Thinking of the way the two were reacting, when they kissed, Tyler knew, something, some chemistry was there between the two.
But the way they reacted to each other, and the misunderstanding are making their vision blurred.
After spending the night their, they were brought down the hill the next afternoon, and each one of them, savored the shower as soon as they reached the villa.
Packing their things, as it was their last day at the resort, they stepped out for a walk on the road connecting the resort to the villages around. Going around the little, tiny shops, they greeted the villagers. That is when Amelia caught her eyes on a little thing, a thing which reminded him of someone. Not quite being able to leave it behind, she bought it, and kept it in the pocket of her coat, before anyone else could have noticed that. The others bought little souvenir for themselves and their families back in the town.
It was already 8 in the evening, and Amelia wasn't sure if she should ring the bell, as she stood with her head down in front of the villa gate. Deciding that the current vibe between the two wasn't good, she turned around and stepped off the porch.
"Where are you going?", she heard the familiar Casanova voice.
"I......uhmmm..... just"
"Quit the stutter, what?", he asked looking in her eyes.
Ohhhh damn, Amelia thought looking into his hazel's.
"Okay, I'm just gonna say it", she said.
"You are just gonna say it", he repeated.
"Yes, I'm just gonna say it"
"Say it",
"Stop"
"What?", he chuckled.
"Listen", she said placing her hand on top of his folded arms, "I wanted to thank you"
"Thank me?", he asked, "For what?"
"For everything, I just let me finish this time", she said, and he nodded.
"I had a great time, and I wanted to give you this. Don't open it, like right now. I .......... uhmm....... Shawn, I", she said as she looked behind him.
Bella, stepped out of the main door, as she fixed her kimono.
"I think I should leave", she said looking behind him, as Bella waved at her.
Shawn looked in the direction her eyes pointed. He looked behind him to see Bella as she stood straight, and when he turned to look back at Amelia, she was already closing the gate, stepping outside it.
Not sure of what happened to her, he decided to meet her later at night.
He stepped back inside the villa looking at Bella.
"So shall we finish the deal now?", he asked her.
"Of course, the resort is yours, Just talk to my ad about the papers", she said smiling at him.
"You said he wanted to sell it, I thought you will be having the papers", he said in confusion.
"I just had a preposition baby, rest is up to him", she said raising her eyebrows and smirking, before stepping out of the door and leaving.
Shawn rolled his eyes at her, as she walked out of the gate.
"Real time waster, Bella", she whispered.
Placing her head on her palms, as she sat on the bed folding her legs, bending down, she thought how stupid she was to think Shawn deserved an opportunity to explain himself. She couldn't believe him, on banging the friend of the girl he acted all sweet in front of.
A knock on the glass window, brought her out of her thought. Then there was another knock. She looked at the clock, which said 11, and knew everyone else was already sleeping. So she got holds of her hand, on a flower base, as she took an attacking position, before breathing heavily, and unlocking the glass door, that connected to the terrace.
"What took you so long?", she heard someone say as the door slid to the left side.
As a reflex action, she brought the vase down on the trespassers head, almost hitting him, missing by an inch. Next she knew, she was trapped in a pair of arms, as the trespasser caught hold of the vase with his right hand, snatching it from her hand, and placing it softly on the side table.
"Next time", she heard him whisper in her ear, as hot breath tinkled the skin on her neck, "Be a little more ruthless". Freeing Amelia of his arms, Shawn looked at her, as he smiled to the right of his face.
"What?", he said as she still shook in fear.
"Damn, Lia", he said, as he noticed it was real, it was a panic attack.
He went near her, as he engulfed her in a hug, and kept his hand on the back of her head, which rested on his chest. Her hands were on her chest as well, as she got the goosebumps, from all the fear now. Rubbing her back, he placed light, kisses on her forehead.
"What happened?", he asked when he was sure, Lia was fine.
"You came in like a thief, what did you expect?", she asked.
"A hug", he stated.
"This isn't a PG-13", she giggled.
"But I still got a hug", she said. She eyed him.
"Thank you by the way", she said.
"Why'd you leave, earlier?", he asked.
"You were busy", she said.
"Yah real busy", he joked.
Amelia couldn't believe he would joke about Bella like that.
"Are you serious?"
"What?", he asked.
"You are such a jerk"
"Huh?"
"Leave it, I don't want this to end at a bad note", she said looking at his feet.
"End? What do you mean?" He asked.
"I'm leaving tomorrow", she said.
"What?"
"I wanted to have a good last memory of a friend," she said pointing at him.
"But I'm a disappointment?" He asked.
Amelia didn't flinch on that.
Seeing no emotion on her face, or her body language, he knew he had to leave to stop this right here.
She just stood rooted to her spot, as she saw Shawn move towards the terrace door, and close it behind him, not even looking up once in her direction.
Taking the stairs down the railing, he walked towards the villa. He knew he had lost her trust. And there wasn't a way of getting it back. So he did the best he could, he left.
Closing the trunk, Marco moved towards the driver's seat.
"Come Amy," Bella called out.
"She is coming with us, " Tyler said, looking at Amelia.
Bella shrugged her shoulders, and moved towards her seat after smiling at Amelia. Amelia moved behind Tyler, walking towards his car, with the black handbag hanging on her right shoulder, on her beige long coat.
Tyler did slower his pace to met her's.
"You shouldn't leave a place with things undone", he said looking to the ground.
Listening to him, Amelia stopped in her track, making him turn around to face her.
"What do you mean?"
"Amy. Go talk to him", he said placing a hand on her shoulder and giving a reassuring nod.
Amelia looked at him, walk towards the car now, as he turned around moving his head lightly towards the villa, signalling her to go.
Standing in front of the wooden villa door, she stood fro the second time, there in the last twenty-four hours, the only difference being, she rang the bell this time. For the 5th time though.
When the door wasn't answered the 6th time, she turned around to find a gardener in the lawn.
"Hello? Sir?"
"Hello, how can I help you," the old man said.
"Do you know, if anyone's in there," she asked with hope gleaming in her eyes.
"No, Shawn, the owner, left in the morning"
"Do you know at what time will he be back? I just have to talk...uhm...about something important."
"Oh, I'm afraid he left with his bags"
Amelia eyes froze in his direction for a moment, expecting him to tell her it was a joke. But that never happened. He looked at her one more time, before resuming his garden manicure duties.
Walking back to the car, she felt regret. Regret of not talking to him. Not being able to say a happy goodbye to him. Not being able to hold his hand once more. To feel the warmth of his hand once more. Because she knew, now it won't be felt again.
Tyler looked at her from the side mirror as she approached the car. Turning back in his seat, as Jack stepped of the accelerator, and the car moved towards the gate, Tyler tried to find any emotion in her eyes. But that was how it was now. No emotion. She smiled, but. And looked at Tyler, with a low smile. He turned around in his car to look ahead now. He wanted to ask, what had happened. But seeing her, and looking in her eyes, he knew whatever it was, wasn't that good. So closing the book, and Shawn's chapter, there and then was what was good for her, maybe, he thought.
As the car passed the The coffee shop, Amelia tried to spot his car, or him through the glass windows. She could have asked the car to stop, but she didn't want to feel the suppressed emotions, or rather one emotion, regret. Regret if she doesn't find him there. Regret of not being able to leave him at a good note. Regret of letting him go, when she could have stopped him. She thought of the book, he had left for her at the villa the other day. Feeling the pages inside her handbag, through the open zip, she felt the urge to return the book, but the feeling of not seeing him there made her flinch at the thought, and with that she removed her hand, and zipped the bag, keeping it on the side of her seat. And the car moved passed the The Coffee Shop, and she didn't say a word. Just kept her eyes to the front.
Shawn, waited at the table, of his Cafe, for his coffee, before leaving the town. Nothing was keeping him here now. He had lost the one who he had fallen for, at the very first sight. And he knew that earning her trust was the his most valued achievement. And he had lost it, with the same ease, with which he had earned it. And no matter what, she wouldn't have had trusted him, not without a knot between the two. So leaving her behind, was the best thing he did for her, was what he thought, sipping his coffee, as it arrived at his table. The same table, he sat with her, the day she read the book, "The Phoenix". He ad a little hope, that she might be back, to this place before leaving, to return the book. But that little piece of hope, which provide him peace till now, blew away when the door didn't open for her, while he waited for her.
Waiting here,
And regret there.....