Resurfacing

Chapter 8

June 2022 (past)

The days Nik didn't have any work obligations they spent together, and he tried to spend the nights with her when able. Between the passion at night together and the adventures during the day, Eliza knew that the day she was going to be leaving was coming up.

Part of her wished she could call her boss and say she quit her job and would somehow spend the rest of her life with Nik, but that wasn't reality. Reality was that she had spent the last eight days being as free as she had ever been. Loving someone more than she had ever given love before. Being with someone more than she had ever been with someone. Nik had taught her about a part of life that she hadn't fully known or understood before.

And it was eating her up inside that it was about to end.

Sitting cross-legged on a lounger, relishing the sounds of the waves, she tried to put everything that had happened would continue to happen for the next two days in a special box. Her own Pandora's box, except with everything good and wonderful. Always having a knack for segmenting her life, for the most part, she didn't want to segment this time. It truly was the best of her life.

As the sun hit midday, she saw a familiar boat dock and a familiar shape tie it before making his way effortlessly to her. Her insides tightened at seeing him, drinking his image in, trying to memorize all of him. He made it over to her quickly, placing a long lingering kiss on her lips, as a tear slipped from her eye.

"What's this?" he asked wiping it away.

"I'm sad."

"You are not gone yet." he said straddling the lounger facing her.

"Not yet, but I will be." a deep aching loss resonated through her.

"We still have two days."

"What's two days, Nik? We knew this would end." Nik was shaking his head. "We knew this would. We both knew I was leaving."

"I know, Eliza!" he took a deep breath calming himself. "But it's not right now. We can figure it out later."

"But now is later."

"No, later is later, now is now." he took her hands, intertwining their fingers. "Come, let's take a ride. A last-minute tour request came in for tomorrow, so I want to get the most out of this afternoon." Weakly following him up, she changed into a swimsuit, throwing a kaftan over it, and letting him lead her out to the water.

~~

His tour that day must have gone longer, since he still hadn't arrived for their last night together. Part of her wished that he wouldn't show up, make the break easier. But the other part of her yearned for him, one last night.

Hearing a knock on her door, she got up and opened it, revealing a tired Nik.

"I'm sorry, the tour went longer than anticipated." Letting him in, they had decided to stay in for their final night and order room service.

"I'm glad you still came."

"Of course." he drew her into him, wrapping his arms around her, trying to give her the assurance she needed.

Ordering their room service dinner, he told her all about the tour that day. It had been three couples who were visiting for the first time and had wanted to keep the tour going as long as they could.

Once room service arrived, they ate the meal, with quips from Nik on how the little tavern in the nearby town had better lamb than the one in front of them. Eliza gave him a hard time for saying that, and finally the laughter started, breaking up the somber air. Dessert of course was each other. They enjoyed each other as they had been doing for the entire time, but every time, something felt new about it.

Between each time they loved each other, they would tell each other more stories or things about themselves and their families. Then something would happen, and they would be exploring each other. She wasn't sure how much sleep was going to get this night, and she didn't care.

Awaking in the morning, Nik was fast asleep. There was something about seeing him sleep, but they had left the door to the beach ajar, and she could hear the waves against the beach. Slowly getting out of the bed making sure not to interrupt him, she put on a spaghetti strap tank top and her underwear. No one would be up this early in the morning, and it could pass for beachwear.

Walking through the soft sand, she sat down, knees bent chin resting on her crossed arms on her knees. Thinking of nothing but wanting to just be in the moment. Where she was in Greece, having a vacation, finding her own Greek God that had made her laugh during the days and made love like the god he was at night.

She had lived a hundred lives in the past ten days, and it was worth it. Breathing in the sea air and closing her eyes, she listened to the sounds of the waves.