CHAPTER 2.1

CHAPTER 2.1

A white vehicle drove me to the Inn where I will be staying called Little Haven and when I got there, the attendant was absolutely friendly while catering to my needs. She handed me the key to my single room and the place was not to so bad at all. I had my own bathroom with a bathtub at an affordable price, my bed sheets were most definitely holistic, plus the mattress was just utterly soft and the entire room smelled like strawberry and had a wonderful air condition. I fixed my luggage inside the wooden dresser and decided to stroll around the island as I rented out a bicycle. I remembered a few landmarks so I won’t get lost on my way back home and I knew I had to find a good place to eat lunch and have a cup of coffee at the same time.

I found a really hippie and island life vibing coffee shop which also offers lunch so I parked my bicycle to the side and ordered a solo plate of food. I sat on this tall stool chair as I began to eat by myself as I look around the laidback coffee shop that does not exist in North Carolina. They were playing some old music on their old jukebox that is still working in the corner. As soon as I finished my lunch, I pulled out my laptop from my small bag and placed it in front of me. I began to scroll through I*******m, trying to double tap some photos of my friends. I got busy unfollowing Charles on all of my socials and removed all of his photos in my accounts.

“Blue.”

I heard a deep raspy voice that came close as I was sitting alone scanning through my laptop inside this local cafe on the island. I pulled my head up to check who it could be and saw a tall man with a long brown tousled hair, topless, tattoos almost everywhere on his body and had a blue green board shorts. He had the most perfect curls that a man can have and it makes me wonder what his shampoo is or does he even put conditioner after. I envied his long luscious locks which was slightly past his shoulders. His eyes, glued on mine, were an amazing hue of emerald green as he flashes me his dimpled smile.

I looked over my shoulder and found no one there so he must be talking to me. I look back at this man who is still smiling at me. “Excuse me?” I chimed, confused about what he meant.

“Blue.” He repeats again and there’s a way on how he said it that makes his plump lips look hot.

I scoff, “I’m sorry, are we talking about colours here?”

The man with green eyes chuckles breathlessly. “Your eyes, they’re a lovely shade of ice blue.”

Oh, a voice in the back of my head says as I mentally answer him. I was taken aback with how he complimented me directly and he had to tell me the colour of my eyes out of the blue. Also, his accent makes him sound much sexier aside from his tone and quality of voice. The man with long curly hair was charming and undeniably handsome that it almost seemed bewitching. He had chiselled chest, sculpted biceps and a well-toned six pack abs with a smouldering look on his face.

“Thanks.” I answer dryly. “But I’m not interested.” I shut him down instantly even before he can say anything else. I focused my attention back on my laptop and tried to scan through I*******m.

“Oh, I truly apologize.” He was quick to apologize and can’t help but think that he is still standing here next to me. I wonder what this topless man wants from me so I decided to keep ignoring him until he decides to leave me alone. “I didn’t know you were into ladies.”

I look back at him, shocked that he thought I was lesbian. He took it in a most definitely wrong way. I stare at him for a while, examining his tattoos and that damn huge butterfly tattoo in the middle of his chest. I travelled my eyes back to his face and noticed his prominent jawline.

“I meant I’m not interested with you.” I tell him, frankly.

He slowly takes the seat next to mine and sat down, “So you’re saying you like men.”

I sigh inwardly as I begin to feel annoyed by this man who is still not leaving me alone. “I don’t think it’s rightful to talk about my sexuality with a stranger.”

The man widely smiles at me, “Then let’s not be strangers.” He says while extending his hand out to me for a handshake. “I’m Harrison but you can call me Harry.”

I glance at his hand and it was huge and slightly pinkish. I noticed that he had two anklets on his left foot and realized that his skin seemed a little reddish, so as his cheeks. Maybe he has been staying under the sun for a long time, probably swimming or sunbathing.

I accepted, “I’m not interested.”

Harry’s smile widens as he chuckles under his throat, “Well it’s very nice to meet you Not Interested.”

Smug, this bastard.

His hand gently squeezes my hand before I pulled it away from his grip, “You got a nickname or something? Your name’s a bit long.” He crinkles his nose line. “Maybe I should call you Notty.”

I lean closer to his face, “Maybe you should mind your own business.”

He smiles at me as he leans even closer to mine, “Or maybe you should try to tell me your name.”

I pulled my head away from the man who was still looking at me still with that damned smile on his face. He’s smug and he’s obviously mischievous. I don’t know if he was trying to be cute or he knows that he is gorgeous and he can get any woman easily because of his cute dimples and stunning eyes.

“I don’t know if you don’t get it but I don’t really like talking to you.” I responded.

“Harry!! Come on let’s go man!”

I look over my shoulders and found two men standing right outside the coffee shop who were calling out to him. One man was blond, holding a soccer ball in his hand and had a bright smile while the other man who also had a few tattoos on him was seemingly skinny underneath his white shirt but had such a handsome face with black hair and that smouldering look in his wondrous eyes. I noticed three other ladies who wore bikinis and skimpy shorts were also waiting for him.

I travelled my eyes back at Harry who is now standing from the stool chair while tying all of his hair into a cute manbun. “I’ll be there!” He shouts back before leaning over to me unexpectedly which causes me to lean my head backwards. His eyes scanning my entire face before he subtly bite his upper lip as he finally landed his eyes on my eyes.

“The island is not that big so I’ll see you around, Notty.” He says before rushing out of the coffee shop.

I watch him carefully as he gets on his big motorcycle with a mounted surfboard rack attached to the side and an actual white surfboard on it. He puts on his black helmet and winked at me before he revs his motorcycle and speeds away from the coffee shop following his friends who already left him.

Leaving me breathless.

I ignored the man named Harry and focused again on my laptop.

After having my lunch, I decided to bike down around the island and found more restaurants as I headed further ahead to the long and winding road. There were some souvenir shops selling bracelets, anklets, shirts and a whole bunch of other stuff. There were different kinds of cuisines that this restaurant has to offer and it was really making me hungry again. I passed by a place called The Surf Spot and I was getting quite interested because of the huge marquee of men surfing on it so I decided to take a peek and check the place.

I walked through the entrance and passed by a few smaller cafe shops which were serving cold drinks and various kinds of foods. There were coconut trees, there were hammocks and found a bunch of people in bikinis and board shorts who were lying on their towels over the powder-like sand under the heat of the sun. They were getting a suntan while there were a few people surfing on the waves of this little breath-taking beach. The water was gorgeously light blue and the horizon was insanely astounding.

I see a three-storey viewing deck which was on top of the waters and there were some people who were taking photos in there. I see a hanging bridge made out of wood which connected to the other viewing deck on the left side. The sun was blaring out with heat and I can feel that the temperature in here must be over 25 to 30 degrees Celsius but somewhat it felt relaxing since we don’t usually get this kind of view and atmosphere and this much nature in the city. Also the wind felt great as it brushes my cheeks and I can really feel the calmness that the entire island can bring to my body and spirit. I sat over a log which was over the sand, I think it was intended to let people sit so I sat down and observed nature at its best as I glance at the people who were enjoying their time.

I pulled my phone out and took a few photos of the wonderful view that I am seeing. It’s not every day that I can get to come here so I think I need to make most of my time. I sat here for a while and just stared at wondrous nature while recalling of how I left things in North Carolina and how I left things with Charles and my relationship with him that can never be healed.

I pulled my head back when an opened coconut was placed right in front of my face while there was a steel straw inserted in it held by a huge hand. I pulled my head up and found the curly long haired man who is smiling at me wearing his black sunglasses which really looked good on him as much as I hate to admit it. His hair was slightly damp and so does his board shorts so I guess he came here to surf as well just like the other people, hence the surfing board he carried on his mounted surfboard rack.

“You, again?” I asked.

“I told you the island is small.” He says to me. “Can I sit with you?”

My brows creasing because he sits next to me even if I didn’t answer him yet. “Hi Notty.” He greeted with his dimpled smile while he was still holding his coconut.

“Coconut?” He asks.

“What do you want?” I ask him.

“Notty, I told you I just want to be friends. Is that so bad?” He answers and placed the coconut over my palm. “You know what? You won’t enjoy the island of LUAHU if you’re too uptight like that. LUAHU is all about being away from home but also feeling at home.”

“First, I am not uptight.” I face him. “And second, I think I can enjoy the island just the way I like it without asking for your consent.”

“Notty I am not saying you should ask for my consent to have fun.”

I exhaled heavily placed the coconut over his palm, “I don’t care and I told you many times that I’m not interested and kindly stop annoying me please?”

I stand on my feet and was about to leave him but he chases me again and blocks my way, “Look.” He stands in front of me while securing the coconut with his hand. “I don’t mean any harm. I just really want to be friends.” He extends his hand which had the coconut and smiles at me, “I’m not going to stop bothering you not until you and I become pals.”

I stare at his face as he adds, “Coconut? Or should I say, coconotty?” He smiles a little bit wider, “Get it? Coconut. Notty.” He tries to joke and laughs at his own joke.

I laugh softly under my breath, “You can keep the coconut.” I tell him as I push the coconut back to him. “And stop calling me Notty.”

I shake my head sideways as I walked away from him while I see his two male friends from earlier who were sitting nearby while laughing at Harry. The black haired guy with a perfect jawline takes a long drink from his beer while the blond was kept laughing loudly making fun of Harry.

I look at him over my shoulders as soon as he called out my attention, “At least give me a clue!”

I turn back at Harry, “Country.” I teased.

His brows creasing, “What?” His thick accent speaks through him. “That’s clearly not helping.”

“Then that’s no longer my problem.” I tell him, shrugging my shoulders.

“Australia?”

I laughed, “That’s a continent.”

“Is it?”

I shake my head sideways and thought of him as smart, but I guess I thought wrong about this man. I decided to leave him as he continues to bother me but I tried to ignore him.