A Beautiful Lie (COMPLETED)

Part Thirteen

Nicole's glow has been shattered lately. She felt empty inside, the beautiful scene she usually loved each morning while she gazed at her patio had not eased her loneliness. She is missing Ethan.

She paced back and forth inside her room and decided to lie down on the bed, she hugged one pillow tightly and brushed off a tear that escaped her eyes.

She felt pathetic.

She has no idea how that night ended. What lingered was the numbness and the shattered pieces of her heart.

After Ethan broke the news, she was dumbfounded, she wanted to tell him to stay with her even for another few days, she wanted to beg him, to reason him out but she knew she was being selfish.

"Tonight huh? You are surely in a hurry to flee the island" she grinned, trying her best to put up a good act.

He looked at her closely and nodded. "I have an emergency at home, it needs an immediate remedy, I have no choice" he sounded frustrated and desperate.

She suddenly stood up and pulled him to stand with her. She straightened her shorts out and smiled again.

"We'll if that's the case, we better hurry up and head back now so that you can pack your stuff and won't miss your flight" she stated.

She halted away from Ethan when he grabbed her hand and swung her to look at him.

"Please..." he uttered. "Say something..." Ethan was devastated.

Nicole gazed at him touched his face and smiled.

"Can you just stay and not leave me? Please?" She wanted to verbalize but decided to keep her mouth shut.

She held his hand as she led him back to the hotel in uttered silence. She wanted to respond to him, but she could not trust her voice enough. After they entered the elevator Ethan stared at her, but she ignored him.

When they reached their floor Nicole immediately rushed her step heading to her hotel suite deciding it was the best option for her. However, her tracks were cut when Ethan called for her to stop.

"Nicky..."

She ceased her movements and turned around, kissing her, it was a brief contact, and then he looked at her, "this is difficult for me too, Nicky, I don't want to leave you like this," he said.

The fact that he didn't say that he still wanted to see her or ask for her address and contact number just made it more difficult to accept what kind of relationship this was.

"It is what it is Ethan..." she responded. "Can I see you again?" She dared ask.

Ethan painfully remained silent dropping his gaze away from her.

She nodded, letting him know she understood.

Painfully she exhaled. "I will let fate be the judge of that then..." She slowly removed Ethan's hand and walked away.

She was about to enter her room when she slowly turned around again and smiled at him. "I wish you well Ethan, have a safe trip" she uttered as her voice cracked a little.

"Nicky... I..." She did not let him finish, she readily opened her door and slammed it closed. She released the air she kept inside for a while, and she broke a sob. She bit her lips hard to avoid giving out a sound.

Tears fell freely in her face then she wiped it away using the back of her hand "Please get a grip!" she murmured.

It's crazy to say that for a short while, she has developed a deeper emotion for the guy who rescued her, whom she met in an unfortunate circumstance. She smirked. Fate has a funny way to make her miserable.

First was her arranged marriage which took her by surprise and now Ethan, it seems things were not falling into place. She knew that it was her fault, that she allowed herself to like him far too much! There was no one else to blame but herself.

Her line of thought was interrupted by what transpired that night when her phone rang, she stood up and answered it. When she checked who it was, she hesitated at first but decided to take the call anyway. She cleared her throat.

"Kate?" She spoke.

"Nicole! You need to go home now!" She sounded frantic.

"Calm down, what's wrong?" she asked as she tightly held her mobile phone.

"Your father..." Nicole's heart started to beat fast, she knew something had happened.

"What about Dad?" Her tone increased. Panic starts to develop.

"He was rushed to the hospital earlier; he had a heart attack. He was not looking fine for the past few days, but I didn't know that he would collapse!" Kate said sounding anxious. "You need to go home; your father needs you"

"Oh my God... how is he? Is he fine? What did the doctor say?" She asked, a pit of nausea rumbled through her stomach, she was worried sick.

"I don't know yet, they are running a lot of laboratory tests for him, I'm worried." Kate burst out.

"Please Kate, try to calm down. I will go home as soon as I can but for now, keep yourself together. I need you to be strong for my father." she uttered.

When she had given Kate her final instructions, she hung up the phone and readily tossed her things in her luggage. She did not even arrange it accordingly. She also called the front desk she was checking out, requested clearance immediately, and then asked the receptionist to book her a flight back home. She needs to board the plane fast.

She packed everything up. When her flight was confirmed, she hoped that there wouldn't be any delays. She hurriedly paid her bill and thanked the hotel management. After it was settled, she was now heading to the airport. She made a final call to Kate about her father.

After a few hours, she then boarded the plane, it was done smoothly that fate was on her side on this. She offered a silent prayer for her dad. They might have disagreements, but she does not want to put him in harm's way. He is the only parent she has left.

She exhaled loudly which caused curious stares from other passengers. She suddenly closed her eyes. She would be home soon and get back to her old ways. This time without Ethan in her life. Sadness envelopes her.

She thought "I don't know how to begin forgetting you, but I have to... I know it would not be easy but for now, I have to say goodbye..."

She opened her eyes and stared at the gray sky outside her window. For now, she had to focus on her father, she needed to make sure he would be alright... and then she closed her eyes again.