I came to this island looking for peace, to start a new life and heal from the past. Instead, I met HIM – charming, attentive, and everything I didn’t know I needed. But just as I began to believe in new beginnings, one single moment shattered everything.
Even though I had spent decades here, my living room seemed like a foreign space. I was 55 years old, and I stood staring at my open suitcase, pondering how my life had led me to this point.
‘How did we get here?’ – I asked, looking at the battered Forever and Always cup in my hand before tossing it aside.
I ran my hand across the couch. ‘Goodbye Sunday coffee and fighting over pizza.’
Memories buzzed in my head like unwanted guests I couldn’t chase away. The emptiness felt stronger in the bedroom. The other half of the bed looked at me like an accusation.
‘Don’t look at me like that,’ I muttered. ‘It’s not all my fault.’
Picking things up became a hunt for the items that still mattered. The laptop lay on the table like a beacon.
‘At least you got to keep it,’ I said, stroking it.
In it was my unfinished book I’d been working on for two years. It wasn’t finished yet, but it was mine – proof that I wasn’t completely lost yet.
And then an email came from Lana:
‘Creative retreat. Warm island. Fresh start. Wine.’
‘Of course wine,’ I laughed.
Lana always had a knack for making disasters appealing. The idea seemed reckless, but wasn’t that the point?
I looked at the flight confirmation. My inner voice kept bugging me.
What if I didn’t like it? Or if I wasn’t accepted? What if I fall into the ocean and get eaten by sharks?
But then another thought came to me.
What if I do like it?
I exhaled and closed my suitcase. ‘So much for running away.’
I wasn’t running away. I was running to something new.
The island greeted me with a warm breeze and the rhythmic sound of waves crashing against the shore. I closed my eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply, letting the salty air fill my lungs.
It was exactly what I needed.
But the peace didn’t last. As I approached the retreat site, the peace of the island changed to loud music and bursts of laughter. People, mostly in their 20s and 30s, were sprawled out on brightly coloured pouffes, holding drinks that looked more like umbrellas than liquid.
‘Well, this certainly isn’t a convent,’ I muttered under my breath.
The group by the pool laughed so loudly it startled a bird in the nearest tree. I sighed.
Creative breakthroughs, huh, Lana?
Before I could lurk in the shadows, Lana appeared, her hat tipped at a playful angle and a margarita in her hand.
‘Thea!’ – She shouted, as if we hadn’t texted just yesterday. ‘You made it!’
‘Already regretting it,’ I muttered, but pulled on a smile.
‘Oh, come on,’ she said, waving her hand. ‘There’s magic going on here! Trust me, you’re going to love it.’
‘I was hoping for something…hush,’ I said, raising an eyebrow.
‘Nonsense, you need to meet people and soak up the energy! By the way,’ she grabbed my hand, ’I have to introduce you to someone.’
Before I could object, she led me through the crowd. I felt like a tired mum at a school party, trying not to trip over my discarded flip-flops.
We stopped in front of a man who I swear looked like the cover of GQ. Tanned skin, a relaxed smile, and a white linen shirt unbuttoned just enough to be mysterious but not vulgar.
‘Thea, this is Eric,’ Lana said excitedly.
‘Nice to meet you, Thea,’ he said, his voice as soft as an ocean breeze.
‘Likewise,’ I said, hoping my nervous tension wasn’t too noticeable.
Lana glowed as if she’d just had a royal engagement. ‘Eric’s a writer, too. He dreamed of meeting you when I told him about your book.’
My cheeks flushed. ‘Oh, it’s not finished yet.’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ Eric said. ‘What you’ve put two years into it…it’s amazing! I’d love to hear about her.’
Lana smirked and stepped back. ‘You two talk. I’ll find more margaritas!’
I was mad at her. But after a few minutes, whether it was Eric’s irresistible charm or the magical sea breeze playing with me, I agreed to go for a walk.
‘Give me a minute,’ I said, surprising even myself.
In my room, I rummaged through my suitcase and pulled out the most appropriate summer dress.
Why not? If I was already being dragged, at least I’d look good.
When I came out, Eric was already waiting. ‘Ready?’
I nodded, trying to look calm, though an uncharacteristic shiver rippled restlessly in my stomach. ‘Lead the way.’
Eric showed me parts of the island that seemed untouched by the hustle and bustle of the retreat. A secluded beach with a swing hanging from a palm tree, a hidden path leading to a cliff with a spectacular view – places not found in the tourist brochures.
‘You’re good at this,’ I said, laughing.
‘At what?’ – He asked, sitting on the sand nearby.
‘At making someone forget that they’re completely out of place.’
His smile widened. ‘Maybe you’re not as out of place as you think.’
As we talked, I laughed more than I had in months. He shared stories of his travels and love of literature, which coincided with my hobbies. His admiration for my book seemed genuine, and when he joked that he would someday put my autograph on the wall, I felt a warmth I hadn’t felt in a long time.
But underneath that laughter, something was unsettling me. A slight unease that I couldn’t explain. He seemed perfect, too perfect.
The next morning started out on a high. I stretched, my mind buzzing with ideas for the next chapter of my book.
‘Today is the day,’ I whispered, reaching for my laptop.
My fingers quickly ran across the keys. But when the desktop appeared on the screen, my heart stopped. The folder where my book – two years of work, sleepless nights – had been stored was gone. I searched my entire hard drive, hoping it was just lost somewhere. Nothing.
‘This is weird,’ I said to myself.
My laptop was still there, but the most important part of my labour had disappeared without a trace.
‘Okay, don’t panic,’ I whispered, grabbing the edge of my desk. ‘You’re probably just confused.’
But I knew I wasn’t. I ran out of the room and headed straight for Lana. As I walked down the corridor, muffled voices caught my attention. I froze, my heart beating faster. Slowly I walked to the door of the next room, which was ajar.
‘Do we just need to pitch this to the right publisher?’ – Eric’s voice said.
My blood ran cold. It was Eric. Peeking through the crack, I saw Lana leaning in, her voice as low as a conspiratorial whisper.
‘Her manuscript is great,’ Lana said, her tone as sweet as syrup. ‘We’ll figure out how to file it as mine. She’ll never know what happened.’
My stomach twisted with rage and betrayal, but there was something worse: disappointment. Eric, who’d made me laugh, listened to me, and who I was starting to trust, was part of this.
I turned around before they could see me and walked back to my room. Slamming my suitcase hard, throwing things into it in a hurry.
‘This was supposed to be my fresh start,’ I whispered quietly, full of bitterness.
My vision blurred, but I didn’t allow myself to cry. Crying was for those who still believed in second chances, and I was done with that.
As I left the island, the bright sun seemed like a cruel prick. I didn’t look back. I didn’t need to.
Months later, the bookstore was full and the air hummed with conversation. I stood at the podium with a copy of my book and tried to focus on the faces smiling back at me.
‘Thank you all for coming today,’ I said, my voice firm despite the storm of emotions lurking inside. ‘This book is the result of years of work and… a journey I never expected.’
The applause was warm, but it hurt me. This book was my pride, yes, but the road to its success had been far from easy. The betrayal still sat in my mind.
As the line for the book signing dwindled and the last guest left, I sat in the corner of the shop, tired. And that’s when I noticed her-a small folded note on the table.
‘You owe me an autograph. Cafe on the corner, when you have time.’
The handwriting was undeniably hers. My heart skipped a beat. Eric.
I stared at the note, my emotions overwhelmed: curiosity, annoyance, and something I wasn’t ready to name yet.
For a moment, I considered crumpling it up and walking away. But instead, I sighed, grabbed my coat, and headed into the café. I spotted him right away.
‘You’re brave to leave me a note like that,’ I said, sitting down across from him.
‘Bold or desperate?’ – He replied with a chuckle. ‘I didn’t know you were coming.’
‘Neither did I,’ I admitted.
‘Thea, I have a lot of explaining to do. What happened on the island… At first I didn’t understand Lana’s true intentions. She convinced me that it was all for your good. But once I realised what she was up to, I took the flash drive and sent it to you.’
I remained silent.
‘When Lana dragged me into this, she said you were too modest to self-publish your book,’ Eric continued. ‘She claimed you didn’t believe in your talent and you needed someone to surprise you, to take it to the next level. I thought I was helping.’
‘Surprise?’ – I barked. ‘You mean steal my job by going behind my back?’
‘That’s what I thought at first. When she told me the truth, I grabbed the flash drive and went looking for you, but you were already gone.’
‘What I overheard didn’t turn out to be what I thought?’
‘It was. Thea, I chose you once I realised the truth.’
I let the silence envelope us, waiting for that familiar anger to flare up again. But it didn’t. Lana’s manipulations were a thing of the past, and the book was published by my rules.
‘You know, she was always jealous of you,’ Eric said quietly, breaking the silence. ‘Even at university she felt eclipsed. This time she saw an opportunity and used our trust to take what wasn’t hers.’
‘And now?’
‘She’s disappeared. Broke out of every circle I know. Couldn’t survive the consequences when I refused to support her lies.’
‘You made the right decision. That means something.’
‘Does it mean you’ll give me a second chance?’
‘One date,’ I said, raising a finger. ‘Don’t mess it up.’
His smile spread even wider. ‘Deal.’
As we left the café, I caught myself smiling. That date turned into another, and then another. And then I fell in love. And this time it wasn’t one-sided. What started with betrayal became a relationship based on understanding, forgiveness and, yes, love.
