The List: One Year, One Adventure ✔️

Chapter 11: Sometimes The Deep Is Peaceful

Ari

Leaving that place was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It was harder than all the chemo and all the long needles poking into your bone marrow. It was harder than all the screams you heard in your dreams and harder than deciding you wanted to die.

Leaving him was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, but I had to do it. We were suffocating under the weight of our insecurities, the hurtful words acting like knives on bare skin. I had to leave, in order to see if this was what we both wanted and needed, but mostly I left, because he broke my heart.

He broke it when he told me that another woman had touched him so intimately, in a way that I yearned to touch him. I couldn't look at him and feel what I was feeling right now. Once again, I let a man make me feel that I was unworthy of love, while another woman was rewarded by his touch. I had been cheated on a lot in my brief dating history and I never wanted to look at Dean like I looked at those other guys. I never wanted to hate him because I felt betrayed.

I had nowhere to go, but I dialed the new number in my phone after I quietly packed all my things. I could hear it in his voice that I had woken him, but he didn't hesitate to tell me he was on his way. I made sure that Dean was asleep in his room, before I went and met him outside on the street.

"I'm sorry to call you, but I need your help." I looked into his beautiful hazel eyes, there was a feeling of understanding and a longing to rescue that flooded them.

"Absolutely, Arina," he said as I smiled, because no one ever used my full name, but he had said he loved the way it sounded on his tongue. "I promise I'll be quiet, let me get your things. I'll meet you down here when you are ready to go." His southern accent was thick and heavy with tiredness.

"Thank you, Ace." He smiled as I said his name and took my hand in his, brushing his lips over my knuckles.

I headed to Venise's room and quietly woke her up and explained everything.

"He's here right now? Oh god, if Dean wakes up, he's going to blow a gasket, Ari!" Venice had a look of genuine concern on her face.

"Dean isn't going to wake up and it's nothing like that. Ace is just a friend and right now that friend is going to help me get to New Orleans. I promise I'll text you and tell you when I get there. I'll see you in a few days, I just need some space from him."

"I know." Her eyes were sad because by leaving him, I was leaving her too. "Dean knows he messed up and he's crushed."

I looked at her and I felt the tears well up in my eyes, but I couldn't cry right now. After she hugged me tight, I headed downstairs to where Ace was standing, waiting in front of his black rental.

We went back to the twins' penthouse room for a few hours, before heading to the airport. When we arrived, I was dreading the trip, because I was expecting that it was going to cost me a fortune to check all my bags and large trunk, but I was really shocked when we drove past the main terminal entrance towards a private lot. The lot contained a small building where we parked and an attendant rushed to greet us.

"Mr. Parker, Ms. Parker, it is a pleasure to see you again, please let me help you with your things. The hotel sent a bulk of your things over early this morning," the attendant cheerfully said, as he tipped his hat and scurried to retrieve my massive bags from the trunk. "Please leave the keys and we will have the car handled for you." Ace tossed the keys in the attendant's directionhis direction, who grabbed them midair and hurried off with my baggage.

Ace took my hand and ushered me inside and towards a counter, where Sassy was already standing, checking in.

"Ms. Parker, thank you for visiting again, your jet is waiting and fueled," a nice older lady in a crisp uniform stated, as she checked some information in her computer.