He was perfect. And wonderful. And everything I ever wanted.
And I had to leave him. For his own good. He deserved someone who could be his equal. Past experience had taught me that it wasn't me.
I had no reason to stay. The appraisal was done. I had completed it in time and was actually quite proud of my work. It had been hard, and there were a couple late nights, but between sending pictures to my father and working every moment that I wasn't with Bastian, I had gotten it all done. It was the biggest job I had ever done. It was time for me to go take care of Dad, now.
All good things must come to an end, I thought as I stuffed my last shirt into the bag. The auction would be next week, but that was my aunt's domain. My part of working for Sebastian Belrose was complete and I had nothing left to do. I was supposed to go home now. It was time for me to go back to my regular life where I belonged. As much as I wanted to belong here, I knew I didn't.
I closed my eyes and imagined what life would be like if I hadn't told him I was leaving.
I would be flying to New York all the time. Missing business. He would be flying to me all the time. We wouldn't have any time together. We would fight. I would embarrass him at social situations. He would find someone better. If I wasn't enough for a small fish like Chad, then Bastian would tire of me even sooner.
I would only end up hurting both of us. It was better this way.
The light in the room was fading quickly, making everything appear gray and drab. I looked out the window of my room. The sky was quickly darkening as the sunset approached. Bastian stood at the water's edge, staring off at the blackening horizon. I didn't want to leave, but I knew it was time. My dream job was over. Despite this morning, I needed to say goodbye. I had to see him one last time.
I did one last sweep of the room, making sure that everything was neatly packed away into my suitcase. Someone would come and take it to the car for me soon. I placed my bag on the bed and went down to say my goodbyes.
I had already said goodbye to Lucia at breakfast, and Charlotte had apologized over video chat for leaving and not coming back days ago. She was still stuck on the mainland working on the company app with Leo. I hoped things were going well for her and that she would finally get the courage to tell him she liked him. I hoped I would see her again, but I wasn't sure.
I stepped out onto the fine white sand. Bastian was wearing his full length shirt again, after an entire week of wearing short-sleeves or nothing. It looked strange now. Like he had on the wrong skin. The wind tugged at his hair, messing it's warm brown and golds into a tangles.
I stood beside him, watching the horizon grow dark as the sun set behind us. We were looking toward the dawn, both of us wishing the sun were coming up instead of going down. He moved his hand, then paused, as if unsure how I would react. In a quick movement, he took my hand in his, holding onto me tightly.
Our shadows stretched out far into the dark water until the stars started to twinkle, but still we stood. Finally, he turned, his gray eyes full of a sadness I shared and a pain I had caused. His hand held onto mine like I might turn to mist at any moment and disappear from his sight. I could still see the anger, deep in his dark eyes, but it was overshadowed by sadness and acceptance.
He was letting me leave because I had told him I needed to. He was giving me what I asked.
I hated thinking about it, but now it was time. We were from separate worlds. We were both trapped by our businesses and our obligations to others.
Our worlds were just too different, our lives too separate. A fish may love a bird, but where would they build their nest.... We both knew it. Better to end it here before we really hurt one another.
Shadows filled his face. The scars on his cheek and eyebrow darkened as the sun faded into obscurity. He touched my face, caressing my cheek with his fingers like he was memorizing me.
“I have to go,” I said quietly, leaning into his touch and never wanting him to stop. My chest ached with an unexplainable pain. I hadn't expected this moment to hurt this much. “My plane will be leaving soon.”
“I know,” he replied, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. His hand went to the back of my neck. He slowly lowered his face to mine, kissing me goodbye one last time. The kiss was soft and warm, lingering and full of memory. I closed my eyes and took in every detail. The way his five-o'clock shadow scratched my lips, how warm he was, the taste of his tongue, and the scent of his cologne. I wanted to remember every detail.
“I've never liked the dark, but with you, it's tolerable,” he whispered, his voice cracking slightly. He caressed my cheek again, his fingers soft with regret. “In fact, I think I could get used to the dark if you were there with me. Possibly even enjoy it.”
My throat constricted, and I couldn't speak. I didn't have the words to tell him how I felt. How I needed him. He didn't deserve to be stuck with me when he could have someone so much better. I wasn't good enough for anyone, let alone Bastian.
So, instead I kissed him, pouring every fiber of my being into the kiss and hoping that he understood. I wanted to stay with him more than I wanted to breathe. He was a part of me now, and leaving was like losing a limb. If it hurts this much now, imagine the heartache later, I told myself.
Elijah cleared his throat. “It's time to go,” he announced, as gently as he could from behind us.
“Goodbye, Bastian,” I whispered, pressing my forehead into his. Better to prevent the pain, I reminded myself. Better for both of us.
“Goodbye, Ava,” he whispered back. I kissed him one last time before summoning every ounce of strength I had to turn and walk away.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I could do this. I could leave him now and it wouldn't be as bad as it would be later. In a few days, this would just be a happy memory. We would be back to our normal lives within forty-eight hours.
This was a fling. A beach romance. An impossible love. It could never survive outside the sandy shores of the Caribbean. If we brought it back with us, it would die a cold and cruel death in the winter winds of reality. This was for the better. This is for our own good.
The walk to the car was longer than I could have imagined. Elijah padded softly behind me as I left the man who meant so much to me standing on a dark beach. I wanted to cry, but it hurt so much that I didn't even have tears for it yet.
“Have a safe trip home, Ava,” Elijah said, opening the door to the car. “It was wonderful to have you here.”
“Thank you, Elijah,” I replied. He would know just how much Bastian meant to me. How much I meant to Bastian. “It was wonderful. Like a dream. I wish I didn't have to leave.”