She barely knew the cousin she’d been volunteered to entertain. One quiet afternoon in their cottage made an already awkward trip even stranger.
It was supposed to be a simple family favor. Her cousin was visiting from the States, and her mother somehow decided she should become his official tour guide.
There was only one problem: she barely knew him.
She didn’t particularly want the assignment, but apparently this was one of those family arrangements where volunteering was optional right up until your mother volunteered you.
Eventually, they ended up in Boracay and met some of his friends from the US. Every single one of them was a guy, which did absolutely nothing to improve her mood.
Most of the time, she found herself sitting alone in their cottage while he disappeared with his friends.
Excellent tour-guiding arrangement.
So she found a book and started reading. At least the book seemed interested in spending time with her.
Then her cousin walked into the cottage complaining about a headache and asked whether she had any medicine. She ignored him and continued reading.
Apparently, being ignored wasn’t enough to make the situation less awkward.
He came up behind her and kissed the back of her neck.
The book dropped.
What followed crossed a boundary that had no business being crossed, and the atmosphere in that cottage changed immediately.
So much for the headache.
They spent the rest of the day together in the cottage before having to return to Manila the following day.
She had arrived in Boracay irritated that she’d been forced to entertain a cousin she barely knew.
She left with a considerably more complicated story.
And somehow all of it started with a headache.