She had double-checked on that before she left.
The entire resort was luxurious, though set up a little differently. There were stretches of private beach with bungalows and villas set against the white sands. But they were all in a row and they were all divvied up by random patches of greenery that somehow grew on the beach. She couldn’t see her neighbors unless she was standing on the balcony or swimming around in the infinity pool.
Kallie was going to enjoy the privacy.
She dropped her things into the room closest to the beach and headed out onto the terrace. It overlooked the beach and housed the private hot tub that was already steaming and bubbling away. The crystal-clear waters were beautiful, and the glowing bodies of people enjoying the sun and surf in the distance was as well. She could hear people laughing and talking. Clinking glasses and starting bonfires. She leaned against the railing and drew in a deep breath of sea air, allowing it to cascade through her bones.
Kallie didn’t know whether to hide out for two weeks or explore the island, but a call from Eris fixed that.
“Did you land?”
“Yes,” Kallie said. “I dropped my stuff in my room five minutes ago.”
“And you weren’t already on the phone with me? How dare you,” she said mockingly.
“It’s beautiful out here.”
“And not a bit of it can be canceled. I know that must miff James’s crotch.”
“Can we not talk about my cheating ex-fiancé’s crotch while I’m alone on my honeymoon?”
“May it be doused in honey and released to the bears,” she said.
Kallie shook her head as her eyes watched the waves crash against the shoreline.
“What do I do now?” she asked.
“The hell kind of question is that? You strap on a bikini, get someone to bring you a drink, and get into that hot tub. Or that pool. Or take a dip in the ocean. What the hell do you mean what do you do now?”
“I kind of want to sleep,” Kallie said.
“Hell no. You’re going to take a dip in the ocean. Drink or no drink, you have to promise me you’ll put on that little stringed bikini Rachel bought you and get in the water. Or sunbathe. Or walk around town attracting those tan, lean, muscular—”
“Eris? Are you for real?” she asked.
“Sorry. Anyway. Promise me you will.”
“I promise,” she said.
“Right now.”
“Eventually.”
“Nope. Now.”
“Eris—”
“Now! Now! Now! Now!”
Kallie hung up the phone on her best friend and a text message quickly came through. It housed one word. Now.
So, that was what she did.
Kallie walked into what will be her bedroom for the next two weeks, stripped down, and put her green-and-yellow stringed bikini on. It left almost nothing to the imagination, and she debated on whether or not to remove it. But the beaches were private, and she figured no one would be looking anyway. She grabbed a towel from the stack and headed down to the surf, her toes digging into the soft white sand.
The feeling of the water against her ankles made her melt into the ocean floor.
She tossed her towel on the beach before splashing into the water. She dove underwater, allowing the crystal-clear fluid to wash away her sins. Although the disappointment at the collapse of her relationship was still with her, Kallie began to feel a little more like herself. Each wave that crashed against her body and each time she surfaced from the water, she felt a little more baptized. A little more accepting of what had happened.