The people were warm and inviting, but had been wary of him at first. It had taken weeks to gain their trust, but he always had a way of making people relax.
But Aria doesn't trust me.She didn’t trust that my love was enough.
The thought haunted him daily. Should he try to forget her and move on? How could that ever be possible? He realized he'd been trying to do that for years.
He was happy that if shewasabroad somewhere, it meant she was opening her heart up to new adventures.
The thought that always pierced his heart returned.
What if these new adventures include meeting another man?
His chest tightened as he struggled to get his breathing back in control.
Lying in his cot, Alex thought about how he wishedhewas the one she trusted that adventure with, but she didn't. He would just have to live with that fact.
Wiping away a tear that snuck its way out, he turned over and prayed that sleep would come.
A few weeks later, Alex was having a hard time concentrating on his work and the quality of his photos showed the evidence. He couldn’t go on like this.
She hadn’t reached out to him once in over a month. Was it over? Had she moved on?
He’d have to let her go, whether it was just for now or for the rest of her life. He’d let her go, but he knew he would never love another woman, not as long as his heart was still beating.
Chapter Fifty
Aria satin her favorite coffee shop Casa de Campo. People watching while she drank her coffee, she couldn’t believe how quickly six weeks had passed.
Her novel was progressing beautifully, and she wanted to see how far she could take it. Natalia assured her that she had everything under control, and they only needed Aria for a few video calls.
Adding in the storyline where her female protagonist met a man she had known in school made the story move in another direction. Describing how it felt to dance again and be held in his arms made her heart long to see Alex. He brought all those things to life for her, something she didn’t think she could ever experience again.
Through the pages of her novel, she recognized the strength she had not given herself credit for the last few years. She had weathered a storm that should have taken her under, but it had built a resilience in her that she never thought possible.
The trip to Madrid was more than just a check off her bucket list. Even though visiting Santo was amazing, it wasn’t about that either. Being on her own for hours a day and writing, she felt like some of those missing pieces of her life were being put back together.
Several hours later, her heart raced as she felt the momentum building. She was nearing the end of her last chapter and knew exactly how she would end the book.
Like her and Alex, the protagonists had been separated, but her fierce female character had made up her mind to get the man she loved back. Aria could picture the bottles in her collection at home, the ones that Alex asked her about. She thought about the story she had told him of the young girl who put a note in a bottle and prayed her long-lost love would find it.
The inspiration fueled her as her fingers flew over her laptop. A beautiful, haunting song played through her headphones, fueling her words.
The lovers came together after the pain of separation, the excitement and anticipation building at their reunion. And as the last words were spoken, tears flowed down her face as they pledged their love for one another.
Pulling her hands away from her laptop, Aria felt two emotions flood her mind.
The first was pure pride in herself for seeing this dream come true, followed closely by a second one.
Hope.
Hope that one day, she and Alex could find each other and navigate how to marry their lives together.
Aria wiped the tears that now stained her face. Her fingers trembled as she typed the last two words.
‘The End’.
She took a stuttering breath and her eyes closed as she let the weight of this accomplishment settle over her. She had done what she believed to be impossible.
Choosing herself over others had shifted something powerful in her. Aria knew she had done the right thing when she walked away from her life, even for a brief time. It was important for her to discover who she was on her own.
