The Price of a Secret

12 | A LONG JOURNEY

How strange life is. One day, a person is by the seaside, saving lives, and the next day, putting out fires in luxury homes in the city. How could his life have changed so much? A rollercoaster of emotions and sensations.

Since that fateful day, Simon had not looked back. The pain of separation had torn him apart. He had never imagined he could feel such immense pain, as he did that evening. Alone, standing on the pier, the feeling of abandonment and loneliness was too much to bear. He contemplated letting the sea take away his sorrows, as Elizabeth had once tried, but he didn't consider himself a coward.

Although he couldn't put an end to so much pain, he also couldn't bear it. Neither alcohol nor women could fill the void that formed in his chest. He needed to escape.

If the world turned its back on him for having nothing, he would prove them wrong. Not having money didn't mean lack of ambition. Until that day, he knew he had none. But now, it was what moved him. To prove to everyone, to her, that he wasn't just anyone.

As soon as the captain position at the Heartland Fire and Rescue Department opened up, he applied. It shouldn't be so difficult; after all, he was the best firefighter in his class. Determination guided his steps, and in a few months, he was promoted.

However, the life change was not so easy. Adjusting to the city, far from his companion and beloved sea, slowly killed him. He had to learn to fall asleep without the sound of waves and wake up without the sunrise greeting him through the window. But it would be worth it. Proving that he was capable was priceless.

Once he took over the Department, he rolled up his sleeves and transformed it into one of the best units in San Diego. With record response times in rescues and fire extinguishing, Simon had already been decorated more than three times. He was ready for the next step. To become Division Chief. But despite all the prestige and salary, he still took on some extra work to save more money. He needed to grow.

Since moving to El Cajon, he had rarely returned to La Jolla. The old and beloved beach now brought bitter memories. The friends also didn't help. Whenever they saw him, they asked about her or simply told him they had seen her. How could he forget her when everything reminded him of her?

But, of all the uncomfortable questions and conversations, the ones that disturbed him the most were Gavin's. His friend had told him about Elizabeth's worrying situation. Sometimes, she would show up at the beach with bruises, pretending to have fallen. As a rescue lifeguard, he had seen this story countless times. Women who suffered abuse but insisted they were just clumsy and got hurt easily. This revelation disturbed him, but it wasn't his problem. Elizabeth had chosen her path, and he had chosen his.

Nevertheless, learning that she was pregnant felt like a stab in his chest. He didn't think he still had a heart, but the moment he found out, he realized he did, and it still hurt for her.

He desperately tried to forget her, but the more he thought about it, the more he remembered her. When the memories were fading into the strange timeline, he saw her on the college campus. He didn't imagine she studied there; otherwise, he wouldn't have accepted the job. The La Jolla team requested assistance from his Department, and he promptly accepted. It would be good to see friends again. But not her.

In that moment, he felt the ground shift beneath him. He couldn't breathe. How beautiful she was, his Liz. Long black hair, fair skin, and a lovely gaze, but now filled with pain. It was only a few seconds, but enough for the floodgates of his heart to open, letting all the feelings, once submerged in the murky waters of memory, resurface.

He had promised himself that if he ever saw her again, he would ignore her. That he wouldn't let any feelings or emotions show. But he failed miserably. He wanted to run towards her, hold her in his arms, and kiss her. Oh, how he wanted to have her again. Feel her warmth.