Alisa is absolutely right. I have denied it all this time. I kept telling myself it was all for Max, when in fact Max was the last thing on my mind. I don’t deserve a man like Max. I have hurt him enough. Even if I met him now, I’d have nothing left to offer him. I can’t give him my heart. Unfortunately, I gave it away already to someone else. Someone who broke it into a million pieces and then trampled it.

What did I do?

I go back to the cottage, and pack. I’m done. Maybe a cheat and a liar like David is the best a person like me deserves.

Eighty-Four

I booked myself a ticket to New York for tomorrow morning, but I have no intention of spending one more night in the cottage, so I change and plan on heading for the airport. I’d rather be stuck on a chair for hours than be anywhere near him.

On my way to the airport, I stop by the café to tell Celine I’m leaving. I have to find a reason, something that won’t sound completely made up. But before I get a chance to open my mouth, she starts telling me all about the fantastic news she had.

“I’m going to be in Laguna Seca,” she says. “I got a call, and they need mechanics and I’m going to be part of it. And while I’m busy, I know just the perfect person to take over the café, someone who would undoubtedly do a much better job than I did.” She winks. “I’ve never been this happy. All my dreams are coming true. First Aaron, now this.”

“You deserve it, Celine,” I say. “You deserve all the happiness, but I’m afraid you will have to find someone else for Café Azure,” and as I say this, I have tears in my eyes.

“Why? What’s wrong?” she asks, taking my hands in hers.

I tell her I have a family emergency and I must return to the East Coast immediately,

She’s speechless.

“When are you coming back?” she asks, still in shock.

“I don’t know,” I say.

“Maya, you would tell me if there was something else, right?”

I wish I could. I wish I had done things differently. I will miss her so much. I will miss…

No! I can’t think about any of that. This is the most logical decision I’ve made in the last few weeks. I should’ve never come here.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” she says through her tears, echoing my thought.

I hug her and try not to cry. As I make my way out, I feel her eyes on me and can only imagine what she must be thinking.

At the bus station, I check the schedule and the next one is not for another hour from now, so I walk to the beach, killing time.

With my luggage at my feet, I sit on the bench. THE bench. I want to say goodbye. To this place. To my dreams and hopes about it. To what could’ve been.