind. I saw different pairs of couples and small families, all taking pictures or happily conversing within their circle. It looked like the tourist population were even