I’d never seen anything so perfect in the whole of my life. Birds soared at dizzying heights high above my head; their colours surreal and vibrant and their calls ricocheting against the pale rocks that towered in every direction. They flew with an animated grace, dropping and looping the surrounding area; dancing on the breeze that stirred the huge purple flowers that hung from the trees. I was stood in an oasis, a paradise unlike any I’d seen in picture. I’d never imagined such places existed outside of stories and film sets; but I’d been wrong. So wrong in fact that I felt like I’d been transported to another world or I was lost in the depth of some dream that I would never want to wake up from. There was an air of magic that engulfed me; surrounded by the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks behind me. It was a peaceful sound, yet behind it you would hear the sheer power and viciousness that came with breaking water. And it was then I knew that despite the beauty of this place, there was a darkness that I would never understand; lurking in shadows and hiding behind boulders, which were waiting for me; waiting to pounce.

My somewhat rather chilling thoughts were interrupted by Angel appearing next to me.
“Beautiful isn’t it.”
I nodded, unable to put into words how I felt about the view in front of me. I felt him moving around behind me back inside. Reluctantly I turned away and faced into the house, my back pressed against the cool black railings that made up the barrier of our balcony between me and the drop into the rocks below. I ran my hands through my hair breathing in the smell of the purple flowers; sweet and delicate.
Angel was sat at the breakfast bar with two welcoming glasses of some cocktail that he’s conjured up from his never ending supply of fruits. His face was calm and set in a half smile. His eyes sparkled and I could tell he was thinking something that was not being portrayed on his face. He was always so still and controlled that I often had to remind myself that he was real. Angel was more like a mannequin than a man most of the time; his features were perfectly formed and his face seemed to hold no flaw. I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by his majesty each time I looked at him and I found the colour rushing to my cheeks which was nothing sort of humiliating, though he never seemed to notice. I walked forward and took one of the glasses before perching on a stool. His eyes followed me as I moved but his face did not change.
“I’m sure you’ll enjoy your time here.” His voice was quiet and he sounded utterly relaxed, “it’s a wonderful island.”
“Thank you Angel, I’m sure I will.” I smiled at him and felt like a child trying to impress and parent or a teacher. Idiot!

He finished his drink and said his goodbye’s with a slight wave before leaving via the front door without looking back. The house suddenly felt empty and I realised I would probably miss Angel more than I should. I looked at his empty glass for a second too long before hurriedly putting it in the sink along with my own to rid any evidence he’s been here. I would enjoy my time without him here; Riley would be here tomorrow and I was sure he’d be more than willing to keep me occupied.

I lay on the huge bed in the master bedroom letting my dress fan out around me. I felt like some model from a perfume advert; minus the stunning complexion and miniscule waistline of course. The silk sheets were soft and lighter than a feather; you could hardly feel it touching your skin at all. I stroked the pillow next to my own and tried to imagine what Riley would look like lying there in the morning with his newly tanned face and sun bleached hair, but I couldn’t. My mind was flooded with images of Angel, with his skin the colour of rich chocolate and his dark secretive eyes. I told myself I was just missing Riley and that once he arrived I would promptly forget all about Angel and his perfect face, allowing me to enjoy the holiday we’d planned since the end of our first year at college. Our parents had thought us too young at 17 to go so far but we’d saved and saved until we could afford to go and no one was going to ruin this for us.

There was a sturdy knock on the door and I padded across the cold terracotta tiles to open it. Angel stood there with a large brightly coloured folder. I welcomed him in.
“I thought you’d done all your rep duties for today?” I tried to sound disinterested in his arrival but I knew that I was failing and couldn’t help a smile creeping across my lips.
“They have officially, but I thought you might like the information, I was going to give you tomorrow, a little earl. You can explain it all to Riley when he arrives, without me coming and crashing your party.” He laughed, but it was short and controlled as always.
“That’s lovely of you thank you, but you wouldn’t be crashing. Riley would love to meet our friendly guide I’m sure.” I knew I sounded far too provocative yet somehow I couldn’t stop myself.
“I’m sure he will have other things on his mind.” There was a sparkle in his eye then that made me laugh out loud. He looked satisfied and turned to head out of the door back into the glaring sunshine, “See you around.” He called back over his shoulder.

After seeing him again the sense of disappointment when he left was stronger than ever, I hugged the folder he’d given me to my chest and smiled. I need to stop this.
I took the folder back into the bedroom and shut the door, away from the sight of the front door and the temptation to go after Angel. I lay on the bed once again and flipped through the carefully typed out pages of information and trip ideas and treatments that the complex offered. There wasn’t anything that struck me as interesting. I slid the folder across the bed away from me; slightly disappointed, when something fell out. A piece of creamy coloured paper folded perfectly twice. I carefully un-folded it and read;

Lily ,
there is a party on the beach tonight, anyone’s invited. It would be nice to see you there, come have some fun?
A x

I nearly fell off the bed with excitement. He’d invited me out. Angel, the perfect beautiful man who knew my boyfriend was coming the next day, had invited me out!

I had to make a decision fast.