Summer

Chapter 44

Trisha's POV

Edam's voice echoed in my ears, lingering like an unshakable ghost.

"We can sort out something. I'm sure there's something we can do. We will work this out together."

He run after me when I told him everything. No. Not everything. Only half of my lies. I only told him that I'd be moving back to India after graduation and that my marriage was fixed. I didn't tell him the other part. The part where I had been engaged all along, the part where I had deceived him since the very day I met him.

I should have told him that day in the library. I should have ended it before it even started. But I didn't. I was selfish, reckless. At first, it was just a game. A distraction. I was bored, and I thought, why not enjoy these fleeting moments before I leave? I never imagined I'd fall in love with him. But I did. And now, my heart was paying the price.

Edam was everything I had ever dreamed of in a partner. Gentle. Kind. Loving. When he asked me to move in with him, I should have said no. I should have walked away. But I didn't. I let my heart lead me, ignoring the inevitable. And the worst part? I gave him everything. I gave him my trust, my heart, my body.

I loved him. No, I still love him.

But I betrayed him. I shattered his trust, his heart. I made promises I knew I could never keep. I told him we had forever, when I knew forever was never ours to claim.

Who have I become?

I used to be so full of life. The girl who laughed even when her heart ached. The girl who wore a smile to hide her pain. But now, I was drowning in my own lies, my own mistakes.

I crawled onto the bed, wrapping my arms around myself as the weight of my own deceit crushed me. The room was dark, silent. Veronica was at work, leaving me alone in my misery. I needed someone, anyone, to hold me, to tell me it was going to be okay. But why would anyone do that? Why would anyone comfort the person who had only caused pain?

Edam trusted me. He loved me. But I didn't deserve his love. He deserved someone better. Someone honest. Someone who wouldn't break him the way I did.

Tears rolled down my cheeks. My body trembled as I sobbed, every breath sharp and painful. I let it all out, the weight of my sins crashing over me.

Then, a sudden click at the door.

My breath hitched.

Veronica? No. She had told me she wouldn't be back until midnight.

Edam?

Did he followed me here.

A flicker of hope surged through me as I scrambled to my feet, my heart pounding. I wanted it to be him. I needed it to be him. I needed his arms around me, his voice whispering reassurances, telling me we could fix this.

But when I stepped into the living room, my entire body froze.

Nikhil.

My heart plummeted.

What was he doing here? And how did he get in?

Right. The apartment was rightfully his. He had arranged this place for me. He had given me the details, the password.

Before I could ask, he spoke.

"Are you alright? Have you been crying."

His eyes searched mine, seeing through every mask I tried to wear.

I had to lie again.

"I was lonely... just missing my family," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.

Without a word, he stepped forward and pulled me into a tight embrace.

Warmth. Security. Comfort.

It was everything I had been craving, everything I had been aching for. I melted into his arms, my body betraying me. I shouldn't have felt this way. I shouldn't have wanted this. But I did.

"Everything is going to be alright," he whispered.

The words I had been desperate to hear. But they weren't coming from Edam.

They came from Nikhil.

And somehow, they still made me feel safe.

What was happening?

I wanted Edam to be the one holding me. I wanted him to be the one whispering those words against my skin. But instead, it was Nikhil. And I felt calm.

Was this supposed to mean something? Was the universe trying to tell me something?

Was this destiny?

Was he my fate?

Joe's POV

The waves crashed against the shore, their rhythmic retreat echoing in my ears like a melancholic melody. I sat there, a bottle of beer in my hand, watching the sea stretch endlessly before me. The sun kissed the horizon, bleeding warm hues of orange and red into the sky. It was summer..again.

Everyone must be out there, basking in the season's warmth, making memories, while I sat here, alone. Away from my family, my friends, and Tina.

Last summer had been different..special. It was the summer I confessed my love to Tina, and she surrendered herself to me in return. She had been so pure, untouched, trusting me with her heart and soul. We had shared a passionate moment in the hut by the shore, our promises whispered into the night air. We had vowed to stay together, to always be there for each other.

But life had a cruel way of changing in the blink of an eye.

All those beautiful moments were now nothing more than memories, slipping through my fingers like sand. This summer was different. The laughter and joy of last year had faded into silence. Everyone was far away, lost in the busyness of their own lives, while I remained here, drowning in the ghosts of yesterday.

I took another sip of beer, its bitterness grounding me in the present. The waves continued their endless dance, their song a reminder that time moves forward, no matter how much we wish it would stand still.

Dad had clearly asked me not to come and waste time in summer. Instead, he wanted me to stay and focus on my career. I was drowning myself in work, keeping myself occupied so I wouldn't have to think. The only good thing that had happened was that I found a place to stay on my own. Everything had been fine at Mr. Klein's place, but I needed privacy. I needed time for myself.

Sometimes, I felt like telling Tina that we should end this. End this long-distance relationship. I knew she was struggling, trying to make things work when I wasn't sure it ever would. She would eventually go back, and slowly, everything would fade away.

But then, other times, I thought we could make it work. Tina was different. She wasn't Erin. Erin had given up on our relationship. But Tina was still holding on, refusing to let go. Maybe that's why I still had hope that we could make it through.

I tried my best not to fall in love again. Everything was under control until Tina walked into my life, and my heart betrayed me. Against my will, it fell for her. And now, it ached not from heartbreak, but from longing for a love that was out of reach.

Thinking about her made my heart beat louder. The beats echoed in my ears. When I go back, I will make it up to her. I will do everything we had missed. I will spend each and every moment with her. I will make it special. I will tell her how much I missed her, how much I love her.

Last year, I was hoping that this summer would never end, but this year, I was counting the days for summer to be over so I could go back and see Tina. Embrace her in my arms and forget all the worst times we had been through.

I sighed and pulled out my phone, my fingers hovering over her name before I finally pressed the call button. The dial tone rang, and for a moment, I was afraid she wouldn't answer.

Then, her voice came through. "Hello?"

Relief flooded me. "Miss me?" I asked, my voice lighter than I felt.

She chuckled softly. "Hmmm."

I smiled. "So, how's everything?"

"Good. Just came back from work," she said, her voice tinged with exhaustion.

"Tired?"

"A little," she admitted. "And you? How have you been?"

I exhaled, running a hand through my hair. "Alone. Sitting on the beach. Thinking about you."

There was a pause, then a soft sigh. "I miss you too."

Her words settled in my chest, a mixture of warmth and longing. "I hate this distance," I admitted. "Every day, I wish you were here with me. I imagine the places where we can go, and it just..it feels empty with out you."

"I know," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's hard for me too. Work keeps me distracted, but at night, I just lie there thinking about you. About us."

I leaned back on the sand, staring at the sky. "Trisha's gone back to India, right?"

"Yeah. Family emergency. And Veronica is, as usual, busy with work," she said. "It gets lonely sometimes. That's why I took the summer job to keep myself occupied."

"I wish I was there. I'd make sure you never felt lonely."

She let out a soft laugh. "You already do, even from miles away."

A lump formed in my throat. "Tina... do you think we'll make it? This long-distance thing?"

She was silent for a moment, and I held my breath, fearing her answer. Then she spoke, her voice steady. "I don't just think we'll make it. I know we will. But we both have to believe in it. Do you?"

I closed my eyes, letting her words sink in. Did I believe in us? In her? In this love that had withstood time and distance?

"Yeah," I finally said, my voice firm. "I do."

"Then that's all that matters," she said softly. "We'll get through this. One day at a time."

I smiled, feeling lighter than I had in weeks. "Yeah. One day at a time."

For the first time in a long while, the waves didn't sound so lonely anymore.

And for the first time this summer, I wasn't just waiting for it to end. I was looking forward to what came next.

Tina's POV

The days stretched long and empty, each one passing with the quiet ache of solitude. Summer was fading, and with it, my patience for being alone. The calendar on the kitchen wall seemed to taunt me, its squares filled with neat little Xs counting down the days until Joe would return. His absence left a hollow space in my chest, a heaviness that lingered in the silence of our shared apartment. I missed his kind smile, the way his eyes softened when he looked at me, the warmth of his voice when he whispered my name. Every minute without him felt unbearably still.

Determined to push away the loneliness, I spent the afternoon cleaning. I scrubbed every surface, swept the floors, and dusted every forgotten corner. Perhaps, I thought, if everything was in order, my heart would follow. But even after everything was spotless, the silence remained. As the sky began to blush with shades of pink and gold, I stepped onto the balcony, hoping the sunset would offer me some solace. The soft glow of the evening wrapped around me, and for a brief moment, I let myself forget the emptiness that gnawed at my heart.

A gentle knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. I wasn't expecting anyone. Curious, I walked over and opened it to find a young delivery boy standing there, a small package in his hands. He smiled warmly.

"Good evening," he said, handing me the package.

I thanked him and closed the door, my heart suddenly beating faster. I turned the small box over in my hands, its weight light but significant. A thin ribbon held it shut, and as I tugged it free, the lid lifted with ease. Inside, nestled in soft tissue paper, was a delicate necklace. Not a locket, not adorned with jewels but just a simple shell strung onto a thin black cord. My breath caught as I recognized it immediately.

Alongside the necklace was a small note. I unfolded it carefully, my fingers trembling. The words were simple, but they filled me with warmth:

See you soon.

I traced the familiar ridges of the shell with my fingertips, my heart swelling with emotion. Joe. He remembered. A rush of memory swept over me when the two of us walking along the beach, our bare feet sinking into the cool sand. We had spent hours collecting shells, laughing as we shared dreams about the future. He had teased me about my fascination with the tiny treasures of the sea, but in the end, he had joined me in searching for the perfect one.

Tears pricked my eyes, not from sadness, but from the overwhelming love that filled me. I stepped back onto the balcony, holding the necklace close, letting the fading sunlight kiss its smooth surface. The evening air carried the scent of salt and summer, and for the first time in weeks, I felt his presence with me.

Distance had been cruel. The nights had been long, the bed too big, the silence too loud. But as I held the shell against my skin, I felt something shift inside me. A spark of promise, a whisper of hope. This wasn't just a gift. It was a reminder that love, real love, could withstand the miles between us.

I closed my eyes and imagined the moment he would return. I would run into his arms, feel the strength of him against me, hear his laughter again. I would hold his hand and never let go. We would make up for every lost second, every lonely night.

Tonight, I sat beneath the stars with the shell resting over my heart, listening to the quiet hum of the night. My love for him stretched across the distance, unbroken, unwavering. The wait would be worth it. Soon, the space between us would close, and in that moment, every lonely day would become nothing more than a memory.

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"Alone in summer, where the sun burns bright, yet the silence feels even hotter."