We'll Always Have Hawaii

Chapter 1

December 15th, 2012
It was in the middle of the night when Stevie was sitting on the floor of her bedroom in her condo in Santa Monica. As she was packing her suitcases, she couldn't believe that another whole year had passed by. No other date but December 15th made her realize how fast the time went by.
Just like every year, her mind was racing. Should she go, should she stay? Should she call him and tell him that she finally wanted to quit their little arrangement? That she was over it? Over him? That she was tired of getting her heart broken over and over again every single time they separated the day after? That she finally wanted to make a cut and try to find somebody that could really be there for her? Actually be with her?
She sighed heavily. Her mind told her to stop but her heart wanted to go. There was no way she wouldn't show up.
She looked at the clock. 3 am. In less than nine hours she had to be at the airport. She closed her suitcases, crawled underneath the covers of her bed, switched off the lights and tried to get at least a few hours of sleep.

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The annoying sound of her alarm woke her up. She turned in her bed and buried her head under the blankets. She was tired, exhausted and nervous. She hadn't slept very well. Every year it was the same. One could think that after twelve years she would have gotten used to their arrangement but she was still as nervous as back in the day when they had met for the very first time.
She got up and showered, did her hair and make-up, got dressed and took her bags to get into the car, that was already waiting for her outside of the building. No one knew where she was going, when she was leaving or even that she was leaving. She had given Karen the day off and had told her to not call or visit her, regardless of how important it might be. She didn't even have an idea how she should explain to her assistant what she had been doing for more than a decade now, every single year on December 15th. Even her flight she had booked by herself. No one knew and that was not going to change as long as this arrangement existed.

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It was already dark when she arrived at Hilo International Airport a few hours later. And as usual she asked herself why they had agreed to meet so far away from home. The flight itself lasted around seven hours and was more than exhausting. Of course, she knew why. Here, nobody would look for them, nobody expected them to be here and it was here, where they had spent their very last night together before he had gotten married...
She got into the car that drove her to the hotel and looked outside of the window.
The same street, the same restaurants and bars, the same hotel driveway... Every year the same.
She entered the hotel and went quickly into the elevator that brought her up to the third floor.
Suddenly, she stood in front of the door to their suite. Room 231. As always.
She used her keys and opened up. The lights were on. He was already there.
She swallowed hard, took one last deep breath and walked inside of the room, locking the door behind her and leaving her suitcases in the hall while she made her way into the living-area.
As she saw him sitting on the couch, a warm fire crackling in the fireplace in front of him, him totally lost in his thoughts and not hearing her approaching him, she couldn't help but smile. And suddenly, all her doubts were washed away. This was right.

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I know this was very short but I promise another update as soon as possible, if you like this story? Feedback is highly appreciated. :)
Also, I'd like to thank all of you who left so many nice comments on my last story. That made me really happy!
Much love, Lara