I wake up early and alone.

The sun beams brilliantly through the windows, and those little, floating particles that dance in sunlight are only slightly disturbed when I get out of bed.

Eager to get off the yacht before Ed, or any of his friends that know me, wake up, I quickly brush my teeth, and quietly move through the superyacht to lower deck.

There are a few people stirring, thankfully none that I know. A group of three or four people are getting ready to leave. I find myself catching a ride back to the docks onboard their RHIB.

They know that I'm the girl Thaddeus Reiley Junior has been hanging around with for the past week or so, but they don't say anything—probably because I look like I'm about to burst into tears. Or puke. I was feeling a little seasick and hungover—not a good combination, I assure you.

After thanking the group that gave me a lift, I walk from the docks back to the parking lot I've been living in. A sort of gladness fills me, since Bessie's still pretty much packed up after me nearly leaving the other day, there's not much for me left to do in California.

There's no way I'll be able to drive for 42 hours straight, so I'll break it down across four or five days—driving no more than ten hours a day, and sleeping over in a roadside motel, or just parking up somewhere I can legally sleep in my van. Getting arrested wouldn't exactly bode well for the rest of my career, would it, now?

Looking out across the sea, the waves are rolling in oh-so-beautifully, and the sun is shining, almost like California itself is begging me to stay.

But there are waves and sunshine back home, I remind myself, and your family, and friends, and your life.

It would be torture to leave whilst the waves are so good, so against my better judgement, I quickly change into my wetsuit, grab my board and head off down to the shore.

After a quick stretch and blocking out my thoughts, I'm ready to go. I dunk dive through the first few breakers, until I'm out far enough to be able to catch a wave in.

Strangely, my legs are wobbly as I pop up onto my board, and I faceplant into the water before the power of the wave can even begin to carry me forwards.

Spluttering, I resurface, frowning to myself—that's never happened before, even when I was learning how to surf.

A sharp twinge of pain in my knee points out the fact that I hit my board before hitting the water, and, maybe if this wasn't my last day in California, I would've gotten out of the water and stopped—but this is my last day in California; I don't stop.

I try again, this time managing to ride the wave for a few metres before I lose concentration and end up hitting the water again.

It's a good thing that this is a quiet beach, I think with a grumble, clambering back onto my board and paddling further out, hoping that I'll have better luck out in the bigger swell.

I lie on my board for a few minutes, the constant movement of the ocean is reassuring, and thoughts start seeping into my head like ink through wet paper.

Last night...

Madison and Austin...

Ed...

It was stupid to think that I could ever have a future with Ed; we live on different sides of the States, after all.

Stupid to think he loved you.

Stupid to think he cared about you.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

In swallowing back my tears, I also swallow a lungful of seawater—the salt making my throat burn.

Deciding that it's useless trying to catch waves whilst I can't even process my emotions, I slowly paddle back into shore.

Part of me feels like I should call my mom, or at least my dad, and tell them that I'm coming home, that I've quit this stupid waste of time that was supposed to be an adventure.

All it's been is a mess.

All the 'friends' that I've made here will forget about me in about two days' time.

I don't think it'll be so easy for me, not after everything I went through and did with Ed.

There's no chance that I'll forget him—not next month, not next year, not ever—Thaddeus Reiley Junior will always have a piece of my heart here with him in California.

I can't say the same for me having a piece of his.

I'm exhausted as I drag my board up the beach, going surfing whilst slightly hungover probably wasn't the wisest thing I could've done this morning.

"Hey, Skye!" I hear a girl's voice shout, and turn to see Sophie running along the beach towards me.

My first thought is: I'm not close enough to Bessie to ignore her and jump into my van and lock all the doors and shut all the curtains.

"Sophie." I force a smile onto my face, but it's painful.

"You left pretty early this morning." She frowns at me.

"Yeah, I know." I bite my lip, "I had to check on Bessie."

"You also didn't say goodbye to anyone."

I shrug.

"Well, I've got..." She checks her smartwatch, "Ten minutes to finish my run, so I'll catch you later, alright?"

I nod.

Knowing that she won't catch me later.

I have a quick shower at my van; thankfully I left it full of water, meaning it's nice and hot due to the sun.

Remembering that I actually need to eat food, I force myself to consume a bowl of cereal with almond milk, sat out in the sunshine, with Pride and Prejudice held open with one hand.

I finish the book, though it seems a little foolish and narrowminded that Elizabeth should marry Darcy after him being a total idiot to her for the entire novel. Well, these books are all about interpretation anyways. Though maybe my interpretations and judgements are slightly skewed due to recent events...

I set the book down and quickly finish off my now-soggy cereal.

The perfectionist within me hates leaving things unfinished, but I know that when it comes to my relationship with Ed, it already feels like it's ended, despite nothing being definitive.

I unlock my phone to find a few texts from him.

ED ❤:

Skye, please let me explain.

<< You changed 'ED ❤' to 'ED' >>

ED:

I really don't want things to be over between us

Please let me make it up to you

If you let me explain, we can go back to how things used to be

Please just call me, Skye

As if on cue, Ed starts calling me

My heart rises up into my throat as I press << ANSWER >> and hold the phone to my ear.

"Thank God, you picked up, Skye," He starts rambling, "I need to explain everything to you; nothing happened between Madison and I last night, and I swear to God I never slept with her or any other girl on my yacht, I promise, I—"

I stop listening; it's just more of the same bullshit he tried to give me last night.

So, without saying anything at all, I hang up.

ED:

I'll be working at the Oasis all day if you want to come and see me.

That's when the weight of it all hits me, and I break down. After everything that went wrong with my life back in Miami, I thought that travelling across the States would've made things better, given me a better perspective on life, whatever. Instead it's just made things worse, and my problems have followed me.

Maybe there's actually something wrong with me; I can't seem to get too close to anyone before I end up pushing them away, scared I'll get hurt, when in fact, I just end up hurting myself more than they probably ever could.

And now I'd done the same with Ed.

Sure, there are other factors involved that certainly don't help my case, but inevitably, it's always me that screws things up.

*~*~*~*

After much procrastinating and meaningless, pointless tidying that didn't really need to be done (like reordering all of my books into backwards alphabetical order—don't ask), I end up walking down the beach towards the Oasis Moon.

My plan has evolved to be this:

1. Say goodbye

2. Leave the café

3. Leave California.

It's hardly the most extensive plan I've come up with, but, then again, I didn't really think through leaving Miami to head across the States in a 1979 VW camper now, did I? That's a no, in case you were wondering.

Well, you know what they say about best-laid plans anyway...

Sucking in a deep breath, I push through the door of the café, and sit at one of the tables facing out towards the sea.

I play on my phone for a minute or so, before that brunette from my first full day in California, whose name I now spot thanks to her name tag is Brianne, comes over and hands me a coffee.

"I didn't order..." I begin, but she cuts me off:

"No, I know. But Ed told me to serve it to you as soon as you arrived." She winks at me, "Don't worry; it's almond milk."

"Thanks." I beam at her, my heart warming just the slightest fraction at the idea of him still caring about me...still loving me...

Yeah right, a voice jibes in my head; this is probably your going-away gift.

So I sit and wait, slowly sipping my coffee, which somehow doesn't taste quite as good as how Ed makes it...

My phone buzzes, surprising me.

MOM:

I really want you to come home, Skye Blue.

I don't respond, because maybe there's still some part of me that wants Ed to explain, and me to forgive him, and we can just continue.

But that's, like, super unrealistic.

The few customers that were in the café filter out, and Brianna leaves as well, sending me a smile before she does.

Alone, I sigh heavily; it seems that Ed isn't going to show at all.

Until, through the clear windows at the front of the café, I see him walking along the beach.

My heart leaps into my throat; he looks so sad.

Does he really care about me that much?

I stand as he enters the café, fidgeting nervously.

"Hi." He says.

"Hey." I say, my tone instantly taking on a defensive approach, pushing him away, "How's Madison? Did you enjoy spending last night with her and Austin?"

"Skye," He sighs my name, almost like it pains him, "I didn't sleep with them, I promise."

"Just like you didn't sleep with Madison, right?" I raise an eyebrow at him, lips pressed together in a firm line.

"Skye, if you'd just listen to m—"

"No, Ed. I thought I could come here and let you explain it to me, but I guess you're just going to keep coming up with the same, meaningless excuses." My tone's biting and vicious, but I'm just trying to protect my breaking heart, "So, I'm heading back to Miami, tonight. And there's nothing you can say or do that will stop me."

I brush past him and walk out the door, unfortunately leaving my coffee half-drunk.

"Stop, okay, Skye? Just stop." Ed grabs hold of my shoulders before I can make it out of the door, and he turns me to him, eyes locking onto mine.

"Look, Ed." I exhale, "Maybe you're meant to be with Madison, maybe it's only a matter of time before you realise that, and I don't want to be hanging around when you realise that I'm no good for you. You're not meant to be with me; you're meant to be with her."

He takes a breath, before rushing out: "I have never once slept with Madison, or any other girl apart from you in that bed, okay? Madison's just trying to make you jealous, and break us apart, because she's cold, and manipulative and home-wrecking's kinda what she lives for. And I am not meant to be with her, not in a million years, and I'd never leave you for her because if there is anyone that I'm meant to be with, it's you, Skye Jameson."

As he pauses, I open my mouth to speak, I forgive you, I'm sorry, but he rushes on, "And I love you more than anyone or anything I've ever loved before or will ever love again. My dad doesn't think that you're right for me, but I don't give a damn about what he, or anyone else tells me—I think you're right for me; I think you're perfect. You came to California to find yourself, and in doing so, you found me, and I found you. If I believed in fate and soulmates and all that crap, I'd tell you that you're my soulmate, and that we were destined to be together—you, Skye, not Madison, or anyone else, and I—"

I interrupt him this time, holding his face in both my hands, "Ed, I believe you. And I love you too."

Pressing my lips against his, I can instantly feel his entire body relax, the tension slipping away between the both of us.

"I guess I'm not leaving for Miami tonight then." I mutter against his lips, after our kiss breaks apart.

"I sure as hell hope not." He kisses me again, muttering softly, "I'm so sorry that Madison made you feel as if you had to leave."

"I thought that what we had was falling apart." I shrug, fingers tracing a mindless pattern on his shirt as he holds me in his arms, "And, like always, I was running away, 'cos that's clearly what I do when the going gets tough."

"Hold on." He kisses the side of my forehead, before leaving me—going over to the speaker system in the café, plugging his phone in, and putting on a song.

He then returns to me, taking me in his arms once again and beginning to sway to the music.

Gonna hop on that train today
I've got nowhere to go, no reason to stay
In four years I've travelled a hundred and sixty thousand miles
And the wind keeps pullin' me out

"What is this?" I giggle slightly at the country music.

"It was my mom's favourite song." He tells me, "It gets better, don't worry."

We sway for a couple more minutes, before Ed stops, and looks down at me, "You are going to stick around, aren't you?"

"I'll stick around for as long as you want me to." I tell him, smiling up at him.

Maybe I go cause I'm chasin' somethin'
Maybe I go cause somethin's chasin' me
Maybe I leave cause I've yet to find
Someone to look me in the face and say
Stick around

Ed starts singing the chorus, with a surprisingly good singing voice, as he looks down at me, holding me tightly in his arms:

"I want you next to me, so stick around
There ain't no reason for leavin'
Yeah, the road's been hard, girl
But I'll never let you down
So come on, stick around..."

The actual lyric went 'the road's been hard, boy' but he changed it for me.

"I love you so much, Skye Jameson." He kisses my lips softly.

"I love you too, Thaddeus Reiley Junior." I kiss him back, "And I promise I'll stick around."