Laura
Wrapped up in Jake's arms, I felt a happiness I hadn't experienced in a long time. His warmth, the steady rise and fall of his chest beneath my cheek, the soft hum of the waves outside, it all felt surreal. I couldn't believe this had actually happened. I was still catching my breath, basking in the sweet euphoria of the moment, letting my mind replay every little detail, from the way his hands had gripped me to the intensity in his eyes when he looked at me. For a brief moment, everything was perfect.
Lying there, tangled up in his arms, I let out a contented sigh, snuggling closer. This was what I'd wanted for so long, what I'd dreamed of. To love and be loved. Jake. Us. Someone to love. It felt right, at least, it did to me.
Breaking the silence, I glanced up at him with a soft smile, my heart still racing. "So… what happens now?" I asked, my voice quiet, almost hopeful. "Do you think we've complicated things too much?" I quizzed, squeezing my mouth in a chuckle.
I was expecting him to laugh, maybe tease me a little, or at the very least, reassure me that this meant something more. But what I wasn't expecting was the look that flashed across his face, serious, almost distant. His eyes shifted away from mine, his jaw tightening. My heart dropped instantly.
"What do you mean?" I pressed gently, sitting up a little, searching his face for an answer.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair, clearly struggling with something. After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke, his voice low and flat. "Laura, this… this doesn't change anything between us."
I blinked, the words not registering at first. "What?" My heart began to race for a different reason now, panic rising in my chest.
"This can't change anything," he repeated, still not looking at me. "We can't… be together."
"I'm your boss, and you know my rules. I don't mix pleasure with work.
I stared at him, my mind spinning, trying to make sense of what he was saying. "What do you mean we can't be together? What rules? We just…"
"I know what we just did, I enjoyed it, we both did." he interrupted, his tone sharper now, almost impatient. "But it doesn't change anything. We can't be together, Laura. This…" He gestured between us, frustration etched on his face. "This was just… a mistake." He let out in the simplest tone I had ever seen him used.
The word 'mistake' hit me like a punch to the gut. I felt my chest tighten, my throat closing up. How could he say that? After everything, after what we just shared, how could he reduce it to something so meaningless? I shook my head, disbelief washing over me.
"A mistake?" I whispered, my voice trembling. "That's what this was to you?" I added while he finally looked at me then, his expression softening slightly, but it only made it worse. "Laura, it's not that I don't care about you. I do. But like I said, I'm your boss. There are boundaries we can't cross, and we've already—"
"Boundaries?" I interrupted, my voice rising as anger started to replace the hurt. "Not again please! That's what this is about? You're my boss, so what, we just pretend none of this happened? Like you weren't just deep inside me. You knew what you were doing. You even admitted you've always wanted it." I let out but he didn't say a word. He just looked at me for some seconds before looking away.
His silence spoke volumes, and that was all the confirmation I needed. I could feel my heart breaking in real-time, the warmth and joy I'd felt just minutes ago now replaced with cold, empty despair. He didn't want me, not the way I wanted him.
I pushed myself away from him, suddenly feeling exposed, vulnerable. I felt cheap, used, like all I'd ever meant to him was some quick fling to pass the time. How could I have been so stupid? How could I have thought this was anything more? He had always made it known that he someone to stay in or fall in love. I desperately wanted sex and he gave me just that. I was just stupid enough to think it would come with some love and commitment. But then, I was going to fault myself for what we had.
"I can't believe you," I said, my voice shaking with a mixture of hurt and fury. "After everything, after all this time, you're just going to throw me away like I'm nothing?"
"It's not like that," Jake said, sitting up now, trying to reach for me, but I moved further away. "Laura, you have to understand.."
"Understand what?" I snapped, my vision blurring with tears. "That you're too much of a coward to admit you have feelings for me? That you'd rather hide behind your stupid job title than face what's actually happening between us?"
"That's not it," he argued, his voice tight. "It's not about being a coward. It's about doing the right thing. You work for me. We can't…"
"Oh, spare me," I cut him off, my voice thick with emotion. "This isn't about doing the right thing. This is about you not wanting to deal with the consequences. You're scared, Jake. You're scared of what this means, and instead of dealing with it, you're pushing me away."
Jake stood up now, frustration clear on his face. "You don't understand, Laura. This isn't just about me. It's about both of us. What we did… it was a mistake, and if we keep pretending it wasn't, we'll both get hurt."
I stood up too, tears streaming down my face now, my chest heaving with sobs I was trying desperately to hold back. "I'm already hurt," I whispered, my voice breaking. "You don't get it, do you? This wasn't just some casual thing for me. I care about you. I…"
I stopped myself, choking on the words. I couldn't say it. I couldn't admit just how deep my feelings for him went, not when he was standing there telling me it was all a mistake.
Jake looked at me, his face softening again, but it only made me angrier. I didn't want his pity. I didn't want his apologies. I wanted him to feel the same way about me that I felt about him, but he didn't. And that realization shattered me.
"I'm sorry, Laura," he said quietly. "But we can't."
That was the final straw. I couldn't take it anymore. I turned on my heel, ran inside the cottage, and slammed the door to my room, locking it behind me. Once I was alone, the dam broke. I collapsed onto the bed, sobbing uncontrollably, my whole body shaking with the force of it.
How could I have been so stupid? How could I have let myself believe, even for a second, that Jake might actually feel something real for me? I'd been so sure, so certain that there was something between us. But I was wrong. I was just another mistake to him. I should have learnt my lesson the first time with Jackson. How could I get easily fooled again… too soon…
I cried until my body ached, until I had no more tears left to shed. My heart felt like it had been ripped out of my chest and stomped on, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal, of humiliation. I was so angry at myself for letting this happen, for letting him get so close, for giving him a piece of me that I could never take back.
And then, just as I thought I couldn't possibly feel any worse, my phone buzzed from across the room. I sat up, wiping my eyes, and reached for it, barely registering the notification until I saw it.
One new message.
My heart skipped a beat. Service? How was that possible? I quickly unlocked the phone, my hands shaking as I opened the message. It was from the hotel. They were sending help. Relief flooded through me, cutting through the pain, even if just for a moment.
I immediately dialed their number, my voice trembling as I spoke. "Please, I need to get off this island."
They promised they were sending someone to pick us up. Help was finally on its way. But as I hung up, the weight of everything that had happened settled back over me. Getting off the island wouldn't fix this. It wouldn't undo the hurt, the betrayal. And as much as I wanted to leave, I knew that no matter where I went, the pain would follow.
I lay back down on the bed, staring at the ceiling, the tears slowly starting again. I thought I'd found something special with Jake. I thought that, maybe, he felt the same way. But I was wrong. And now, all I had left was the bitter taste of regret and the hollow ache of a heart that had hoped for too much.