[Third person POV]
He was sure he was dreaming; it couldn't be, Carl knew very well that Heath Duncan was not a man to want to be tied down. It is not what Heath specifically told him, but he had detected that his lifestyle was that of a man who wanted to play around for a long time.
But now he is not so very sure, maybe, maybe Heath fooled him, fooled him to break up with his girlfriend so he can steal her.
"What did I tell you?" He hears a whisper; he has been busy staring at Heath Duncan flirt with Fiona all tour.
"How did this happen? Like they are not really a thing, right?" Carl asked frantically. He was lost; he loved Fiona; she was an awesome girl. She loved him when he had nothing and built him to what he is now.
But when he met Heath, he had admired his free lifestyle, and Carl, being a man who had never had women flock over him, longed to be like Heath for a short while.
"I don't know, I think since this whole cruise started, ugh, bummer, I was thinking I could snatch Heath up, but guess it is not possible anymore," Esther says bitterly.
"But I…... I poured my heart out to him about how I feel about her, why he is going after her even after I told him that," Carl growls. This startled Esther.
"Hey, relax, you win some, you lose some," Esther reassured, "I am sure you will get a good girl like Fiona someday."
"No, Fiona is mine, she was mine from the very start, I only broke up with her because the timing for our love wasn't…..."
"Wait, you and Fiona dated? Wow, who would've known? You act like strangers," Esther chimes loudly, making everyone in the group hear her. She had innocently covered her mouth after, "I…. Sorry, I was surprised."
"Yes, Fiona and I dated, and we loved each other very much," Carl says loudly, looking straight at Heath, who, to Carl's dismay, didn't seem fazed by this.
"And who cares about that, Carl? We are not dating now, and we never will." Fiona says, gutting Carl at once, "Ugh… and stop telling people you are my ex; the whole thought of a dumb fool like yourself being my ex makes me embarrassed."
While the rest of the group had tried to change the subject, Fiona's words, Heath not defending himself, and Heath continuing to flirt with Fiona even after finding she dated Carl, made Carl's whole world crumble.
He couldn't understand a thing anymore. He had idolized Heath for being a free man, enough to leave the woman he loved, only for Heath to go after said girl.
Maybe it was a physical connection between Heath and Fiona, but Carl had made it clear the previous night how of limit Fiona was, and yet Heath ignores it.
As he packs his bag, he cannot help but feel cheated. He is unaware of who he should blame: Heath for changing his life values so quickly, Fiona for being so easy as to fall for someone like Heath, or himself for letting both these two people ruin his mood.
The group seemed happy, celebrating how Selby and Lucas were together, but he hated every moment of it. He hated this cruise altogether; it was the cruise's fault that his ex-girlfriend had gotten close to his boss. And his boss suddenly became a one-woman man.
As Carl wondered about the man, his boss had come, his boss was putting Gian's advice into good use, he knew Fiona was a little wary of him and his lifestyle, but he vowed to be better.
"Knock-knock-knock," he gently knocks on her door. He had not had the time to talk to her since the time in the hospital, mostly because of Esther's prying self and Carl, who kept glaring at him.
Fiona opens the door, clearly expecting him, "What now, Heath?" she fires at first. He hated her fiery personality, but he grew to love how tsundere she was.
"Just here to check on my neighbor," he flirts, "you are not going to let me in?"
"No," he slowly chuckles at her response.
"Is that so? Well, I will stand here until someone sees me, and guess who hates it when people know about me and you," he jokes, making Fiona hiss before dragging him into her room.
"What do you want?"
"Just wanted to check on you. We are back on the ship after you fell overboard. I was wondering if you are, okay?" he gently asked. He could see the shift in the mood immediately as she greatly appreciated how he cared for her.
"I am fine, thank you for checking," she smiled at him, making his heart skip a beat for the first time.
He gently closed his eyes at took a deep breath, remembering Gian's advice, 'just give it a chance, give love a chance,' he tells himself.
"Are you okay?" Fiona asked, concerned.
"Couldn't be any better, want me to keep you company until you sleep?" he teased.
"No, but I think you need me to keep you company, so you can stay for a while," she lies. She doesn't mind the company, especially knowing that the person who pushed her into the water is still out there roaming freely.
She walked to her bed before lying there. She pouted as she waited for him to come lie with her, but he only stood there doing nothing.
"Aren't you coming?" she finally asked after a while.
"Do you want me to come lie with you?" he teased. He knew she wanted him to lie with her, but he wanted her to say it.
"Well…... suit yourself," she says before closing her eyes and pretending to sleep.
But her approach didn't help at all; Heath just stood in the middle of her room waiting to be given instructions.
"Ugh…... you are so insufferable," she grumbles. She stood up, walked to him, and, before dragging him to bed, "There you lie down, or your legs will hurt."
He had chuckled at her ridiculous actions. She was a very hard person; he hated how she couldn't just say what she wanted. If she could just be honest, it would make it easier for both.
"What is so funny?" she grumbles, annoyed. He looked at her gentle face before adjusting her hair strands.
She was beautiful, aware he seemed to have been saying it a lot often now, but it was just amazing how annoyingly gorgeous she got each time. If it were up to him, she would add this woman as one of the seven wonders of the world because he was sure that was what God had in mind when creating Fiona Lennon.
"What?" she mutters nervously as she looks into his grey eyes. To Fiona, those grey eyes had symbolized a sense of security she herself questioned.
Maybe it was those were the beautiful grey eyes she saw in her time of need, maybe it was because of the way his voice cracked as he feared she had demise, maybe it was because he moved mountains just to save her, but whatever she saw Heath Duncan in a light she never thought she could.
"When you said you wanted a serious relationship with me? Did you mean it?" Fiona asked nervously, "Be honest, please."
She felt her whole body heat up; it was like she was being vulnerable, begging someone to love her. She could feel the hurt Selby probably felt when she talked about Lucas.
"Honestly, no," she felt a hard lump pass down her neck. Yes, this was it, the hurt Selby felt; she had always loved herself, never begged for someone to love her. Her father had taught her to never do that.
"Oh…." She said bitterly, holding back her tears, "I knew it, see that is what I kept telling you," she said, immediately changing her bitter tone to an amused one.
"But right now, I mean it, I really want to start something real with you," Heath says, regretting being honest with her. He knows that he has probably ruined all his chances with her.
"Why should I now believe you?" Fiona mocked. It hurt to be right in this scenario, but she needed to be strong.
"Because I mean it this time, Fee, yes, I lied at first to get you to open up to me, but right now I really want to be with you," he assured her.
"Not going to work, it might have almost worked once," Fiona says bitterly, "you know, I think it is time for you to leave. I feel fine now."
"Fiona listens to me, I really..."
"Heath, please leave, okay, you got what you wanted either way, I did sleep with you like you wanted. Now leave!" she says, swallowing bitterly. She looked away as he left the room.
"Can you at least think about this, give me a chance, a real chance, I know I messed up by lying to you, but I am being honest right now, Fiona, give me a chance," Heath pleaded, "I will go, just think about it, okay."
She could feel all the pain she had suppressed return as he closed the door. What did she even expect in the first place? He was a 'playboy' from the very beginning. Why would he be serious with her?
She could've called her friends to tell them about what was happening, but they were both busy with their lives, and she couldn't interrupt their happy moments.
She sadly coils up as she hugs herself tightly before crying, It hurt, it wasn't even a relationship, and it didn't last that long, but it still hurt.