Stuck on Vacation with Ryan Rupert (Ryan Rupert #1) [PUBLISHED]

CHAPTER THREE - Discovering an Angel

The next morning went by very quickly. Renee woke me at the crack of dawn and whisked me down the stairs to eat breakfast, which was cereal. Then we all had to load the taxi up with luggage, check that the house was locked up, and squish into the taxi together. I was practically sitting on Ryan's lap, and we were surrounded by suitcases. The position put us both in a bitter mood.

When we reached the docks, we unloaded the car. I was only too eager to escape from Ryan. I didn't even look at him as I followed Renee and Josh inside the reception to check our luggage. Every time the automatic office doors opened, I got a strong whiff of salty sea air that made me want to vomit. I felt queasy knowing that just outside the door, the ocean waited only a few yards below the pier.

We had to wait half an hour before our boat arrived, so we all trudged out to the pier and found a table. I sat very still and tried not to inhale, but I soon realised that oxygen was vital to survival and I couldn't hold my breath forever. Before long, I had to make an excuse and took a quick walk along the pier in search of new smells to distract me. I found an ice cream stand nearby and hovered near it. It was better than nothing.

I closed my eyes to focus on the smell of ice cream, and I wasn't watching where I was going as I headed for the wall behind the stand. I had intended to lean on it.

I hadn't intended to knock someone over in the process.

We both crashed onto the floor. That's when I noticed I'd knocked over a pretty, blonde girl who was looking kind of dazed.

"I am so sorry!" I said, getting up. I offered her my hand and helped her to her feet.

"The world flipped over for a second there," she said, rubbing her head. She looked at me. Her eyes were light grey, and she had the kind of face you see supermodels walking around with.

"Are you okay?" I asked, as I found myself staring at her.

"Oh yeah, I'm good," she said with a laugh. I continued to stare.

"I'm sorry," I said finally. "It's just . . .you're really pretty."

"Thanks," she said with a huge smile. "I'm Savannah!" She offered me her hand, and I shook it.

"I'm Aubany," I replied.

"Aubany. That's a nice name," she said. I noticed we were taking up a lot of the walkway, so I took a few steps back to let people pass. In the process, I backed straight into the railing. I stumbled and gripped the barrier for support, only to look down and see the vast blue ocean beneath me.

I got dizzy.

"Hey, are you okay?" Savannah asked as I continued to grip the railing tightly and shut my eyes.

"I need a distraction," I said, my breathing ragged. "The salt in the air . . .I think I'm going to be sick."

"Salt?" she said. "Oh!" She quickly rummaged through her handbag and whipped out a tiny bottle of perfume. "Give me your hand," she ordered.

I did as she said and she sprayed my wrist a few times. It smelt sweet and a tiny bit musky.

"It's by Taylor Swift," she told me. I brought my wrist up to my nose and took a few deep breaths.

"That's a lot better," I said, beginning to calm down. "Thank you so much."

"No worries," she replied. I gave her a small smile.

"So . . .are you travelling somewhere?" I asked.

"I'm taking a vacation. I've been working for a year and a half and I felt the need to get away, so I decided to just do it!" she said. "Besides, I've always wanted to visit an island."