He runs his hand through my freshly blow-dried hair, and I close my eyes at the sensation of his fingers on my scalp. I haven’t had anyone touch me in weeks, other than hugs, which I do love, but this is something different.
“I’m going to miss you too,” he finally says, clearing his throat. “That’s why I told you to come and visit me. It would be nice to show you where I live, you know?”
“I can try,” I say, softly moaning as his fingers keep working their magic. “But I can’t make any promises.”
Technically, there’s nothing keeping me here anymore, except Tara. But there’s nothing for me anywhere else either… except adventure.
Hmmm.
Maybe I need to get away for a bit, do some travelling?
A plan starts to form, something that I can actually look forward to.
*****
The day comes for Dean to leave. I wake him up to a stack of waffles, bacon, and coffee, and sit on the bed in the guest room while he packs up his stuff.
“You know you’re going to be fine, right?” he says, sitting next to me. “And if not, I’m only a phone call away.”
“I know,” I say, eyes gentling on him. “I can’t thank you enough for coming to visit.” I can’t help but tease him by adding, “And showing me how the other half lives.”
His lip twitches and his arm comes around me. “You wouldn’t let me show you, if I remember correctly. I would’ve taken you overseas or something.”
I smile and roll my eyes. “Yeah, no thank you. What you did was more than enough; the boat ride was amazing. I had the best time, Dean. I can’t thank you enough.”
“The breakfast you made me was thanks enough,” he says, kissing the side of my head. “I better get going.”
“Will you message me when you get home safely?” I ask, walking with him to the door. He opens it, suitcase in hand, and I follow him out to his car.
“Yeah,” he says, “Of course.”
“You never let me drive your car.”
“I know,” he says, grinning. “Maybe next time.”
“Hmmmph.”
He chuckles and puts his suitcase in the back, then comes round to me. “Well, this is it, Sabina.”
We stare into each other’s eyes, and I shift on my feet before stepping forward and wrapping my arms around him, my cheek on his chest. I squeeze him tight, like it will make him stay, even though I know that’s not a possibility. He can’t stay, he doesn’t belong here anymore.
“Goodbye,” I say, pulling back and looking up at him. “I’m going to miss you, Dean Amore.”
He lowers his head, kisses my forehead, and cups my cheeks with his warm hands. My eyes close on their own accord, the emotion flowing through me something much stronger than I anticipated.
Another kiss, this time on my cheek, and then he lets go.
I step back, allowing him space to get into his car, then watch as he pulls out of my driveway. He waves once, our gazes locked, before he drives away.
I stand there for a few seconds, letting the reality of everything hit me.
It’s now time to get back to real life.
No more Dean trying to cheer me up at every turn.
And no more Ben.
Reality.
And fuck if it doesn’t suck.
*****
A few hours later, there’s a knock at my door. I open it, and a man stands there with a note and a set of keys. He hands them over to me and walks away without a word. I open the note:
Now you can drive it.
Love, Dean.
He gave me his fucking brand new Range Rover.
Holy shit.
His generosity knows no bounds.
I send him a message, telling him to call me when he lands, so we can discuss the giant elephant in the room. Or the car as it was, but I also thank him.
How can one man be so… everything?
That night, I sit and make a plan about my future. Now is the time for change, a time for me to do whatever I want to, and I’m not going to let it pass me by.
No, I’m going on a mother fucking adventure.
Chapter Nine
“I can’t believe you never came to visit me,” Dean says, scowling as he pays attention to the road in front of him. “A year.”
“How long are you going to complain about it?” I ask him, sighing. After he left the last time, I struggled. Not as badly as I was before Dean came, but I still did. I went back to work, and I hated it. I was stuck in a rut, and it was becoming a chore just to get out of bed in the morning. So I did something I probably shouldn’t have. I sold my house. And then I went travelling. All around the world. Nine months of exploring different countries, meeting new people, and having a different adventure every day. When I returned home to nothing but the car Dean gave me, which I’d kept at Tara’s, I rented an apartment and went back to my old job. It doesn’t suck as much as I thought it did, and I think it’s just because of my new state of mind. Perspective is everything.