Vanish// Jordan Riki

15

Vani woke up next to Jordan by the sunlight creeping into the room, from the window facing the balcony; he was still sleeping, holding Vani in his arms. She gently swiped her fingers on his skin, letting only the edge of her nails touch him. He still slept peacefully, with his mouth sightly opened and his head on Vani's shoulder. She looked over the phone turning on for every notification, it was seven in the morning; she tried to fall back asleep in vain and decided to leave the bed.

Around half past eight, Jordan, after not seeing Vani in bed with him looked over the balcony, to find her on the hammock tied in between two trees, writing on a black notebook and listening to music with her AirPods. She was working on new lyrics, listening to different artists to get the inspiration, the most influential on her singing and writing were Jeff Buckley, Fiona Apple, Eddie Vedder and Thom Yorke. She loved to listen to music while writing her own stuff, to get into the vibe she was looking for.
That was her favourite activity: relaxing, listening to music and writing new lyrics; although she looked sad reading what she had written:
'A fleeting shadow, a whisper in the night
A love that fades, a heart held tight
You're chasing echoes, she's a distant dream
Or a silent scream

Find your own path, away from her arms
A bridge to nowhere, a world of alarms
Drift away, drift away from her lies
She's a storm in disguise

She'll draw you close, then push you away
A dance of shadows, a game to play
You'll never reach her, she'll always roam
A heart that's fractured, a love unknown

Find your own path, away from her arms
A bridge to nowhere, a world of alarms
Drift away, drift away from her lies
She's a storm in disguise

You'll never unravel her, you'll never win her heart
So drift away, before you fall apart

Find your own path, away from her arms
A bridge to nowhere, a world of alarms
Drift away, drift away from her lies
She's a storm in disguise

So drift away, drift away
Before it's too late
She's unable to love, she'll only bring you pain
Drift away, drift away, drift away'
The only person she was thinking of in that moment, was Jordan. She cared about him so much that she wanted to leave him. Vani sat on the edge of the hammock, her thoughts swirling in a tumultuous storm. She always thought Jordan was too good for her, as her mind was wrestling with the weight of her emotions. Jordan had been nothing but kind, patient, and understanding. Yet, deep down, Vani knew she couldn't reciprocate his love in the way he deserved.
She didn't want to hurt him, to string him along in a relationship where her heart wasn't fully present. But the thought of leaving him tore at her soul. She feared the pain she would cause Jordan, the shattered dreams and broken promises, but she also knew that staying would only prolong the inevitable heartache.
As the minutes ticked by, Vani's resolve solidified. She knew what she had to do, for both their sakes. With a heavy heart, she had to let him go, for his own happiness. Even if it would have broke her. And with that decision made, Vani took a deep breath, steeling herself for the difficult conversation that lay ahead. She was not going to do it during the vacation, she would have enjoyed her last time with him before doing it. She almost felt like crying.

After a dive in the pool in the morning and lunch, the group moved to the beach, until six in the evening, to get back in the house, change themselves and go to dinner in a restaurant.
Dig drowned Sophie with questions about her future wedding, but the future bride was just as excited as her and enjoyed every bit of it.
Vani stayed so close to Jordan during the day, that he wondered if something was wrong, but he wouldn't have expected what was actually happening.