Celine woke up in the middle of the night. The sounds she heard were the same sounds as the past few days—the strong wind from outside and the consistent breathing sound from the man lying next to her. But she sensed the temperature was much colder than usual. The much closer sound from the waves reminded her where she was. She was groggy from just waking up, and looking around trying to make sense of the space. Martin was still deep asleep. He looked younger in his slumber. And the painful pang in her chest started to grow. The voice in her head whispered the reality she had to face in a few hours. It pushed her to face the inevitable. Because today was the last day. She didn’t know how long it would take until we meet again, the day he will be hers again. But Martin must know it…she hoped he knew it that she will not change her mind. He was sleeping so soundly that she couldn’t help herself but kissed him. Under the moonlight, the time in ou

Martin told her he would be gone for a few minutes, but he had been for an hour by this point. She was worried sick. Sadness turned into a concern. She had to leave the island within hours and she didn’t know where he went. She went out to look for him in the areas around the villa and she couldn’t find him. She wanted to walk to the places she frequented, but she was afraid he would come back when she was gone. She thought she had cried until there was no tears left, but that was not true. The uncertainty was the cause for concern. Especially because she didn’t know the extent of his ‘problems.’ She didn’t know if anything happened to him. All her bags, luggage, and suitcase were completely packed and laid out on in front of the entrance door. She properly wrapped the book Martin bought her and put it in the suitcase. The handwritten plans we did together were also kept in a file. The caps we usually wear in as a couple are on her lap. Her fingers caressing the fa

Every time she went back to this island, Celine felt the same—no matter how long time had passed, how hectic the world had changed into, she still felt the same. Everything felt the same. Today, a seat next to her was empty just the same; there was no Martin. In the loneliness during this long wait, a new idea began to take place, the inevitable thought that perhaps it was time for her to let go. She hadn’t made up her mind about that just yet. A beautiful lady, at the age of 27, sat alone on a yacht that she bought from a previous owner. It was the same yacht she rented a few years back. She couldn’t take the risk of it being rented out when she needed it. She looked out into the distance. She had to go back to London tomorrow. If she let go of him and all the memories associated with him, she had to sell this yacht. Oh, the villa, too. She bought that. Letting go of the physical assets as well as letting go of the memories. Then upon landing

“What happened to Martin? And where are you taking me?” Celine wasn’t certain about the destination the stranger said he would take her to. She was stunned by the information. He introduced himself as Joe. A familiar name she remembered as Martin’s friend. The man seemed trustworthy enough, but still… “Everything that happened was difficult to explain. I’m here to see you today because I think you have the right to know. I can’t stand seeing Martin on that stage anymore. Once you meet him, please promise you won’t get mad.” “I don’t get it….” His presence was baffling, and his words made her even more confused. What exactly does the man mean? “What happened to Martin?” She started to have a bad feeling about this. Her small hands trembled, and she thought of the worst case possible that may happen to the man she loved. “To give you some comfort, I can confirm that he is safe.” “And why hasn’t he…why hasn’t he come back to see me?” She asked so

From the story Celine heard from Joe, she imagined Martin being confined in a rehab or a retreat somewhere, but the place he brought her was somewhere completely different.A residential neighborhood in the Upper Eastside?“Let me talk to the security.” Joe excused himself before taking her to the private elevator. A luxurious condo in a wealthy neighborhood was not the place she expected to be in. But that didn’t stop her from worrying about Martin.Is he alright? How’s his health? Joe said he wasn’t the same man, and Celine was worried something had happened to Martin. The criminal trial she had just heard about really alarmed her the most.At this point, no matter how much she tried to understand the situation through Joe’s story, it would be so much better if Martin could explain it to her himself. The questions that pained her heart still lingered—why hadn’t he come back to see her? Why? Why? Why? There was the question of ‘why’ that kept repeating in her head.Although Joe said