"I'm going to throw up," I said, covering my mouth and searching around frantically for the bathroom.

Ariana rubbed my shoulders soothingly. "You're fine, you're fine."

Bennett looked at me distastefully. "If you're going to vomit, do so privately and quietly."

"I'll make sure to aim for your shoes."

He narrowed his eyes at me and I parroted his expression, but I had the feeling it wasn't too intimidating. I felt sweaty and I knew my face was pallid. From the other side of the giant glass wall of the airport, I could see the nose of a Boeing. My insides clenched nervously and I swallowed hard.

"I'm not going," I decided.

"I already bought our plane tickets."

I honestly felt like I could cry. Flying was almost my number one biggest fear. Being fifty thousand feet up in the air with the threat of immediate death upon crashing was not something I was interested in. Ever. And yet here I was, inside an airport and ready to board the flying death machine. "It doesn't even make sense! Why do you want to get into something that defies logic? It's a hunk of metal that flies the freaking sky!"

Ariana tried to hide a smile but failed. "Come on, Henley. It's not bad. And it doesn't defy logic. There's science behind it."

"The force of pressure on the top of the airplane wing is less than the bottom, which causes a lift and the force of the lift brings the plane into the air while the engine— the thrust— propels the plane forward," Bennett explained simply. "I actually have a diagram on my phone that explains it if you're interested in seeing it—"

"No thanks," I said immediately. "I'm going to go to the bathroom and puke up this morning's breakfast."

"That's too much information, Henley."

I jutted my chin up at Bennett and shoved my suitcase at him. "Watch this. Ariana, come with me."

She nodded and handed Bennett her suitcase as well, much to his displeasure. Together we headed off toward the airport bathroom and I tried to calm my nerves, taking deep breaths.

It had all started last night. Bennett came home around seven o'clock, a couple of suitcases in hand, and told me our flight to Hawaii was leaving at 2 o'clock the next afternoon. What followed was an intense squabble of I'm Not Going Anywhere vs. This Is Part of Our Contract, Do What I Say and in the end, he had won. He'd tricked me into giving in by telling me Ariana had already eagerly agreed to go with him and Sebastian and she was already packing her suitcase. He'd paid for a ticket for her as well.

So even though I really, really didn't want to go, I couldn't let the opportunity pass. Ariana was like me— too poor for luxuries such as a vacation to Hawaii. I couldn't ruin this for her because I was terrified of public transportation. So we'd both somehow managed to clear our schedules and here we were, waiting to board the death trap.

"You and Bennett fight like a married couple," Ariana giggled. "You guys would be so cute together."

I shot her a dirty look. "First, don't make me regret telling you about that. Second, that saying is messed up. Healthy couples aren't supposed to fight all the time."

After coming to the realization that I might've developed feelings for Bennett, I'd had to spill to someone, and Ariana was the person I trusted the most slash the only other person I talked to. I'd expected her to tell me I was insane and I'd probably just been wooed by him for the moment, but she'd just said she'd known I'd liked him for a while now. Which didn't make sense. Even now when I saw Bennett's face, I felt annoyed. How in the world did I have feelings for him? How could I let myself have feelings for him, knowing it would just end with us going our separate ways?

"You're right," Ariana said slowly after a second, breaking me from my thoughts. "Why does everyone say that?"

"Beats me."

"You and Bennett don't fight though, you just spat. Spatting is cute."

I looked at her flatly, squinting my eyes a little.

She got the hint and grimaced sheepishly. "Okay. After I said that out loud I realized it was dumb. But you know, it's common for characters in books to flirt by fighting."

"Writers are so messed up."

"If we weren't, there wouldn't be any good books. Now go to the bathroom and take some anxiety pills before we miss our flight."

Flight. That's right. Suddenly feeling nauseous again, I hurried into the bathroom and released the contents of the minuscule breakfast Bennett had practically forced down my throat this morning. After that I grabbed my water bottle and swallowed a couple of pills, hoping it would be enough to knock me out for most of the flight.

Ariana and I returned to Bennett, just in time for Sebastian to catch up with us, a bag of magazines from the airport bookstore in hand. I felt like a robot as we moved together to the waiting area to board. My pulse would not stop racing. I could feel the blood in my ears and I prayed for the medicine to kick in. My hands were slick with sweat.

It only grew worse when we boarded the plane. If I'd been feeling normal, I would've rolled my eyes at Bennett seating us in first class, but now I was a little glad. It was definitely more private. Less people to see me freaking out. Ariana stayed by my side the entire time, holding my arm tightly.

I loved that girl.

"Over here Henley," Bennett said as we walked down the narrow aisle of the cabin. He stopped at a pair of seats that were almost at the front of the section. "I'll take the window seat. Give me your luggage."

I numbly let him take my carry-ons from me, my eyes trained on the window, taking in how high up we were by just being in the plane. We weren't even in the air yet. I wasn't going to survive this.

"Why don't you sit down?" Sebastian suggested, gently guiding me into the seat I was standing next to. I did as instructed.

Ariana went to sit next to me and Bennett slid his body between her and the seat. She frowned at him and I looked up to see him gesture to the seats on the opposite side of the aisle. "I accidentally booked the seats wrong. We can't swap, so you'll be sitting with Seb."

"What? No, she has to sit next to me," I said quickly.

"It's fine, Henley," Ariana replied. "I'm just across the aisle."

I wanted to complain, but I also didn't want to be immature about it, so I kept my mouth shut. Bennett settled into the seat next to me, looking completely calm and at ease. His posture was perfect; back straight, chin forward. He was wearing an actual suit today, instead of his usual vest and jeans. The jacket and waistcoat were dark grey while the button up underneath was a light lavender color, all complemented by a maroon tie. I tried to focus my attention on his outfit and not the fact the cabin was filling up and that we'd probably be taking off soon.

"If you're going to get sick, please move away," Bennett said, eyeing me warily. "This suit was cut and sewn by hand to tailor to my exact form. That's not cheap."

I didn't even have the effort to retort. I closed my eyes, taking slow, deep breaths, trying to keep my heart from exploding. It worked for a little while... all the way up until take off. The engine roared loudly, scaring me half to death.

Then a firm hand grasped my own, scaring me again. I opened my eyes, seeing Bennett watching me, eyebrows knit together. I tried to pull my hand back, but he held it tighter. The plane started to move.

I held onto Bennett's hand like it was my life support.

I wasn't sure whether it was consciously or subconsciously, but as Bennett held my hand, his thumb stroked my skin soothingly. And I didn't want to admit how much it worked. It was enough to distract me from the take off.

Almost. I screamed a little as we hit a bump on the runway.

By the time we landed in Honolulu, Hawaii, I was a wreck. I'd thought that I'd feel a little calmer for the connecting flight, but I managed about the same. Now I felt gross and sticky from perspiring and I was tired and cranky from being emotionally drained during the combined twelve-hour trip. Not to mention the fact of the time change, so it was really only 8:00 PM when it felt like 2:00 AM. Why couldn't Bennett have chosen an earlier flight?

There were two cars waiting for us when we exited the airport. The longer I was off the plane, the better I felt. Once that first wave of fresh, warm air hit me, I could've cried. My stomach rumbled loudly, proving that I was starting to feel better. I'd barely been able to choke down a granola bar on the flight.

Bennett waved to one of the drivers, who hastened to gather Bennett's luggage, packing it into the trunk of the fancy BMW. Bennett then turned to me, adjusting his tie. "Get to bed early tonight, Henley. Sebastian, make sure they eat something before they fall asleep."

Sebastian smiled a little. "Sure."

"Very well."

"Wait, where are you going Bennett?" I asked as he started to walk away.

He paused. "I have work to do."

"I thought we were here for a random vacation?"

He gave me a one-shouldered shrug and I noticed that he looked just as tired as I felt. "For you, Sebastian, and Ariana, yes. However, I came for work. There have been some problems with the construction of my hotel and I'm here to solve them personally."

I felt faintly disappointed. Bennett wouldn't be spending any time with us? Or was it just for today? What work would he be doing at this time? Why did I care so much?

"Sir, you're going to be late," the driver of the BMW spoke up.

"Ah, let's depart then," Bennett said, putting a hand up to us in farewell. "Please enjoy your stay."

I pressed my lips together, unused to Bennett's formal tone. It was weird. The last time I remembered being around his business-self was when he was trying to get me to sign our contract. Now it felt isolating.

After Bennett left, we all piled our luggage into the remaining luxury car, and then piled ourselves into the back seat. We left the airport and I pressed my face against the window, wanting to take in the view. We'd flown in over the ocean, but I'd been too scared to look out the window, so I hadn't taken a good look at it. Now we were headed inland and even though it was almost sundown, I could see mountains looming in the distance. We passed clusters of palm trees, something I'd never thought I would get to see in person. I could see why the place was such a tourist attraction.

"What hotel are we staying at?" Ariana asked, letting out a yawn. "There's only a couple in Wailea, isn't there?"

"We'll be staying at my resort," Sebastian answered.

I turned toward him. "Your resort?"

"Yeah. Now I get to show you how impressive I am."

I grinned, rolling my eyes. "Okay, Bennett."

He chuckled. "I'm actually surprised Bennett wanted to come. I also have a little bit of work to do here and I mentioned it to him and he insisted on coming with me and bringing you and Ariana along."

"Really? Why?"

"Beats me. Usually, he hates travelling for work. Believe it or not, he doesn't enjoy flying either. Since this is his project, I guess he had to come anyway. Might as well all come together."

Bennett didn't like flying? But he'd seemed so calm the entire time! His hand hadn't even been shaking when he held mine.

"Aw, he was putting on a brave face for you," Ariana cooed.

I shook my head. No way. It wasn't him trying to appear at ease so I wouldn't be more worried... was it? I didn't want that to be true. It would be easier to get over him if he wasn't a nice guy.

"Something tells me he might be trying to make it up to you through this though," Sebastian commented thoughtfully.

"Make what up?"

"For the blind date he went on. He probably doesn't think anything of bringing someone on vacation as a means for an apology."

"Why would he need to make anything up to me? He can go on blind dates. We're not really dating," I said, even though my stomach tightened at the thought of the beautiful woman in the red dress.

Sebastian and Ariana both watched me with the same expression. I didn't like it. "In any case, he didn't feel right about it," Sebastian told me. "He didn't want to be there. He brought me along to make it seem like less of a date."

I didn't want to admit it, but Sebastian's words made my chest feel lighter. Even after speaking to Bennett about it and knowing his mother forced it on him, I couldn't shake that feeling of envy about it. Envious that she was there with them. Envious that she fitted with Bennett so well. Envious of her beauty.

You're prettier...

I slapped my hands to my cheeks, startling Ariana. She glanced at me quizzically and I cleared my throat, returning to looking out the window. Don't think about it, don't think about it, I chanted in my head. My cheeks felt too warm for my liking.

When we arrived at Sebastian's resort, my mouth almost dropped. It was enormous. We pulled up to what I assumed to be the main building. It towered over us in the night sky, lights shining brightly and illuminating the main entrance and surrounding parking lot. From inside the car, I could see the lobby because it was completely open. No windows, no walls. I turned to Sebastian in awe. "What if someone robs you?"

My question caused him to laugh. "That's not where you check-in. You can't see it from here, but there's an inside lobby. This is just the foyer."

"Is this where we're staying?" Ariana asked.

"No. We're staying in one of our single suites. We have multiple buildings for accommodation. This one is the most common, but we have more private suites for clients who are willing to pay the extra fees."

Our driver opened my door for me and I climbed out, stretching widely in the warm, salty air. The smell of the ocean was relaxing. Now that we'd arrived, I felt the tiredness leaving my body. "Is our suite by the ocean?" I asked Sebastian.

He nodded as he helped unload our bags from the trunk. "Yes. We also have a private balcony and infinity pool."

Ariana grabbed her suitcase from Sebastian and nearly jumped up and down. "Let's go see the ocean!"

"Let's drop off our luggage first," Sebastian suggested, leading the way up the stairs to the open foyer of the resort.

The floors and walls and support beams appeared to be made of the same sandy-colored marble. There were a few people relaxing in comfortable-looking wicker chairs and couches. The lights were hanging low and etched with beautiful tribal markings. As Sebastian had mentioned, we came across a glass wall that held the door to get into the actual lobby. It was just as clean and neatly decorated as the foyer. Same sandy marble and everything.

The receptionists greeted us warmly and then exchanged glances when they caught sight of Sebastian. "Ah, Mr. James, I'm glad to see you've arrived safely!" one of them chirped. She gave our trio a bright smile. "I'll check you in, come over here. Would you like a schedule of the resort's activities?"

"Yes, thank you," Sebastian answered politely. "I think we're in building eight."

The receptionist nodded, tapping into the computer on her desk. "Everything is all set for you. Shall I get someone to drive you?"

"No, I'm fine. I'll just take the keys."

"Here you go." She handed him room cards and also a set of keys. "Those are for cart nine." Then she gestured for me to come forward and then handed me a couple of brochures and a laminated paper. "Welcome and I hope you enjoy your stay."

"Thanks," I responded, feeling a little overwhelmed.

Sebastian guided us away from the receptionists and down the polished hallways. A couple strolled by us, laughing loudly and wearing leis around their necks. I smiled, suddenly finding myself in a great mood.

We went through a set of automatic glass doors and were outside once again. This time I could see just how big the expanse of the resort was. There were lights stretched for what seemed to be miles. I couldn't make out everything since it was nighttime, but it looked like there were at least three gigantic pools between all the buildings, with paths cutting through them to the either the beachfront or to another building.

"There's a golf course behind those far buildings," Sebastian said, pointing to the furthest set of buildings. "It'll be easier to see things and explore tomorrow when it's light out. Follow me, we'll take a golf cart to our suite."

As we drove to our suite, I noticed that the three pools were actually connected. There were crowds of people in the pools laughing, drinking, and splashing at each other. At the edge of the pools were what I assumed to be tiki bars. It was incredible. I could only imagine how much a night it cost to stay here.

I shuddered.

When we came to our suite, I almost couldn't believe it. It was something I'd seen in movies that I never thought was actually real. We were basically on the ocean. In fact, there was a little dock that had a roof and couches and chairs situated a little way into the water. As much as I wanted to go check it out, I wanted to look inside first.

There seemed to be four rooms in the building. Sebastian let us up the porch to the second floor, where he unlocked the room closest to the beach. It was clean and cozy and the whole back wall against the ocean was made of glass, just like Bennett's living room.

"Those are windows too, so if you want to leave them open at tonight you can," Sebastian told us as I started to inspect them. "You two will stay in this room and Bennett and I will stay in the adjoining one. The two rooms below us are empty."

"Thanks for letting us come," Ariana said while I gazed out at the ocean in amazement. The moon reflected off the waves and I could hear every crash as they spilled onto the sand.

"No problem," Sebastian said. "If you give me a second, I'll figure out where we can grab a quick bite to eat. I'm sure you're tired, but you should really eat something first, so you don't feel sick in the morning."

"Want to go put our feet in the ocean?" I asked Ariana.

She nodded vigorously and we both kicked off our shoes and socks, bolting through the door and racing the short distance to the water's edge. "You first," she said.

I gently dipped a toe into a breaking wave. I yanked it back, expecting it to be cold like the waters in New England. But it wasn't. I put my foot back in and grinned. "It's like eighty degrees!"

Ariana tested the water too before taking a few steps in. "This is crazy."

"I love Hawaii," I decided.

I loved Hawaii even more as we ate dinner. Besides the fact that the restaurant was completely open and we basically sat on the ocean as we ate, I was ravenous. I'd been distracted by my excitement, but the minute I smelled food my appetite kicked in full throttle

I stuffed my face.

A decision I soon regretted after we were finished eating. Fatigue set in quickly as the exhaustion finally caught up to me. My eyes were having trouble staying open as we headed back to our suite. Ariana was leaning against me in the golf cart and I swear I could hear her snoring. I barely managed to get her and myself up the steps. Sebastian followed behind us, probably ready to catch us if we passed out.