I didn't even get to have breakfast before Nadja started bothering me about texting Ayden. Now, after I got my first cup of coffee, I can't just ignore her anymore. "Just text him that we're looking for something to do!" Pretending to be reluctant, I do what she tells me, secretly hoping that he offers to show us the beach. 

A few hours later, shortly before lunchtime, Nadja and I decided to go to the beach on our own. I didn't get a reply from Ayden which ruined Nadja's plans of having something exciting to do. Somehow I managed to convince her to walk along the beach and just search for stuff to do. Honestly, I can't wait for the sun to go down again so I can take pictures of the sunset. My best friend always rolls her eyes when I get my camera out but she knows that there's barely anything that can stop me from saving precious moments in pictures.

We’ve been walking along the beach for half an hour, Nadja's searching for pretty seashells and I'm just watching kids play in the sand. That's until my phone beeps and both Nadja and I stop to see who texted me. The screen shows a new message from Ayden, “Sorry for replying a few hours too late but if you’re looking for good food now, try this restaurant.” His next message shows the way from our hotel to the restaurant which is just ahead of us. At the mention of food, my stomach loudly tells me that I’m hungry, making Nadja laugh.

“Seems like Mr Sunglasses knows exactly what you need,” she says before continuing to walk to get to that restaurant.

“It’s lunchtime, recommending a restaurant is normal,” I try to argue, gaining a smirk from Nadja. It’s clear that she prefers her explanation.

***

The food is amazing which leads Nadja to the assumption that Ayden lives here permanently. I tell her about his house close to the beach and even though that could just be a vacation home, we agree that he doesn’t seem like the type of guy who flies across the world all the time and has more than one house. Is it okay to assume things like that about people you actually don’t really know? It’s fun and harmless, right? I won’t start making assumptions about his job or relationship status, so everything’s fine, isn’t it? Sometimes I really can’t handle my overthinking brain.

When we leave the restaurant to head back to the hotel, I spot a familiar face among a group of guys coming to the beach. Well, I spot the familiar blue eyes first, rather than the familiar face. Why are his eyes so fascinating? Ayden seems to recognise us as well and waves. "Weirdo alert," Nadja says and chuckles. 

"Don't be a meanie," I reply and wave back at Ayden. While we keep walking, getting closer to the group, I spend some time looking at the other guys around him. Of course, most of them are shirtless. To be exact, all of them are shirtless except for Ayden. Another thing I notice is that all of them have those mandala tattoos. Why are they so popular here? They look great but I’ve never seen them trending like other designs. 

As we get closer to the group, Ayden takes a few faster steps towards us. "My friends and I wanted to play soccer here, a few of the guys' girlfriends are coming over as well. Do you want to join us?" he asks. 

Before I can say anything, Nadja shouts an excited, "Yes!" and runs off to the guy who's holding the soccer ball. I giggle and shake my head at her.

"Are you coming as well?" Ayden asks and my attention gets drawn to his eyes once again. Seriously, those eyes have the same colour as the sea on a sunny day. I look down at the camera in my hand. My goal is to take pictures of the beach, the sea and, hopefully, the sunset. But do I want to be that boring girl who sits next to them playing soccer? What would Ayden think of me if I just sit next to them while they play soccer with my best friend? His friends would probably think I’m a weirdo.

Ayden notices the camera in my hand and smiles brightly, "There are too many jet trails in the sky right now to get a good shot and the sunset is still some hours away." I look up at him again and nod, but the disappointment is probably pretty obvious in my expression. "Maybe I can show you a great spot to take pictures tomorrow if you and your friend are still looking for something to do around here?" That offer and his bright smile convince me. I nod again, this time with an excited expression.

I drop my camera in Ayden's bag next to the guys' stuff as he offers it to me to protect the lens from the sand. After their girlfriends arrive, we start playing. Of course, the other girls have to show Nadja and me what's theirs. I feel kind of relieved as I see that Ayden doesn't seem to have a girlfriend. At least none of the girls kiss him right in front of me. Nadja is rather amused about their territorial behaviour. She already earned the guys' respect by showing off her soccer skills before the game even began. I, on the other hand, am not that good and spend more time observing the people than kicking the ball.

The girls seem to know each other well. Nadja is more interested in winning this game than in finding friends here. The boys almost seem as close as brothers. Judging from their appearance, some of them probably are actual brothers. However, Ayden always stands out, at least in my opinion. Even though he's very focused on the game, I catch his eyes searching for me among the others every few minutes.