u g h .

“Well,” he began, “I sort of …  didn’t play by the rules when I got here.” He shrugged his shoulders. “On an island where people come to find their soulmates, I basically committed the cardinal sin and rejected mine.” Scott paused. “It wasn’t my best move.”

“Wow, a rebel. I’m intrigued and impressed and I’m pretty sure you deserve to be stoned,” she couldn’t help but chuckle, “So what was so bad about him, or was it just an instinctual thing? It’s not really uncommon to reject your soulmate, is it?”

She nodded along, eyes landing on the beer in his hand with a questionable cock of the brow. “And beer has always been your favorite choice? I mean, there’s a variety but I’ve heard most American brands just taste like piss water to foreigners.”

Will pouted slightly as he tried to figure out if she was joking or not. “Are you… are you mocking me?” he asked after a moment’s silence. “But, yes. My moral conscience feels great, even though it isn’t something that I want to have. I just can’t get rid of it.” He scrunched up his nose, “I can’t imagine an arranged marriage ever being a good idea. Although you’re right - there is always more unfortunate but that doesn’t mean that your own situation can’t be bad. It’s avoidable, so that makes it even worse. If they know what it’s like to be with someone they don’t love then why would they wish it on you?” “I guess I’m kinda lucky. I mean, my mom and dad were soulmates and I like to think that he’d want the same thing for me.”

“--What? No.”  At least not in a mean spirited way, though the words the ran past her lips always seemed have tinge of harshness despite what she may think. Running her fingers carefully through her dark hair, she composed herself. “It’s not avoidable. It’s inevitable, really, since marriage has been used to form familial ties since my great, great grandparents. I’ll..just figure out how to be happy; maybe I’ll get lucky and he’d be whatever fiance they choose, but he’s sure as hell not Bryce.” 

“Is there any way you can help me?” Kendall asked softly with a smile. There was no way in hell she would try and speak french her first day here, so she prayed the person she asked spoke english. “I’m already lost and I have been here for a total of five minutes.”

The girl looked around her, wondering if she was talking to someone else.  “--You’re on an island, how are you lost? What are you looking for?”

“Trust me, I’m not much the relationship type. The fact that I’m even thinking about something with her is a bit strange, in my opinion.” Smirking, he trailed her hand with his eyes as it dragged down his hips. Finishing the job himself, and pushing the swim shorts to the ground, he followed a few steps behind her. The journey was spent shaking all thoughts of Alana from his head, because he was rather sexually frustrated. He stepped into the water seconds after she did, and had her pushed up against the wall a few seconds after that, “Or did you need more time to observe?”

“An excuse,” he questioned with a raise of his brow, “Sure let’s go with that. Maybe I had a sudden thought that she doesn’t need to know, and I’m still single so it doesn’t matter.” As she once again began removing her clothes, he wrapped his arms around her back. “You’re not standing in my way of anything, I was.” Dropping his lips to her neck, he ran a few kisses along it before speaking,  “Well, I can do both, it depends which you want first. I can do it without his phone number, but if you have that we can see what he does on there.”

“Well, as long as you like her and I’m a fling, though I appreciate the thought you put into the pros and cons of banging me,” Scarlet smirked, placing a gentle hand on the arm around her waist, “We’ll leave that detective shit for later, hmm? I didn’t get a good look at what I’ve gotten myself into out on the dark. I might need a refresher.” With a small tug at his swim trunks, the girl slipped out of his hold and went to the shower to turn on the water, dipping her long leg under the soft, warm droplets before she entered the frosted glass confines and watched the blonde’s movements. 

Once they were in the room he set his bag down and pulled his computer out. It was the only thing he always had with him. There was too much sensitive information on it to risk getting stolen. Setting it on the desk, he opened the screen before turning to her with a wicked grin, “Is there anybody you want information on? That’s how I can prove it.” Matt wasn’t one that had much care for privacy, at least in this regard. Her proposition did make him think though, more with his dick than his mind, but that was no matter. “Pretty much taken? I’m not at all taken, thank you very much.” Turning back to the laptop, he input all the login information and waited a second for it to boot up before he stood. Standing once more in her space, he smirked, “Want to try that again?”

She stripped off her tank top and worked on her shorts when Matthias walked closer, away from his position in front of his laptop only seconds before. Scarlet looked up at the blonde, fingers hooked along the belt loop as she dropped the fabric and carefully stepped out of it with a simple chuckle. “I mean-- you were the one fumbling for an excuse out in the beach, not me. You said you wanted something real with that girl, right? Don’t let me stand in your way.” Deciding that the man wouldn’t see anything new, she took off her bikini top and turned, carefully taking her hair out of the loose bun. “If you’re going to shower with me, be my guest. Otherwise, I’d really love to know more about Bryce Valentine.”

“Alright, then I’m a sniper.” In truth it was actually one of the jobs he’d looked into when he decided college wasn’t for him, but then he realized the military also wasn’t for him. Following a feet feet behind her he shook his head, “No I just didn’t want to go, and this worked for me without a degree.” Turning to face her with a raised eyebrow he nodded, “How am I supposed to do that?”

She reached into her bag for her card once they grew closer to a large, mahogany door. “I dunno what kind of proof--kill somebody, take out one of my body guards, show me you’re crazy smart. Have you ever been on some sort of game show where you’ve won thousands?” Scarlet glanced over at him, swiping the card before she grabbed the handle and yanked the door open. The inside was absolutely beautiful. Bohemian in decoration, the small, flickering lights lined the walls as she walked in and dropped her bag onto the nearest couch once she retrieved her phone. “I’m going to take a real quick shower,” the brunette murmured, glancing at him, “Make yourself at home--or do you need a bath also? I’d offer to share but.. you’re pretty much taken.” The girl smirked a little and drew her eyes over his form.

“Oh,” he said simply. Will wasn’t really able to empathise because he’d never really said anything all that scarring, or disliked anyone. “I’m sure you’re not an asshole. I don’t think you’re an asshole. I think you’re pretty rad, actually. I guess I’m just lucky that my words come out soft,” he finished with a shrug, smiling reassuringly. “Oh God, she was amazing. Her boobs were out of this world, I mean - I’m blessed to have been in their presence, honestly,” he joked, grinning cheekily. His grin faded slightly as she spoke further because the whole scenario just seemed sad to him. But he wasn’t one to judge, and Scarlet didn’t seem reluctant in any way so he wasn’t going to bring her down. “That’s so.. bizarre. I’ve never heard of an arrangement like that before. They’re not? That’s nuts, are they incompatable?”

She popped another little crab cake into her mouth and smiled at him slightly. “Well, I’m happy you got to feast on her amazing floating appendages before you were whisked away by your own morals. Must feel nice to have such a devout moral conscience,” Scarlet teased, flicking a piece of hair off of her shoulder while the man’s expression changed. “Well..no. Both are from rich families, so it was moreso..arranged. I think my father had an idea as to who he’s supposed to be with, but he had an obligation and so did my mother. Same thing with me, I suppose. It sounds absolutely horrible if you say it out loud, but there’s always people more unfortunate, right?”

“Right, then I retain fat like Paula Dean,” She replied absentmindedly, cocking a brow, “What do you mean by ‘the experience’? You mean the feeling leading up to getting completely shitfaced, or the social aspects of it?”

“Oh, no, I got that part, I speak German. It was the other part that I didn’t quite understand the reference, but it’s unnecessary to go through now.” He followed her gaze to his drink, “I chose this on purpose, but thanks. If you’re getting a shot of tequila I’ll get myself a shot of absinthe.” He pulled his his wallet out of his pocket.

“Does everyone here fucking speak German,” she murmured half heartedly to herself, taking a sip of her drink as her gaze wandered back to the man, “You chose that beer on purpose? Why? To punish yourself?”

“Well.. I don’t know how I’m so open and talkative I just kinda.. don’t think before I speak, I guess? It sounds weird but I don’t have anything to hide or whatever so I just kinda open my mouth and let the words pour out. It’s not always a good thing , seriously.” He paused to think it through for a moment. “Well..” he started, “do I love buying expensive things and having houses on three continents? Fuck yeah. But, I’m a sucker for both physical and emotional intimacy and I won’t accept one without the other.” He shook his head, in disbelief at the fact that he was going to tell her this, “a couple months ago I had this really hot girl, and oh my God she was attractive. We ended up in the hottub. Naked. And I just couldn’t go through with the whole sex thing. Do you not sometimes feel like there’s just something missing when you fuck someone you barely know? Maybe I’m weird..”

“Right-- but your words are softer than mine; if I just let my mouth run wild, there’d be casualties. Hell, I already found people I don’t like here and it’s Tuesday. Maybe people are just sensitive here, or I’m an asshole and I still haven’t come to terms with it,” She wiped her fingers off carefully. Scarlet’s perfectly plucked brows raised at Will’s tiny confession; despite him being handsome, charming, rich, charismatic--the image of him naked in a pool was nothing she could quite picture. “Must’ve been a bombshell of a girl,” the heiress murmured, smiling slightly before her expression fell, “I find emotional intimacy exhausting, which is why dating Bryce is a breeze for me. He buys me things, I see him sometimes, we kiss, rarely fuck, and we do other people on the side. Plus--family business, promises, agreements. Truthfully, I’d probably marry someone my father picks out after Bryce, if Bryce is a passing coincidence. Did you know my parents are’t even soulmates?”

“I do what I can,” he said. His face scrunched up slightly. “Ouch. Well, I haven’t seen that side of you yet, but I suppose there’s always next time.” He stuck his hands in his back pockets, rocking on his heels. “Oh, definitely not. I’ve probably made the hit lists for quite a few people on this island. You just don’t know me yet.”

“Oh? I can’t imagine why--unless people here actually do have an aversion towards decent social etiquette, which I already predicted but this just gives more evidence. What have you done, exactly?”

Costa had seen the girl sit down, but she didn’t speak to him, so he didn’t respond. Throwing back the last of his most recent beer, he was about to turn to wave for the bartender when the girl came over to talk to him. “I don’t actually know what that means, but yeah that’s what I was about to go do that. Would you like to join me?”

“It means cheers in German. Beer capitol. The place with the pretzels and the festival just for beer?” She nodded towards the smooth, dark drink before him, “Quality German brew. I’m having a tequila shot, personally; there’s a friendship between me and Don Julio ever since I found him in my parent’s liquor cabinet.”