The sun was getting lower and lower as I stared at the beautiful view in front of me that I couldn't get tired of.
Everything was just so beautiful.

Bella was near me, blissfully sunbathing.
Her flat stomach resting against the beach towel as she breathed slowly.
I noticed how her red hair got darker when it was wet.

"How about we call Vincent for the boat? If you are okay with it." I asked her.
"Sure." Bella said, picking up the phone.

"God..." She said with a relieved smile as she gets up.
"I'm relaxing too much... I'm not used to."  She said surprised.
I laughed, "It's weird for me too..."

Our boat arrived about half an hour later. And we said goodbye (hopefully for now) to that incredibible place.

As I walked up the stairs, I looked up, and Bella had stretched her hand to me, smiling kindly.

I took her hand, she squeeze it and somehow, she did not let me go until I climbed the last step.

"Thanks..." I managed to say.
Pretty embarrassed by... I don't know what.
"No probs." She smiled gently.

There was something when I took her hand that left me destabilized, like... a shaking feeling... but the most stunning thing was that I could glimpse from her eyes that she was feeling it too...

When we were on the boat the sky was softly and slowly turning shades of yellow and orange.
Bella and I were near each other, leaning against the edge of the boat to admire that view.

"That was worth it..." She whispered seriously.
She looked at me with those limpid eyes.
"I mean... look at that..." She slightly smiled and looked away towards that horizon.

I smiled, "I agree..."
"It's very nice."
I never thought I'd say those words with everything that had happened that day.

Still our arms brushed against each other.
Still this feeling of embarrassment mixed with relief.

Why?

The boat brought us back to the resort.
And I was feeling sad about it, as if that place reminded me that I had been abandoned.

At the reception we stopped in front of the elevator.
Bella cleared her throat before speaking "Would you like to have dinner at the hotel restaurant, tonight?"
Her big amber eyes looked at me intently, waiting for my answer.

"Sure." I accepted.
I don't know why but a sense of relief hit my shoulders.

She immediately smiled.
"What floor are you on?" She asked as she pressed the elevator call button.
"Fourth." I said as we entered the hotel's elevator.

Bella looked in the mirror in front of us and laughed: "At least I got a little color, now."

She was talking about her slightly rosy cheeks, who suited her.
Yet her skin is so fair.

"You are so tanned..." She pointed at me, amused.
"Ow, I can feel that..." I laughed, still feeling the heat of the sun in my skin.

Suddenly, she squeezed my arm and gave me a warm smile. "Make sure to put on some sunscreen next time, Ellie."

Why does her touch make me feel nervous and relieved at the same time?

After a few seconds the doors opened and she stepped out.
"I'm on the third." She explained.
She turned to me and smiled quietly, "See you in the lobby at... nine pm?"

I nodded, smiling back at her.
"See you later..." she whispered, glancing at me with a soft smile. Her eyes had a strange glint.

The elevator doors closed and the last thing I saw was her wavy red hair and her light blue dress.
Her hair was still a little wet at the ends.
I thought that was a very nice vision.

I pressed the number four and leaned back, staring at the golden ceiling of that elevator.
Just enough time to barely squeeze my eyes that I heard the click of the doors opening again.

I was arrived at my floor.
Once again, alone, in my room.
And when I saw that empty bed, a strange feeling of emptyness hits my stomach.
I was so tired that I threw myself on it and squeezed my head on the pillow.

The feeling of loss and disappointment were still mad inside me, but spending time with Bella... and that beautiful place, had made this feeling less overwhelming, somehow.

Joe was right, Bella and I are definitely two different people, but at least we seemed to be compatibly somehow.

I still knew her very little... but sometimes it seemed to me that behind that cheeky appearance, she was actually hiding some fragile and insecure sides.

But this was just one of my silly thought.

I squeezed my eyes in an attempt to clear my thoughts, but involuntarily, my mind projected me to that moment when Bella took my hand and squeezed it gently.

That sweet feeling of unexpected gasp...

I chased those thoughts away and laughed.

I let the tub fill and took off my costume.
My phone rang at that moment.
It was a video call from Joe.
I putted on a robe and and I answer him with trepidation.

"Ellie..." Joe greeted me with a smile.
He was lying in bed, shirtless... probably just to show me his athletic body.
Which he obviously cared so much about.

"Hi..." I said dryly.
"Did I interrupt you...?" He asked, winking at me.
"I just came back from the sea – you know I have to take a bath." I replied.

He smiled mischievously at me.
"You should stop it..." I said annoyed.

"Do you want to tell me how was your day or not?" I sat more comfortably on the edge of the tub waiting for his response.

Joe eyes sparkled: "Better than we imagined, it was an amazing experience... it feels like being in another planet."
Then he yawned and ran a hand over his eyes: "I'm so fucking tired... we had to walk for a few hours."

"Do you like the boat?" He asked immediately afterward.

Actually, what he should have asked me wa if how I was doing, whether I was doing better since he was gone... if I forgave him...

"It's very nice. And spacious –thank you." I answered simply with my eyes full with sadness.

"I knew you would like it. So... how's with Bella?" He asked me. His blue eyes more interested now.

I swallowed: "She's nice... she seems okey... though, I haven't really figured her out yet." I replied as I gently touched the water that was filling the tub.

"Hmm, it's already a good start." He said with no emotion.

"Joe why didn't you tell me she works with you and Leo?" I finally asked.

Joe sighed tiredly or maybe panicked.
"We never talk about work, Ellie... Anyway, she was on a trial period, it went well and she was hired." He said monotonously.

That 's still odd... why hadn't he told me before?

"You should have told me." I said.
"It's not that inportant." He snorted hastily.
Sure...

"The water has reached the brim." I announced.
"Okey, all you have to do is enter..." Always that mischievous smile of his.

"Joe..." I scolded him.
He laughed: "Come on, don't tell me you're still mad..."
He pouted at me.

"Very. Yes. I am. It all happened only this morning, you know..." I replied still clearly upset to think what he had done.

"All right..." Joe replied with a sigh.
"I will make it up to you, I feel bad about all of this..." He raised an eyebrow and smirked at me.

Well, I don't think so...

He got out of bed and began to hairstyle his hair.
"I have to hurry now, Leo is calling me. We will have a Hawaiian dinner in a famous restaurant."

What a drag...

"Have fun you too, Ellie, but not too much..." He laughed, but I think he was serous too.
I rolled my eyes, joking.
He blow me a kiss through the phone, and we said goodbye.

I turned off the water as I put on a random playlist of music.
I got into the tub as the song begin to play.

It was "Exile" by Taylor Swift.

How strange was it? Fate had chosen that song... and why did all the phrases seem to touch me in some way?

<< All this time
We always walked a very thin line
You didn't even hear me out.
You never gave a warning sign
I gave so many signs
You didn't even see the signs >>

I feel like this song is trying to expose all those feelings I want to hide : the loss, the disorientation, the complications of a relationship.

<< So many signs, so many signs
You didn't even see the signs. >>

My heart went crazy as I stared at the ceiling with a strange ache in my chest.

Who knows if I could not catch the warning signs of it...

Or maybe I did... and it was him that didn't even hear me out.

Again, I chased those thoughts away. They were too intrusive, and heavy.

A/N
Hii guys! It's me again!
Hope you like the story so far ♥️
Feel free to comment ♥️