Turn around, she thought.Look at me. Say something real.
They reached the dock just as the boat was tying off. A weathered man with sun-bleached hair gave them a cursory nod before busying himself with dropping off Alex’s last ordered supplies.
"So," Lily said, because someone had to say something.
"So." Alex set her suitcase down, finally meeting her eyes.
The look on his face was devastating—want and fear and something that might have been love if he'd ever let it breathe. She saw it all, clear as the water surrounding them.
You do feel it. I know you do.
"The video," he started. "When you post it?—"
"I'll tag SPECA. Make sure the donation link is prominent." Her voice was steady. Professional. The influencer mask sliding back into place because it was the only armor she had left. "Should generate some good exposure for the conservation efforts."
"That's... thank you."
That's not what I want you to thank me for.
"And if you ever need anything—" He stopped, swallowed. "You have my email. For the research, I mean. If you have questions about the content."
I don't want your email, you impossible man. I want your heart.
"Right. The research." Lily picked up her carry-on, slinging it over her shoulder. The weight of the shell inside pressed against her hip like a secret. "Well. This was definitely not the vacation I planned."
"No," Alex agreed, something almost like a smile ghosting across his face. "Definitely not."
The boat captain cleared his throat. "Ready when you are, miss."
Lily looked at Alex one last time. Giving him one final chance. One more breath of silence where he could say the words that would change everything.
His jaw tightened.
His hands fisted at his sides.
He said nothing.
"Goodbye, Alex," she said, and it came out softer than she intended. More broken.
"Goodbye, Lily."
She turned before he could see her face crumble, walking up the gangway with her chin high and her shoulders back. The performance of a lifetime.
The boat pulled away from the dock, and Lily finally let herself look back.
Alex stood exactly where she'd left him, a solitary figure growing smaller by the second. Even from a distance, she could see the rigid set of his posture, the way he watched her go without moving.
Run into the water, she thought wildly.Swim after me. Do something dramatic and romantic and completely unlike yourself.
He didn't move.
The island shrank behind her, becoming a smudge of green against the endless blue. Lily watched until it disappeared entirely, untilthere was nothing left but ocean and sky and the hollow ache in her chest.
It's over.
She pulled out her phone with shaking hands.
No signal yet. Of course.
