“Don’t say it,” she interrupted, tears spilling freely now. “Don’t say we can close Azul. Please.”
He and Amira exchanged a look.
“I’ve put everything I have into this,” Ghita continued, voice cracking. “Not just work. My heart.I thought, maybe one day, you’d both be proud of what I’ve built. Maybe you'd visit more than once a year. Maybe we’d be something more than texts and missed calls. Maybe I wouldn’t be alone now that not even auntie comes to visit anymore.”
Ah. That was it. That was the truth beneath her fire. She missed them. Ilias swallowed thickly. Guilt gnawed at his chest, and a little bit of rage towards his mother. Ghita loved her as much as she loved his father, and when she had lost him, she had lost her too.
“If Azul closes,” Amira offered, trying to smile, “you could join us on tour. I need someone better to train with than Ilias anyway.”
He glared. She shrugged.
“I don’t miss you,” Ghita huffed, wiping her eyes.
“You miss us like crazy,” Ilias said gently.
“Okay, maybe a little.” She sniffled. “But I don’t want to close Azul. It’s our legacy. It’s Uncle. It’s home.”
Their father had meant more to Ghita than he ever had to them. And somehow, Ilias couldn’t be mad about it. She had loved him even when Ilias couldn’t. Maybe especially then.
“Alright,” Ilias nodded. “Find out who the buyers are. Once we know that, I’ll take it from there. Promise.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
When the call ended, Amira murmured beside him, “We can’t keep Azul going just for her. If this international investor is truly about to build a resort in front of the beach, we are fucked. Azul is fucked.”
“I know,” he replied. “But maybe we can stop this, or convince her to come with us if we lose this battle.”
“She won’t. She loves Imsouane too much.”
“I’m going back to the house. I need to relax,” he said with a tired sigh. “See you tonight.”
As soon as he reached his room, Ilias collapsed on the bed, still wet-haired, sun-touched, scrolling through his phone until he landed on the mirror selfie Sofia had sent him earlier. Her skin glowing bathed in the golden hour coming in from the window in that sinful chocolate sundress, bare shoulders,that mouthwatering curve of her hips. His very inappropriate thoughts were interrupted by the very reason he was thinking about that night in Sydney and all those nights and mornings in Margaret River. He would forever be thankful to Australia, and to Jamie too, to have forced them together. Alejandra had said something aboutforced proximity works wonders,and even though he didn’t understand what she truly meant, she had been right.
I just got home.
Isn’t it 3am there?
Yes
They were actually fun
We kept chatting about science and research
One of them builds marine robotics
They're digging into Neptune
Think Thomas is about to have a bad year
Is he corrupt?
Wouldn’t surprise me
Did you see the selfie?
I’m still staring at it
I want to carve it into my memory
