June 26, 2024
You step off the boat and the heat hits you like a velvet slap — not aggressive, but warm and thick, the kind that melts the tension from your shoulders. The ocean glistens behind you like it’s showing off, and the island in front of you feels too perfect to be real. Palm trees sway lazily in the wind, and the scent of salt, citrus, and something floral follows you up the dock like a whisper. You’re still barefoot from the yacht—shoes in one hand, sunglasses sliding down your nose—and you’re not entirely sure why you agreed to come. Maybe Jess talked you into it. Maybe you just needed to disappear for a while. Maybe some part of you already knew this place would change everything.
And then you see him.
Slater King. Standing like he owns the sun. Loose shirt, tan skin, perfect teeth when he smiles—God, that smile. He’s flanked by his crew: Vic with his lazy rich-boy confidence, Cody pretending he’s more chill than he really is, Tom already sizing up every girl on the dock like it’s a buffet. Lucas is there too, a little quieter, hanging back, eyes scanning everything. And the girls they invited—Camilla, Heather, Sarah—laughing too loudly at something none of the guys said. Everyone looks like they walked off a magazine shoot, but you still feel his eyes land on you, like you’re the only one he actually noticed.
“you,” he says, like it’s a song he’s been waiting to play again. “Welcome to paradise.”
You hesitate—just a second—but he’s already offering his hand, his fingers cool from the drink he was holding, a ring catching the sunlight. Jess nudges you forward with a grin, and you let him take your hand. His touch is soft, but his grip isn’t. He leans in a little too close when he speaks, like the words are only for you. “You’re gonna love it here,” he promises, voice low and slow, like syrup over ice. “Everything you’re trying to forget?” His smile sharpens. “It won’t follow you here.”
The villa towers behind him, white stone and glass catching the sun, wrapped in vines and mystery. The staff is already moving your bags, and someone hands you a drink you didn’t ask for. You’re not even sure where your phone is. You catch Jess whispering something to Sarah, both of them laughing as they disappear up the stairs. The rest of the group spreads out—some heading toward the pool, others deeper into the jungle-like gardens. But Slater doesn’t move. He just watches you with that look, like he already knows how this trip ends.
And still… you follow.
