The Getaway Prince

Chapter 6: Welcome to Crete

“Finally," Aubrey stated as she unlocked the hotel room door with our provided passkey. “That was the longest flight I've ever been on."

I followed her in through the open door and was instantly met with the smell of white tea and fig mixed with chlorine from the nearby outdoor pool. She pushed her suitcase into the room and then fell back onto the bed, creating wrinkles in the perfectly made sheets and overly fluffed pillows.

I placed my suitcase and other items in the corner of the room by the large window and balcony that took up an entire wall. The bottom of the floor length curtains scraped the carpet as I pulled them back, seeing thousands of coloured lights reflecting off of the water and illuminating the night sky. I opened the sliding door and stepped outside; the cool wind instantly touching my bare arms.

Regardless of what I had been feeling when we boarded the plane earlier that day, it all seemed to be erased when I saw the view in front of me. It was one of the most glorious sights I had ever seen. The rows of white houses below us on the mountain scape were highlighted by the moon above, and on the edge of the water, thousands of voices could be heard, celebrating all that Grecian life had to offer.

“Welcome to Crete," Aubrey said from beside me. I turned, seeing her staring out at the view with a smile on her face. “I told you it'd be worth it."

“It is beautiful," I replied. “I'll give you that."

“So," she stated after a moment of silence. “Are you forgetting to tell me something?"

I stopped and looked at Aubrey, who was gazing back with a smirk on her face. The strands of her copper hair that had fallen out of her bun blew in the breeze. I stepped back from the black railing on the patio and creased my brows.

“What do you mean?"

“Oh, come on! I saw you chatting up that very cute man on the plane while we were grabbing out bags. So, spill."

And almost instantly at the thought of him, a churning sensation moved around in my chest. My eyes looked away from Aubrey's and I kicked at the little debris on the concrete. “He was no one. Just a seatmate to talk with and pass the time."

“For the entire trip? He didn't look like no one to me," Aubrey said, gently pushing my shoulder.

My cheeks flushed as memories of my conversation with Tyler replayed like an old movie—and the feeling of his touch on my skin created goosebumps, causing my hair to stand on end. Or maybe that was the cross breeze coming up from the water.

“So…?" she continued to probe. I knew if I didn't talk, she'd keep it up. I playfully held onto the silence for a little while longer until I could see that she was getting anxious.

“Alright, alright," I said, lifting my hands and taking a step back on the balcony. “His name was Tyler, and we didn't talk about a whole bunch, just music and books. We actually surprisingly had a lot in common."

Aubrey smiled, displaying her approval. Me chatting to a man was far and few between, but me chatting to an attractive man who looked like a better version of Henry Cavill, well, that was even more scarce.

“I'm excited for you, Liv. It's been a while since you met someone, even if it was just for a flight. It's all about getting back on the horse, right? Believing in love?" she continued, looking back out at the habours below.

“Well, I wouldn't go as far as calling it 'love', but he did ask me to dinner tomorrow night."

Aubrey turned her gaze back to me, and her expression had shifted to one of surprise. “He's staying in Crete?"

“Yeah," I replied, nonchalantly. “He said he's here on business for the next few weeks. So, I thought, why not?"

“Don't you think that's a little…sudden?" Aubrey asked, catching me entirely off guard. Caution was not her strong suit—hence, why we were here in Greece, rather than at home in our cozy apartment, snuggled in bed, watching trashy reality shows.

“I guess so…" My words trailed, more concerned with Aubrey's appearance rather than agreeing with her. “But you're the one who told me to live life on the edge, so here I am."

“But a date with a guy you literally just met today on a plane of all places?" she replied, opening the patio door, and walking back inside. “It's just a little risky, that's all I'm saying."

I shadowed in behind her, closing the door behind me—the heater instantly bringing up my temperature. “He's not dangerous, Bree. He's a nice guy."

“And so was Ted Bundy."

She had a point, but her disapproval still brought down my mood, nonetheless.

Aubrey pulled her toothbrush out of her bag and sighed when she saw my excitement fade. She trudged over and put her hands on my shoulders. “I just want you to be safe, okay? I love you. You're all I've got in this sh*tty world. What would I do without you?"

Her doe eyes looked into mine and I could tell how sincere she truly was being. Out of everyone, Aubrey always had my back, and I knew that this was just her way of making sure that I was alright—just like she had done when she told me to leave my job. It wasn't because she was impulsive: it was because she cared.

I gave her a half-hearted grin. “I will be. I have a good feeling about this. And who knows? Maybe after this date, I might never see him again."

Aubrey nodded. “You're right. It'll all work itself out. Let's just remember that we're in motherf*ckin' Greece, alright? Alright?!" she repeated, shaking my shoulders until I laughed.

“Alright, alright! Go brush your teeth, your breath stinks."

She let go of my shoulders and blew air in my direction as payback before she trotted off to the bathroom, closing the door with a click.

I listened to the sound of the running water, letting it drain into my ears and drown out my thoughts. I couldn't help but think of it all—maybe I was right; maybe I would never see him again after tomorrow. But then again, I thought that at the airport, and look at where we are now. This could go entirely wrong or entirely right. And either way, for the first time, I was excited for what lied ahead.