Veronica took her time getting back to the boat—she didn't want to go back with all of her being. Her body ached like it never had before. She stayed, on the edge of the cliff—staring at the sun beginning to set. She cried—her cheeks hot with her tears. She didn't know she was going to feel so much pain. Veronica gasped for breath, as the realization sunk in—she had been fighting it because she knew she and the prince were never going to be together.

The orange of the sun set shone brilliantly on the horizon. She wished she could take it all in—she wished she had the right state of mind to enjoy the beauty around her. She had been thinking for hours.

Her phone buzzed every few minutes—and she wondered if it was him. But each time she looked, she was hit with disappointment, it was either from Dexter or Brian—asking for her.

She didn't feel like answering to anyone. She didn't need to. No one owned her time right now. She was just a woman right now—not a fiance, not a friend, and definitely not customer service—she was just Veronica, sitting on the cliff alone.

Her mind had raced when Cressida showed. She tried to think of a million possibilities, but nothing popped into mind—there was no way out. She knew it, and she knew when Adrian realized it too.

Veronica burned with shame—thinking back to the hallway with Cressida. She had known all along that Veronica was in the room with Adrian. Cressida said she could tell she was a virgin— and Veronica felt outright ridiculous. She felt like a schoolgirl, getting burned in front of everyone.

But, it was too late for that—Veronica peeked up from her arms, she had been sitting with her head on her arms, curling into a ball. It was almost night time. The sky had darkened. They would announcement tomorrow and Veronica was finally going home.

Home.

The word felt strange—where was her home? Her real home? She would be going to back to the states—to join Brian legally and become his wife. She would stay put and not be allowed to roam the seas again.

Especially after he finds out about my debt. Her phone buzzed and this time she looked at it. It was a crew call message. She had to get everything ready for the last night—tidy up and seal up the ship by tomorrow morning, after the guests leave.

After Adrian leaves.

Veronica pulled herself together, she wished she was stronger—she wished she had the guts to tell Adrian that she wasn't afraid of the photos, that Cressida couldn't break her, and that Brian nor Mario had a hold on her.

But, I'm not—she thought, a pain in her chest. She was just as trapped as he was—confined in their invisible prisons.

She walked back to the ship in a powerful daze of overwhelm.

The night was a long blur. She had arrived, the swirl of the crew around her. Dexter tried more than once to pull her from her cloud—but she was stuck. She went to the back rooms, ordering the directions from as far from the dining room as possible. She didn't want to walk in on Adrian and Cressida's dinner—she wanted to so far away, she wished she could swim back to shore.

Brian remained clueless as ever, remarking on the bags under her eyes when he saw her.

"Dang—you need some sleep—you don't want those to show during our wedding photos." Veronica only had the strength to nod and then she walked away. The night was half way through and she hadn't spotted Adrian nor Cressida. But, she felt like it wasn't over.

Cressida's eyes had shone like she was just getting started pushing Veronica's face into the mud. She wondered why she would be so cruel—thinking over Cressida's wicked personality over the past week. Veronica could only guess that Cressida did not like seeing a threat.

Veronica wished that made her smile—she wished she was a real threat to Cressida.

Veronica had prepared for her last stay here—finally, packing the last of her things. This time, she had managed to stuff her photos and things into neat and ready-to-go boxes. She left them at the ship's entrance, in the crew quarters, where everyone placed their items before disembarking.

As she walked back to her room, she lingered through the halls. She wanted to take in the memory of this ship—she wanted her mind to roam through the halls. She had many great memories here, she had plenty of strange and adventurous ones too. But, best of all—she'd met Adrian here.

She placed her hand onto the wall as she glided from hall to hall, throughout the ship.

Before she knew it, she was on the side of the boat where Adrian's room was. She was in the other hallway, but she could hear noises coming from his room. Veronica peeked around the corner, the bodyguard stood at the door. That probably meant—

Are they having sex?

Veronica's heart dropped but she strained her ear toward them. She heard yelling, all right.

But she realized—it wasn't sexual yelling. Cressida was yelling at Adrian. She couldn't tell what it was—the words weren't clear. But, then she could hear Adrian's voice yelling back—clearly angered.

Veronica knew that she couldn't get any closer—so took a final look down the hall and then headed back to her own room—wondering about the life that Adrian and Cressida were heading into.

Veronica felt exhausted as she lied down to bed. She felt the heavy blanket of sleep and her dreams drifted towards the ocean.