Then, we were there. I laid my hands on the protective stone wall that separated me from the cliffside.
“Holy crap,” I whispered, letting the scene wash over me.
Stark white and blue buildings clung to the edge of the cliff, cascading into the mesmerizing depths of the sea below. It was even more breathtaking than any picture I had seen. Glancing to my right, I marveled at the island curling gracefully around us. I felt immediately overwhelmed, in the best way possible—like there were so many amazing things to see and do and explore, and I couldn’t wait to just dive into all of them.
“This is incredible. Isn’t this incredible?” I turned to Harrison, who, despite always having to be the most unimpressed person in every room, looked just as mesmerized by the view as I was.
“It’s alright,” he said, that playfulness back in his tone.
When I shoved his chest, his lip curved up into an actual smile for a moment before he corrected it back to neutral. He could try to play it cool all he wanted, but I could tell he was captivated too.
“I can’t believe we get to stay somewhere down there.” I peeked over the edge.
“Come on. Let’s go find it,” he said.
But I made no move to leave. Instead, I kept my eyes glued to the horizon.
“Let’s stay a few more minutes.”
Although the sun had already dipped below the water, colors still blotted the night sky. The first stars began to emerge, barely visible against the deepening backdrop.
“I’m sure the view is good from the hotel,” Harrison pointed out, but he joined me, leaning against the wall without any real protest.
“I know. I just want to take it in for a second.”
The air felt so good here, not like the dryness in Colorado. It wrapped around me, breathing life back into my body. It was the perfect temperature. I could wear either a sweatshirt or a tank top and still be comfortable. I pulled my hoodie off, desperate to feel more of the air directly on my skin.
Standing there, shoulder to shoulder with Harrison, wasn’t as strange as I’d expected it to be. Traveling somewhere so completely different than what you’re used to almost makes you feel like you’re in an alternate universe, and with each passing minute, our old reality seemed to drift further away. In this universe, maybe Harrison didn’t hate me. Maybe here, we could be friends. A girl could dream, right?
“Let’s go find our hotel.” I clapped my hands.
“Finally.”
The address in our itinerary wasn’t far at all from where we lingered. Just a few turns, and a staircase that descended the cliffside.
The boutique hotel was jaw-droppingly beautiful, and screamed ‘quiet luxury.’ Every surface was spotless, and the furniture was crisp and leather. The lobby was lined with dim ceiling lights that gave off the perfect relaxing ambiance. The back wall of the lobby was floor to ceiling glass windows, overlooking a stunning deck with views of the water. I nearly gasped when I saw the infinity pool. It took everything in me not to rush right out to it and jump in, fully clothed.
I turned to Harrison, and gave him a look of disbelief. He just shrugged as if he had arrived at a roadside motel instead of a five-star luxury resort.
The front desk attendant, who was just as striking as the rest of the hotel, waved us over with a warm smile.
“Hello,” she said with a subtle accent. “Welcome to Hotel Caldera. Do you have a reservation?”
“Yes. It should be under Shaw,” I said as I stepped up to the counter and gave Nathan’s last name.
“Of course. One moment while I look that up.” Her red manicured fingers typed away at the keyboard in front of her while her expression grew confused.
“Shaw, you said?”
“Yes,” I answered, growing wary. Charlie had been adamant that, since the travel agent hadn’t rebooked our flights, the rest of our itinerary should have remained the same too. “S. H. A. W.” I spelled it out while Harrison shifted next to me, stroking his jaw.
“I see a reservation for five rooms, but it was canceled last week,” she said apologetically.
“Shit,” Harrison said next to me. “I told you it was weird that no one came to pick us up.”
My smile remained frozen in place as I ignored him. “Is there any way to get two of the rooms back? You see, there was a bit of a mix up with the plans. We need a place to stay until Sunday.”
She frowned and clicked around. “I’m sorry, but we’re almost completely booked. We can’t do two rooms.”
