A holiday in the sun sounds like the perfect plan for Poppy, who's ready to let go of her past and move on with her future. With her best friend along for the ride, Poppy ventures to Spain for a summer blowout before she departs for University.
But...
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It's not in my natureto get this close to a boy I barely know—considering my past—and perhaps it's down to the cocktails I can't seem to stop drinking, but something about this night is telling me to let go.
But so is Alvaro.
He's sweet and charming. He's manly but delicate at the same time. He holds my body with experienced hands yet I don't seem to care about his past or how many other girls he's held with these hands. Tonight, his hands are on me. And oddly, his touch isn't a trigger to me now. Maybe the first time he touched me I was just off guard; maybe because I haven't let any man touch me in a long time my body retaliated in the only way it knew how. But now, his hands are welcome and generous and safe.
His torso drips with sweat that's painted by the luminous lights. His dark hair sweeps across his forehead with every movement he makes and even though the waves crash almost next to us, I can't seem to rip my eyes from his.
"You're so beautiful Poppy," he tells me softly. "Do you know that?" With his finger, he tucks a tendril of my hair behind my ear.
I blush, not caring when my arms wrap tighter around Alvaro's neck. "I don't know that, actually," I say, quite meaningfully. "Nobody has ever really told me that before."
I catch the way Alvaro's eyes widen. Is he shocked to hear of my past? He knows my father isn't to be idolised over. Is it that much of a surprise that I wouldn't have been called beautiful before?
Alvaro grabs my hands and leads me off the dance floor before I can delve further into my past. I throw a quick look to Zara as we walk towards the beach, my eyebrows bending at how her lips massage Diego's. I know she's the wild one, but I'm worried if I leave them alone much longer she might be pregnant by the morning.
"Wait," I say to Alvaro. He looks back to me and stops in his tracks. His eyebrows furrow, but I smile and lift a finger to show him I won't be long. I run to Zara, not caring that I'm breaking off her moment with Diego.
"Zara," I say. She swings her hair over her shoulder and giggles. "Are you...okay?"
"I'm fine!" She blurts, her voice evident of the alcohol she's consumed tonight. "Diego. This is Poppy. She's my best friend."
I wave a hand in the air just as Diego eyes me up and down menacingly. "Yeah. We already met. Are you going to be okay? I'm just going with Alvaro to..." I look at Alvaro. He smiles as his arms fold across his chest and I realise I don't actually know where Alvaro is leading me.
"The beachfront," Alvaro finishes, his smirk doing things to me I didn't think was possible. "Just over there. We won't be long." He cocks his head to the side.
"Go!" Zara yells, her cocktail sloshing about in its glass. "But when you get back we're going dancing!"
"Fine," I say. "I won't be long. Please stay put and don't do anything stupid." I say the last words under my breath, to which Zara barely acknowledges.
