‘I came here to do something for my gran and it’s time I finished what I started,’ Elle said softly when she pulled away from the kiss, biting her lip against the tears that had already started to fall despite her best intentions to stay strong.

She turned away and headed back upstairs to pack her suitcase, which didn’t take long, since she’d never unpacked anything, despite Stuart leaving her two empty drawers and hanging space in the closet for her things. It hadn’t been an accident. Deep down she’d known that if she unpacked her suitcase, she would never want to leave.

Coming back down with her bags, she saw Stuart, arms crossed and staring at the floor of the kitchen as he leaned back against the bench. She didn’t want to see him so wretched; Elle needed him to be strong because she wasn’t sure she was going to be able to walk away from him by herself.

‘Can I borrow your car to go back to the ruins before I leave?’ she asked, forcing the words out.

‘I can take you,’ he said calmly, without looking at her.

‘I think it’s something I need to do on my own,’ she said, holding up the backpack with the urn inside. ‘I’ve put it off for too long.’

Stuart looked up and she swallowed over the lump in her throat as he walked towards her, coming to a stop to stare down at her bags.

‘Don’t go, Elle,’ he said, and it almost tore her heart in half.

‘I have to. The longer I stay, the harder it’ll get.’

‘Then why leave at all?’ he said, searching her eyes.

‘Stuart,’ she almost groaned his name, miserably.

‘I mean it, Elle. Stay. You said this was the happiest you’d been in a long time. Well, it’s the same for me. I know you think this doesn’t have any future, but it could. I can see a future with you, Elle.’

Elle cursed the stupid tears that began to flow like a river down her face at his words. It was crazy. People didn’t fall in love this fast. It was a holiday fling, two people thrown together, spending every minute of the day with each other—it just amplified things and made it seem as though they’d known each other forever. The reality was they didn’t know each other. It was just something unexpected and a little bit exciting.

‘I care about you, Elle.’

‘I care about you too,’ she said, wishing she could have a conversation with him calmly, instead of while she was crying. She never cried, certainly not in front of people, and yet here she was, blubbering like a baby. ‘But this was never supposed to be permanent.’

‘Maybe not, but plans can change.’