Ella went straight to the bathroom, turned on the lights and looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were dark green and her face red. She touched her swollen lips and closed her eyes remembering Justin's lips on hers.

“God! What have I done? This is not me… this is nuts! What am I going to do? I’m stuck on a ship with a handsome, crazy guy who thinks I’m somebody else!” she said out loud. “And worse, it seems I can’t tear my eyes away from him,” Ella let it out a nervous laugh.

She washed her face, put her pajamas on and laid down on her bed. She was appalled with herself. Staring at the ceiling in the dark and listening to the sound of the sea outside, Ella let her mind wander, she never felt this way at least not with Tom. What was wrong with her? There’s something compelling about him. Something she can’t put her finger on. Maybe his troubled eyes; she knows suffering, and she had her own share of it. Somehow she connected with him. She didn’t know why, but she did.

Lost in her thoughts lulled by the light swing of the ship, she drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

Justin screamed in frustration and punched the wall hard trying to dissipate his anger the moment Ella left and closed the door behind her. His head was pounding in pain, his mind a mess, and his body aroused and frustrated. He was feeling pissed at himself, at her, and at the entire world for making him go through all of this again. He poured himself a drink, a second and a third, as he paced back and forth in the small living room of his cabin, suddenly he threw the glass against the door shattering in a million pieces, and he dropped himself onto the bed face down and drifted off in a restless sleep.

“Stop that shit, you’re embarrassing me!” Justin warned in a low commanding voice close to her ear.

Claire rolled her eyes and giggled. “What? What am I doing, honey?” sneaking one hand under his blazer and putting the other on his forearm she kept making eye contact with Josh across the room. She darted the tip of her tongue out languorously licking her lips and winked at him.

“Ok, that enough. We’re going home.” Justin got her by the arm and dragged her out of the room.

“I don’t wanna go! The party is just getting started!” he kept dragging her. “At least let me go to the ladies room first!” she pulled her arm out of his grip, and he followed her. Claire took her time there. When she came out he was fuming, and he grabbed her again by the waist and pulled her to the door. “Ouch, you’re such an asshole.”

“Shut up, Claire! The car is up front!” he shushed her quiet.

“Justin, Justin! Leaving already, man?” Chris called him.

“Yeah! Claire is not feeling well.”

“Yeah right!” Claire snorted. “I’m in the car.” and she got in the backseat.

When he entered the car a few minutes later, Claire was sitting slumped on the other side, looking out of the window.

“Jack, we can go,” he closed his eyes, raking his fingers through his hair and inhaling sharply.

“What’s wrong with you?” when she didn’t look at him, he made her do it. “This is the last time you humiliate me in front of my friends, Claire,”

She stared at him with no light in her eyes. They were glinting, but with unshed tears.

“I told you I didn’t want to come, and I begged you, Justin,” her voice was a thread, almost gone.

“So you thought to behave like a bitch in heat in there?” he shook her so hard he felt he may have dislodged her brain.

“No! No! Stop. You’re hurting me!” he let go of her, and she made herself as small as she could, falling in a convulsive cry...

Justin woke up abruptly with a huge headache. He looked at the clock; it was six in the morning.

“Shit, I need some coffee!”

He dragged himself to the bathroom and took a cold shower trying to clear the haze in his mind, and get rid of the pain. He shaved and took care of the cut in his forehead. Got dressed in a black faded jeans, a fitted dark gray t-shirt and sneakers. He took his phone and pressed his lawyer’s name.

“Justin?” a sleepy voice answered.

“Hey George! Sorry, I know it’s in the middle of the night over there, but it’s urgent.”

“Ok, what’s up”

“I need all the information you can find on Ella Dawson. Everything.”

“Fine, I’ll get them for you, something happened?”

“Not yet, my friend. Don’t worry about it.”

“I call you as soon as I have them. Night Justin,” he hung up and Justin left to the dining room to find some strong coffee to cure his hangover.

Entering the room his eyes found Ella’s. She was already there, and captivated him immediately. She was gorgeous to him. Wearing a green-striped rib t-shirt dress that matched the green of her eyes, sandals and her hair was up in a ponytail. She was beautiful and elegant, but in a simple way. Justin went straight to the buffet, got a mug full of coffee and headed to the table she was in.

“Morning,” he greeted with a deep and tired voice staring at her. “You don’t look so good.”

She tilted her head giving him a screw you look.

“I imagine you haven’t looked at yourself in the mirror today, right?” she retorted humorlessly. “Hey, I don’t remember inviting you to join me for breakfast!” she scowled at him once she saw him slumping on the seat in front of her.

Justin slowly sipped his coffee staring at Ella from behind his mug. His questioning eyes traveling all over her. Ella blushed and squirmed on her chair.

“Stop staring at me!”