#relationshipgoals

For over two weeks now, it had maintained its lead over all other trending hashtags, ever since it was propelled to the top by a fan’s photo of Nathan Callis running after his ex-girlfriend at Miami International Airport. The photo had been wittily captioned, That moment when someone loves you enough to run after you, knowing the whole world’s waiting for you to fall---

It had become viral in mere minutes, liked and retweeted millions of times over. Nathan and Alyx had always been a subject of interest to the public, but more so when a so-called friend of Rima had spilled the beans to a tabloid. The exposé had gone on to share juicy details about the truth behind the picture-perfect marriage of Dr. Aetes Callis and his supermodel wife.

For so long, Aetes had hidden his homosexual desires, believing it would be a detriment to his career. He had gone as far as marrying and siring a child with Nathan’s mother, and when she passed away, he had swiftly sought a replacement in the form of Rima, ensuring that his sexuality would never be questioned.

But he had become complacent in hiding his proclivities over the years, and on the last day of their stay in Hong Kong, Rima had walked in on her husband cheating on her – with another man. Everything that she thought to be true in her life had fallen apart in that one instant, and feeling deceived, unwanted, and unattractive for the first time in her life, Rima had sought her stepson, hoping to rekindle their attraction.

All of these, Rima had shared with her friend over one wine-laden session, not knowing that the other woman was experiencing certain financial difficulties – difficulties that she knew would be quickly solved if she sold her story to a tabloid.

And so it was as if everyone’s lives had come full circle, Alyx had thought when she read the tabloid exposé, which had made things sound even more lurid by including graphic summaries of the doctor’s sexual activities.

In vino veritas.

Wine was what had made her talk to Nathan, and now the truth about Rima and Aetes’ marriage was exposed in the same way.

But it didn’t mean everything was fine…even if Nathan was acting like it should be that simple.

More than two weeks ago, Alyx had done what might possibly be the most irresponsible thing she had ever done in her life. She had withdrawn half of her life savings in cash, using it to pay for a trip around the world without leaving any kind of paper trail. She knew how billionaires operated, after all. They had countless minions doing their dirty work, and she knew if she used her credit card just once or logged in to any of her social media accounts, he would know where she was.

So she played it smart, she played it safe, and it should have worked if Nathan Callis didn’t have the world on his side.

She had been sunbathing in Rio de Janeiro when another beachgoer had tweeted a snapshot of her, and Nathan had personally replied to the tweet, thanking the girl in fluent Brazilian for tipping him off.

I hurt the woman I love, so I need to find her and make her love me again.

And boy did that line fool millions of women into thinking he was a good guy, Alyx thought.

Since then, life had turned into a cat-and-mouse game between them, with Alyx barely managing to keep a step ahead of Nathan.

From sailing on the French Riviera to cruising down the Nile River, from making the arduous climb to Machu Picchu to skiing down the slopes of the Alps – he was always there, behind her, after her, waiting for her.

She would be trying her hand in gold prospecting in the Outback, dune bashing in Dubai, and because the world thought it would be romantic if they were to get back together, he would always find his way to her.

Sometimes, the situation seemed so hopeless it made her want to laugh and cry at the same time.

Why did he think she would ever want him back?

Every night she would torture herself, going over every minute of the time they had together, trying to pinpoint the times when he was so obviously thinking of Rima and not her.

That time in Hong Kong…

That time when he couldn’t say ‘I love you’ back…

That time when he lied about all those calls…

You see, Alyx, she would tell herself. Rima has always been there. You were in a love triangle without even knowing it. Shouldn’t that make you mad? Shouldn’t that make you feel foolish?

And it did.

It did.

But somehow, the anger and pain didn’t stop her heart from aching at the loss of him. She hated him, but she still loved him, and she just didn’t know what to do.

She just didn’t know what to do.

And it was how Nathan eventually found her.

Or rather she was waiting for him to find her, having made no attempt to hide her whereabouts this time, and they both knew it.

He came knocking on her door only two hours after she had checked in, and Alyx said wearily, “Come in.”

The screen doors slid open, and Nathan Callis entered her room, a sprawling suite that boasted of a beautifully minimalist, traditional Japanese setup. Her eyes widened when she took in his attire – he was in one of the hotel’s kimonos, down to the traditional tabi socks and wooden sandals, which he then set carefully aside before leaving the genkan or entrance area.

She looked so damn tired, Nathan thought grimly. He knew it was largely because of him, and the sight of her wan face was all he needed to be sure he was doing the right thing. He would give everything to have her love him again, but not to the point that it would hurt her.

Never that.

And so if this one last time was not enough---

Nathan breathed hard, telling himself it was not like him to lose hope when he had yet to start.

But then…he had never needed to fight for something so damn important.

“Hello, Alyx.”

She didn’t answer, only watched him lower himself on the tatami fat and fold his long legs under him. A small, low table separated them, but the violent way her heart thudded against her chest told her that the distance wasn’t enough.

He had to be at least two thousand miles away, she thought, for her to – maybe – stop hurting.

Taking a deep breath, she asked thinly, “How do we go from here?”

In answer, he pulled something out from the hidden pocket in his kimono, and she almost, almost smiled when she saw that he had come prepared. He always had all the answers, she thought painfully. Or at least almost always---

And she couldn’t help rearing back, remembering that one time he had been caught off guard, and he hadn’t known what to do upon finding Alyx in Rima’s hotel suite.

Her heart constricted.

Would thinking about them always hurt?

Nathan didn’t miss the flash of pain in Alyx’s eyes, and his hands tightened around the album he held. He knew – of course he damn knew – what she was thinking, what was hurting her---

Because he loved her.

He always would, even if she never believed him again.

Nathan handed her the album. “Take it.”

“What’s in it?”

“My heart on a platter,” he said without missing a beat.

“Where’s the knife?” she quipped.

Silence.

And then her lips slowly started to curve, even as her eyes started to shine.

And his heart never ached as hard as it that moment.

“I’m sorry,” Nathan said hoarsely. “I’m so damn sorry I broke my promise about protecting you.”

And the tears started to fall.

“I’m not perfect, sweetheart. I wish I could be for you. But I’m not. All I can do is work harder at making you happy, at never making you cry again. All I can do is find all the ways to show you that I love you.” His jaw clenched. “And it will always be you, only be you forever.”

His words were so beautiful, and she was equal parts desperate and terrified to believe them.

He pushed the album towards her once more. “Please.” His voice was ragged. “Please take it, sweetheart.”

She reached for the album with shaking hands, not knowing what to expect, but when she saw what was on the first photo, she almost dropped the album.

“Are you for real?” She half-laughed, half-choked on a sob.

The first page was a photo of Rima and him together, and when she flipped to the next page it was still the two of them together. Nathan was much younger of course, but handsome as ever, and unsmiling.

“If this is all to make me realize you and Rima are this lifetime’s OTP,” she snarled under her breath, “I swear I’m going to kill you.”

“You’re my OTP.”

Her cheeks turned the lightest shade of pink. “Ha!” But her voice was so weak, almost giddy, and Nathan blinked while Alyx jerked.

Oh my God, she was supposed to be convincing him he had no chance – NO CHANCE – with her, and here she was, showing in every way that she was his for the taking!

Alyx cleared her throat, and then she said very firmly this time, “Ha!”

Nathan only stared at her in amazement. Did she just try to redo the last five seconds?

Alyx flipped the pages, and it was on the sixth page that the photos changed, and it was of Nathan and her this time.

All of the photos were of them together, and---

She snapped the book shut. “I’ve seen enough.” Her voice shook.

“No,” he said steadily. “You haven’t.” And he forcibly opened the album for her again. “Finish it.”

“No. I don’t see any point. It’s---”

“Finish it.”

It was the first time for Alyx to hear something akin to a shout from Nathan, and when she allowed herself to look at him---

Her lip started to tremble. “W-why are you looking at me like that?”

“How,” he asked hoarsely, “am I looking at you?”

She shook her head.

“How, sweetheart?” he pressed. “Tell me how.”

“Like…” Her voice faltered, and she bit her lip hard.

“Say it---”

“Like I’m your tomorrow.” The words spilled out of her in a sob.

A ghost of a smile touched his lips. “Because you are.”

Another sob escaped her. “I’m so tired, Nathan. And scared. I don’t know---” Her body shuddered in an effort to control her pain. “I don’t know if I can do this one more time.”

“You can.” And because he couldn’t take it anymore, he shoved away the table between them, and even as it crashed against the wooden wall, she didn’t look up.

She was crying so hard, all the noise was drowned out by her tears.

He hauled her to his lap, saying hoarsely, “Just one more time, sweetheart.” He cupped her cheeks and kissed her tears away. “I need you to forgive me just this one time, to fall in love just one more time – and I swear. I swear on my life you’ll never have any reason to doubt me.”

He guided her fingers back to the album, flipping it open to where their photos started. “You see it, don’t you?”

He felt her inhale sharply, her body trembling so hard he knew how much it was costing her not to break apart.

He pressed his lips to her forehead. I’m sorry. He placed his hand over hers, gripping her fingers tightly. Trust me one last time.

And he heard her say, “I see us.”

Ah.

“I see you and---”

He met her eyes, asking rawly, “And what, sweetheart?”

“And you’re smiling.” And she tried to give him a smile of her own. “You’re smiling in every photo…”

“Like I never had in the past,” he said emphatically.

“Like you never had in the past,” she echoed in a whisper.

“My mind might not have known it then, but the rest of me – my heart, my body, even my lips knew, Alyx. The rest of me knew I belonged to you.”

She jerked.

“I held back from loving you out of fear. Out of shame. I didn’t want to end up a loser again, I didn’t want to risk another rejection – a part of me couldn’t take the possibility that you’d choose Nik Alexandropoulos over me.”

“Oh, Nathan.”

“And though many years had already passed, there had never been closure between Rima and me, and I didn’t want to risk hurting you until I was absolutely certain nothing in me would want to get her back.”

He cupped her face. “That’s why I had to go, sweetheart. I wanted to be whole for you. I wanted to be completely yours.”

“Oh, Nathan.”

But this time they came out nearly incoherent because she was kissing him, and he was kissing her, and all the while she was crying because she knew.

These things didn’t have to be said.

They were felt.

But even so, Nathan gave her the words anyway.

“I love you, Alyx Marshall, and my love will always be yours.”