My immediate plan was to drive back to my home and talk there, but noting how we both were still so pumped with anger, I decided to take us for a spin about town.

Still simmering from Stella’s little stint, I broke the silence. “I told you we would talk after I showered. Why the hell would you even think about leaving when we haven’t discussed anything?”

Her gray eyes flashed at me, hard as crystals. “What the hell is there to discuss, huh?” she stormed. “Are we supposed to hug each other and say, ‘Oh it was wonderful being shagged by you for the past weeks. Thank you, dear Callum. We should have lunch sometime.’ Is that what you’re looking for here? Because if it is, well, THANK YOU! You can stop the car, so I can get back to my life.”

“We aren’t through yet!” I yelled as I gunned the engine and parked behind a private garden. I had no clue where we were, but that didn’t even faze me a bit.

“You need to get back to Zara,” she bit out, fetching her purse as she tried to yank the door open, but found it securely locked. “Fuck!”

“I don’t like the thought of you leaving. I feel like I should do something, but I don’t know what, Stella.” I shined on a little of what I was going through. I respected Stella, but for some reason her immediate want to leave made me feel like I had failed her. I know I shouldn’t because it wasn’t making any sense, however it was what I was feeling.

She sighed.

Her back sagged a bit, defeated somehow. When she twisted to face me, there was something in her eyes that I couldn’t understand; yet when I sought it out, she lowered her gaze, staring at the interior. “Cal, we shouldn’t even be fighting about this. I realized that since your life is pretty hectic, and so is mine, that it would be better to just go back home. Besides, I didn’t want to be in the way with Zara. We started this whole thing with no expectations. I want to simply leave it at that. I know I should’ve told you that I was moving back into my place, but I thought that it would be better this way, since you have so much on your plate as it is. I didn’t want to be a burden.”

“I apologize.” For neglecting and forgetting you, I silently added because it was true. I did somehow forget about Stella. “I hope you’ll forgive me someday.”

Stella brought her face to mine, smiling brightly with a hint of sadness in her eyes. “For what? You had so much going on. You didn’t even have to reach out to me this way. I understand, Cal. So if you’re worried about letting me down, you shouldn’t. You always thought well of me, even if you were a mere stranger. You’re a great man, Callum. Don’t try to tell yourself otherwise.” She then moved closer, wrapping her arms around me, her heavenly scent annihilating my senses.

Her gesture certainly surprised me, but when her arms wrapped around my neck with her intoxicating smell blanketing my nostrils, it dawned on me that this might be the last time I could hold her. When that entered my mind, I felt somehow rattled and incredibly uneasy about it.

“Thank you, for all you’ve done for me. I may seem like a spoilt woman at times, but I do appreciate everything you have done for me, Cal,” Stella whispered into my ear and then she brushed her lips against my cheek and kissed it gently. “Please take care of yourself. If you need a friend, I’m a phone call away.”

I swallowed, a tad shaken by this small exchange. What was going on here? The pitted ache in my stomach now lashed harder. “Stella…”

She shook her head, stopping me from saying anything. When she asked me to unlock the door, I obediently did so. I came out of the car, opening her door. I knew she didn’t need me to do it, but I simply wanted to.

For the last time, she brushed her lips against mine. “It was my pleasure to finally have met the man inside. I’ll never forget it.” Stella bestowed me a beautiful smile before walking away.

I wanted her to stop, maybe take her back to her flat, have dinner or whatever else I could conjure up, however even though my mind was busy, my tongue was frozen. My feet were glued to the floor, unmovable.

From a distance, I waited until she let herself into a cab without looking back at me. My eyes immediately closed tightly when I heard the car door slam shut, driving away.

“Goodbye… for now, Stella.”

For now.