Heat Of The Night

Chapter 4 - Saying Goodbye

Ella awoke to the sound of the door slamming shut, disoriented and unsure of where she was. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, she saw Tam standing there, holding up a tray of food, with one of her bags hanging from his arm.

"Good morning, beautiful," he said with a smile, though his eyes betrayed a hint of sadness at the thought of her leaving. "I brought you breakfast in bed."

After he set the tray down next to her, he placed her bag on the bed. "I packed all your stuff, and Chris is taking it to the helipad to for when your ride gets here. You have time to finish breakfast and shower in peace. I brought a bag of your clothes to change into."

"Wait, what time is it? When is the chopper coming?" she asked, her heart racing.

"You have about half an hour," he replied.

"Half an hour?!" Panic bubbled in her chest. That was all the time she had with him. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"I wanted you to rest after yesterday," he said softly. "It was a lot."

Ella looked at him, feeling the weight of their time slipping away. She quickly pushed aside her feelings and focused on the moment. "Thanks for this," she said, gesturing to the tray. "You really didn't have to."

Tam shrugged, a hint of a smile returning to his face. "I wanted to."

While she ate, Tam sat there watching her, drinking in every feature and memorizing each freckle. He hoped she would fill his dreams each night, chasing away the nightmares that had haunted him. Once she finished, she got up and grabbed her bag, pulling her clothes out.

"Aren't you going to shower first?" Tam asked.

"No," she replied, not wanting to. There would be time for that later. She wanted his scent to linger on her for as long as possible.

Ella slipped into her jeans and a blouse—civilian clothes, not the uniform she had arrived in. After getting dressed, she went to sit on the bed next to him, her fingers dancing across his palm. She wanted to tell him how much she would miss him and ask him to come with her, but she knew his place was here, leading his men. If he left, it would mean more deaths—deaths of people who were his family. Ella couldn't be selfish with Tam. She cared too much for him and knew she had to let him go.

Crushing those fuzzy, warm feelings bubbling inside her, she took a deep breath. "I'm ready to go," she said.

He leaned in, giving her a lingering kiss. "I wanted to give you a last kiss here in private," he murmured. She understood it would be inappropriate in front of others.

Tam escorted her to the helipad, where Chris and her ride were already waiting. "Good luck with the story, Miss," Chris said, hugging her goodbye.

It was time. She turned to Tam, the words of how she felt catching in her throat. Her lips yearned for one more kiss, her heart longed to stay, and her hands wanted to reach out and grab him, but instead, she just smiled, and Tam smiled back.

Ella climbed into the aircraft. The noise of the blades drowned out her thoughts, but she couldn't shake the feeling of leaving behind a piece of herself. As the helicopter lifted off, her gaze was fixed on Tam and Chris, growing smaller and smaller against the backdrop of the compound. It felt surreal, like she was being pulled away from a world that had both hurt and healed her.

As the distance between them widened, she fought back tears. She wanted to remember every detail of Tam, every moment they shared. She felt a mix of sadness and gratitude, realizing how much he had changed her.

The helicopter banked, and she caught one last glimpse of Tam, standing tall, watching her leave. Ella knew that no matter where she went, a part of her would always remain in that bunker, with him.