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“You’ve finally got a happy ending to the cinnamon roll hero story you’ve been pitching to our readers?” Her voice is full of excitement.
“What? That is not what I’ve been writing about. She’s my best friend.”
“If I could reach you, I’d hit you on the head with this month’s magazine.”
“She lives in England and I’m in New York. She has a cat and wants to settle here, and I do not.”
“Excuses, excuses… that’s all I’m hearing.”
“It’s practicality, not excuses.”
“It’s a shame. I would’ve offered you page three in the Christmas edition of Level Up for the story.”
I bite my lip. That is a prime spot, but she’s teasing me. I can’t fabricate a happy ending. That’s not my and Lara’s story.
“I’m sorry. I will add a closing piece before I get back on the road but it won’t be the story you want.”
“Aww, that’s disappointing. When can I expect you back in the office?”
“I’m going to book a flight home for next week.”
“Excellent. I look forward to seeing you.”
“Thanks. See you then.” I hang up.
I boot up my laptop and read through my old blog posts. Lara has taken up most of my content for the last two months. Have I been talking about my love for her before I realised it? I’ve had weeks to come to the conclusion it won’t work, though. The core of our situation hasn’t changed. I’m an explorer and she belongs here. I open a new post:
Morning, adventure lovers. I’ll be heading back to Level Up headquarters next week. I know some of you were expecting a love story between me and my bestie, but I’m here to set the story straight. My work is my big love. There will be no new girlfriend and no heart flutters. The road is my calling and adventure is what will give me comfort.
The comments flood in with a mixture of disappointment and excitement for my next adventure. I’m still unsure when I’ll be able to head up a volcano, but I’m determined to return to my happy place.
The stairs creak. Lara must be home from the cattery. I shut down my laptop as she enters the bedroom.
“Hey. I’m home,” she says.
“Yes. I can see. Welcome home,” I reply.
“I’m going to take a shower and then Mr Hatta’s invited us around for a barbecue.”
“Oh, that will be nice. It’ll give me the opportunity to tell him the good news.”
“Oh, yeah. What’s that?”
“I’m booking my plane ticket back to New York.” My expression, hopefully, stays blank. I’m not excited about leaving her, but it’s what I need to do.
Her face falls and a sick feeling twists in my gut. “What?”
“I’m doing much better on my leg now, and it’s time I went back to the city.” The words I’m saying make sense, but my heart feels torn.
“But… but you’re still healing.” Her eyes well up and she blinks back tears. Seeing her like this makes my own vision blur.
I clear my throat, trying to compose myself. “Come on, Lara. We both know I have to go back at some point.”
“I thought we had more time.” She rubs her eyes.
We can’t go back to the way things were before I broke my leg. Our connection is even stronger now, but I can’t put my life on hold any longer. My future is with the magazine, and I need to start looking forward.
“You could always come with me. Visit the zoo, see the city, and keep me company for as long as you want.” I hold my hand out to her. Maybe if Lara was in New York, I wouldn’t want her to leave either. I’ve always thought of myself as independent and unable to spend too much time with the same person, but she’s proven me wrong. I haven’t gotten bored of her for one minute while I’ve been here.
