Nothing Left to Lose (67 page)

“I won’t let
you down,” I promised.

“Good. Well,
Melissa and I will have a think about it and get it arranged, if
you really have no preference as to where you go…”

Jeez, I
would follow that girl to the ends of the earth, I don’t care.
“No, sir, anywhere is fine. I would ask for an apartment though,
instead of two hotel rooms. That way it would be easier for me to
do my job without having to worry about another entrance to her
room. Also, if you could book all the travel plans under another
name, like LA, that way it would just cover the trail further,” I
suggested.

“Good idea.
I’ll let you know what we come up with and hopefully we’ll have it
booked by the end of the day. I’m sure Annabelle will want to go
shopping for vacation clothes,” he laughed, and I felt the
predatory grin slip onto my face as I imagined all of the beachwear
outfits she’d wear.

“Thank you,
sir.” This seriously was the best four months of my life, probably
the best four months of anybody’s life.

“No. Thank you,
son,” he countered as he hung up.

I stared at the
phone for a minute in shock; Anna was going to flip when she heard
this. I rearranged my expression before I exited the bedroom. She
looked up expectantly with a hopeful expression on her face. I
tried my best to look sad, and it must have worked as her
expression faded and was replaced by a fake smile that clearly
meant she thought we were headed to her parents’ house.

“So?” she
prompted as I sat next to her on the sofa.

I sighed
dramatically. “Well, we can’t go to LA.”

“Oh man, I’m
sorry, Ashton! You should just go on your own, you’d get to hang
with your friends, go out New Year’s Eve, and have fun,” she
smiled, trying to look enthusiastic.

“No, I want to
spend winter break with you,” I refused, trying desperately to keep
the smile off my face.

She sighed.
“Ashton, come on, be serious. It’s going to be so awkward for us at
my parents’ house, how am I supposed to explain you being there
instead of going home?”

“Yeah, you’re
right. I don’t want to do that,” I nodded in agreement.

She smiled
sadly. “So just go to LA. Spend time with Nate.”

“I don’t want
to do that either.”

She took my
hand, squeezing gently. “I’m sorry,” she muttered.

“Yeah. So,
about that shopping trip for Christmas presents…” I trailed off,
fighting my urge to grin like a moron.

“Yeah?” She
looked really sad, but she was obviously trying not to show me.

“Well, do you
think we could go somewhere that sells skimpy bikinis and sun
cream?” I asked, laughing.

She gasped as
her eyes widened from shock. “Bikinis and sun cream? You mean? No
way! Are you serious? But… but… really?” she cried.

I nodded,
grinning ecstatically. “I’m serious. Your parents are booking the
vacation as your Christmas gift. They’re getting it booked by the
end of the day, apparently,” I confirmed, watching as her face went
from shock to complete happiness. I chewed on the inside of my
mouth because of how beautiful she looked when she smiled.

“You mean we
get to go away? Really? You’re not tricking me, are you? Because if
you are, that’s seriously mean,” she asked, eyeing me
curiously.

“I’m not
tricking you, Baby Girl, I promise. I get to take you somewhere
hot, with a beach. Just the two of us and no far guard,” I
confirmed.

She squealed
excitedly and jumped up and down on the spot. “Oh my God! No far
guard either? I can’t believe you! How did you do that?” she cried
as her eyes filled with tears.

“I must be the
best boyfriend in the world,” I joked, shrugging as if it was
nothing.

Before I could
either react or prepare myself for impact, she jumped onto my lap
and hugged me tightly. “Thank you, Ashton. Oh God, this is going to
be great! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she squeaked, hugging
me as I grunted from the sudden weight being thrust upon me.

“You’re
welcome, Baby Girl,” I replied, grinning. In all honesty, I
couldn’t wait for some me and her time, with no one to act normal
or pretend for. This was going to be the best Christmas ever.

Suddenly, her
eyes widened and she pushed herself off my lap. “Oh man, I need to
go to the gym!” She didn’t even wait for an answer as she turned
and streaked into the bedroom.

“Anna, where
the hell did that come from?” I asked, getting up to follow her
into the bedroom. She was just pulling on a pair of sweats and
riffling through her drawer, coming out with a tank top. She was
still practically bouncing on the spot. “Why are you going to the
gym?” I asked, confused.

“Oh, come on.
We’re going to lie on a beach, I need to look good in my bikini,”
she explained, grinning like a mad woman.

I practically
choked on her absurdity. “Look good in your bikini? Are you
joking?”

She shook her
head. “Are you coming or can I go on my own?” she asked as she
walked past me.

I grabbed her
hand, making her stop as I stared down at her in disbelief. “Are
you serious? You’re going to the gym so you’ll look good in your
bikini?”

She nodded and
shrugged. “Well yeah. I know I can’t do much in a week, but I’ve
put on like four pounds since you stopped me running like I used
to.”

I scoffed and
shook my head in disapproval. “You have got to be kidding me!
You’re perfect; you don’t need to suddenly start running off to the
gym! Honestly, you’re the most beautiful thing in the world, Anna.
And I happen to like the extra four pounds.” I wasn’t just saying
that because I was in love with her.

She made a
little aww sound as she went up on tiptoes and planted a little
kiss on the corner of my mouth. “You’re so sweet sometimes with
these little comments of yours,” she mused, pinching my stomach
gently. “But of course you think I’m perfect, you’re biased and are
probably paid to say that,” she replied. She nodded over her
shoulder towards the door. “We would have gone to the gym later
anyway, so what’s the problem?”

I groaned and
rolled my eyes. She never seemed to take me seriously when I told
her how I felt about her. Maybe one day the information and hints
would finally sink in.

“Are you coming
or not?” she asked, stepping away from me and grinning.

Admitting
defeat, I nodded in agreement. “Fine, just let me change first. I
suppose I need to look good on the beach too.”

She grinned.
“Pretty Boy, you look
way
better than good all the
time!”

After an hour
at the gym, we were back at our apartment. Anna went in for the
first shower while I opened my laptop because Maddy had texted to
tell me that she’d emailed me the itinerary for our trip.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Agent
Taylor,

Please find
below details of your trip. Tickets will be waiting at the check in
desk; passports will need to be shown to obtain them. As you will
notice, I have amended Annabelle’s name, as per her father’s
instructions. I have arranged for some local currency to be
delivered to your apartment tomorrow. I trust that you can get a
ride to the airport from one of the far guards, if not then let me
know and I will book a car for you. Transfers have been arranged
for when you get there. Weather should be delightful, so make sure
you take plenty of sunscreen. No injections required. Have a
marvellous time.

Maddy.

Duration: 14
nights

Flight time:
Depart :10:45 Saturday 21
^st
Dec

Return
:14:00 Saturday 4
^th
January

Destination:
Maldives (South Male Atoll)

Hotel: 5*
Deluxe Over water suite

Board: All
inclusive

Transfer’s: 20
minutes by speedboat

Passengers: Mr
Ashton Taylor. Mrs Annabelle Taylor

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

My breath
caught in my throat at the last line. They’d put us as married? I
actually loved the sound of that. Annabelle Taylor. I’d never heard
of anything more perfect in my life. But I knew Anna wouldn’t like
it. For some reason, she was really touchy about marriage and
always seemed to clam up or go quiet whenever I made jokes about
it. Needing to sort it out before she saw this email, I grabbed my
cell phone and was just about to dial Maddy’s number, but Anna
walked out of the bedroom behind me.

I closed the
laptop quickly as she walked up behind me. She placed her hand on
the small of my back and smiled up at me. “Did you get it? Where
did they book?” she inquired excitedly.

“Um, yeah, I
got it.” I swallowed the lump in my throat.

She grinned and
reached for the laptop, lifting the lid and looking at me
expectantly so I could enter the password. I typed it in quickly,
wincing as she opened my emails and double clicked on the one that
Maddy sent. She looked so excited that I didn’t have the heart to
stop her. I’d just have to deal with the fall out and hope that she
didn’t think this was my idea.

She slid onto a
stool as she read it. I held my breath, waiting.

“Speed boat
transfer?” she asked, practically bouncing in her seat.

I winced,
knowing she was almost done. I knew the exact moment that she got
to the last line because her body seemed to tense. Her eyes flicked
up to me. “Did you see the passengers?”

I nodded and
waited for her reaction.

“That’s…” she
stopped talking, her mouth opening and closing a couple of times
before she frowned at the screen.

“I can ask for
them to change it. I asked for them to change your name, I didn’t
think they’d change it to mine,” I chimed in, wanting her to know
this wasn’t my idea.

She shook her
head in rejection. “It’s done now. Just leave it,” she
muttered.

“Are you
sure?”

Her smile was
forced as she nodded. “What’s the matter, Pretty Boy, don’t you
want me to be Mrs Taylor?” She was trying to come across as
playful, but I could see she was uncomfortable with this.

I decided not
to answer that question honestly because clearly something was
wrong that I didn’t understand. “Anna, seriously, I can get Maddy
to change it if you want.”

She shrugged.
“It’s fine. Do you care?”

Hell yeah I
care, I love it!
I shook my head. “No, I don’t care, Baby
Girl,” I lied smoothly.

“Don’t worry
about it then. It’s kinda cute in a weird way. Plus, it’ll help
with people not following us around. I’m up for anything that means
I won’t get asked for my autograph!” she joked, shrugging
nonchalantly.

Just needing to
check that she wasn’t putting on a brave front, I wrapped my arm
around her waist and stepped between her legs, looking at her
intently. “You’re really okay with it?”

She shrugged
easily. “I don’t mind. It’s just a name; as long as your player
side isn’t going to come busting through and make you run off,” she
teased.

“I’m not a
player!” I cried, annoyed that she didn’t seem to notice that I
didn’t see anyone else in the room but her.

She smiled
tenderly at me as she nodded. “I know, I was just teasing,” she
whispered, wrapping her arms around me tightly. I stood there like
that for a couple of minutes, just letting it all sink in. Finally,
she pulled away and grinned up at me. “I’m going to go look through
my clothes and see what else I need to buy before the trip!”

I chuckled as
she jumped off the stool and practically skipped to the bedroom to
look through her clothes.

After a
seemingly never-ending flight, and then twenty minutes on a
speedboat skimming over perfect, crystal clear ocean, we finally
arrived at the island that we would call home for the next two
weeks.

Almost as soon
as we stepped onto the jetty, a tall man with golden, tanned skin
and sun bleached, blonde hair walked over, smiling warmly and
holding his hand out to Ashton. “Mr Taylor?” Ashton nodded in
confirmation, shaking his hand firmly, and then the guy turned to
me. “Mrs Taylor,” he greeted.

A nervous
giggle slipped from my lips at the sound of the name he’d used.
When I’d first heard that they’d changed my name to that, it had
taken me by surprise, and I hadn’t liked it at all. Seeing my name
attached to someone else’s surname had brought back a lot of
unpleasant memories for me. But having Ashton’s name attached to me
was different somehow; it wasn’t as horrifying as I first thought
it was. In fact, I even kind of liked it. In a strange way, it was
almost as if the name change had given me the freedom to be normal
for a little while. After all, nothing bad had ever happened to
Annabelle Taylor.

“Nice to meet
you,” I replied, nodding in greeting.

“My name is
Kyle, and I am the manager of the resort. If there is anything that
you need during the duration of your stay, please let me know,” he
said.

Ashton smiled,
slipping his hand into mine. “Thank you. You can call us Ashton and
Anna, not Mr and Mrs Taylor.”

Another
unconscious giggle slipped out, so I chewed on my lip and looked at
the beautiful scene that stretched out before me. It was like
paradise, like a postcard, and I’d never seen anything more
majestic in my life. The sand on the beach was pure white and
powdery, and bright, blue sea lapped at it lazily. Little beach hut
cabins were dotted along the tree line with hammocks hanging in the
shade of palm trees outside. A little further up the beach, a
wooden dock went straight out to the calm ocean, with villas each
side of it. A little happy sigh left my lips as I imagined staying
here for the next two weeks. It was going to be bliss.