Water splashes my bare legs, making me squeal.

"It'll get better." Ash laughs, looking at me over his shoulder. 

The reply dies on my tongue. I gasp at the shock of cold water as a wave hits me.

"Be brave, Leah." Asher sends a wink my way and launches himself forward, disappearing under the clear ocean water.

I hug myself and stand rooted to the spot. A breeze raises goosebumps on the bare skin of my arms.

Ash stands up and pushes his wet hair back. "Come on, don't be a chicken. It's warmer once you start swimming."

"Fine!"

I make a few tentative steps forward.

Ash grabs my hand and tugs at it, making me lose my balance and fall into the water. "Not fair!" I sputter, rubbing at my eyes.

Grinning, Asher shrugs. "It's your last day in Spain, gorgeous. Live a little." 

Ash is right. My body grows used to the temperature and relaxes once I begin to move. A smile is pasted on my face for the next half an hour while I swim. The afternoon sun is hot in contrast with the cool water. We're on the Atlantic Coast in the south of Spain, after all. Asher chose Tarifa, the surfers' favorite spot, for the last day of my vacation, saying that I couldn't go home without seeing the wild waves and the endless miles of white sand.

"Time to head back," Ash says, swimming toward me. "I want to take you out to dinner and drinks."

I nod and head to the shore. As soon as my feet are planted on the wet sand, and I squeeze the water out of my hair, I feel the prickling heat of sunburn on the back of my neck.

"Is it bad?" I ask Ash.

He stands behind me to take a look at my skin. "Could be worse. I have something that might help; come on."

Ash strolls to where we'd left our things. I chuckle at the lustful looks several girls give him. They devour him with their eyes, but Asher is oblivious to their attention.

"Sit." He points to the towel. I plop down on it, and Ash does the same. A bottle of cream appears in his hands. He squeezes some onto his palm and rubs the back of my neck gently. "There you go. All ready to party."

"Give me a couple of minutes."

"I can give you more than that, too." Asher smiles. "I was thinking about something fancy, but we can choose a small place by the beach and—"

"Pretty please!" I clap my hands.

Ash shakes his head, looking at the sand under his feet. The corners of his mouth lift.

"Say it." I nudge his tanned shoulder with mine.

Ash leans back on his elbows and looks at me. "It's the most fun I've had in a long while, races aside. Thank you."

"Thank me?" My eyes widen. "You decided to spend time with me, showed me tons of places, and took hundreds of pictures of me. Not even my dad has the patience to wait until I'm satisfied with how I look in a photo."

"I'm not your dad." Asher winks at me. "And if I weren't who I am, and we'd met at a different point in my life, I wouldn't let you go. I'd say to hell with it and take you with me."

"Such a sweet talker." I giggle. "I get why girls are crazy about you."

"I'm serious. You're smart and strong. You left your small town and went to college, wanting to succeed. You dream of helping people. You're good at your studies, and you work. You're interesting to talk to. You're drop-dead gorgeous but also have depth, just like the ocean in front of us."

"Stop." I blush. "You don't have to say all those things."

Ash stands up and helps me to my feet. He grabs our towel and shakes it, getting rid of the sand that stuck to the fabric. Then, he hands me my dress and pulls a tee over his head.

"I have to say that. It's my moral obligation," Ash continues speaking as we pick up our things and walk to the hotel. "I'll tell you why at dinner. Take your time getting ready; I'll be here whenever you are."

"I won't be long," I say, smiling.

***

Once in my hotel room, I shower, blow-dry my hair and apply makeup. After a moment of hesitation, I settle on a short white dress and shove my feet in a pair of wedge sandals.

Asher is waiting for me in the hotel lobby, sitting on a couch and reading a newspaper. His eyes meet mine when he registers the sound of my footsteps.

"Wow," he says loud enough for the receptionist to look my way.

"Ash!" I cover my cheeks with my palms. 

Asher laughs, rising to his feet. "Come on."

He opens the door for me, and we exit the hotel. The warm air smells of the ocean. I inhale deeply, and Ash smiles at me.

"You look stunning."

"Thank you. It's the tan."

"Accept the compliment, Leah. It's not the tan or the dress. It's you."

"I'm just not used to it," I tell him the truth. "You're saying things—"

"True things only. So is what I told you before."

"You're trying to give me the confidence boost I will need in two days." I smile, quickening my step to keep up with Asher.

He halts on the sidewalk and then points a hand at one of the restaurants across the street. "Local, authentic, and on the beach. Let's go."

The place is almost empty at eight p.m. People have dinner late in Spain. We choose a table, and Asher orders a selection of tapas — appetizers to share — and a bottle of white wine.

"Did he call again?" Ash asks when he catches me checking my phone.

"No. Just that one time."

Ash hands me a glass of wine. "He's giving you space. That's a point in his favor. He wants you to enjoy yourself but secretly hopes you're not enjoying yourself too much."

"How do you know?"

Asher's eyes twinkle. "That's what I would do."

"You would also leave your girlfriend because you needed to find yourself?"

"There's a reason why I don't have a girlfriend right now. A serious relationship means commitment. I can only commit to one thing at the moment, and it's my career. But if I had a girl...if I had a girl like you, I wouldn't leave. If I did, it would be after discussing the options with you. That's the mature, grownup thing to do."

"It would've been much better. I wouldn't have held him back, you know?"

The waiter puts our food in front of us. Ash dips a fry in a white sauce and pops it into his mouth. "Try it. It's delicious."

I do it and hum in appreciation. "It's tasty indeed."

"Back to Brian," says Asher. "You deserved the maturity he didn't have, but you were his first girlfriend. Judging by what you told me, he regrets what he did. The only thing you have to do is see if that regret is genuine."

The sun is about to set. I let my gaze wander to the pinkish clouds. "I'm scared," I say to Ash. "I trusted him despite our differences. I trusted him with my body and my feelings, thinking that he would be there for me, hoping what we had was as special to him as it was to me. I was devastated when he left. It took me months to pull myself together, piece by piece. I just can't forget everything that easily. If he'd gotten in touch with me, if he'd apologized sooner, maybe…"

I pause mid-sentence. Maybe it would have hurt less. Perhaps I wouldn't have gone out with Nash if I knew Brian loved me. 

Asher sighs deeply. "The guy didn't leave you so that he could screw other girls. He went abroad to do some good and decided to go to the same college where you are when he could have chosen any. I'd say you need to listen to him."

"I will." I nod. "I needed to put some distance between us, but I think I'm ready now."

Ash tilts his head to the side. "See how selfless I am? I could have charmed you into going to my hotel room where I would make you forget that guy's name, and here I am, convincing you to hear him out."

"I don't know what's wrong with you." I laugh.

Asher shrugs and rubs his palms together. "I'm hungry. Let's eat this food."

***

We leave the restaurant well after midnight and walk on the deserted beach before heading to the hotel.

Asher kisses my cheek as we say our goodbyes and exits the elevator on his floor.

Luckily, I manage to sleep well. Dad knocks on my door the following morning, and I let him in. Just like him, I'm already dressed for the journey. My overstuffed suitcase sits on my bed. I could barely zip it because of everything I bought.

"Ready?" Dad asks me.

"I think so," I huff. "You?"

Dad yawns, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. "Tired. I got back late yesterday. I'm sorry I had to spend the last day here with my colleagues."

"It's work, Dad. It's okay. Asher and I had fun."

"He behaved, didn't he?" Dad raises his brow.

I shove my feet in a pair of sneakers, laughing. "He did."

A knock on my door makes me smile. "Speak of the devil."

I throw it open and see Ash. "Good morning," I tell him.

"Mr. Langley." Ash smiles at Dad. "I need to have a word with Leah if you don't mind."

Dad shrugs. "Of course. I'll grab my suitcase meanwhile."

As soon as Dad is gone, Asher hands me an envelope.

I study the white rectangle. "What is it?"

"Something for you," Ash says. "I want you to read it every time your confidence falters. I won't always be around to give you that boost and tell you how amazing you are, but you have this letter and my number. Please, call me anytime you want. Whenever you need to vent, or simply feel like talking to me, do it. I hope everything goes well at home."

"Thank you." I wrap my arms around Asher, and he squeezes me tightly. 

"Have a good flight," he says.

I beam at him. "Have a good race in two days."

Dad's footsteps sound in the hotel hallway. We break apart. Quickly, Asher leans down and pecks my cheek. "Thank you for everything."

He leaves after saying goodbye to my dad. I shove the envelope into my purse, taking a mental note to read the letter as soon as I'm on the plane. 

After a month of traveling, I'm going back. Flying doesn't scare me, but the unknown does.

It's time to reopen the old wounds, let it all out, and decide if I'm willing to give Brian another chance.