Hailey’s POV
I couldn’t afford to lose her again. It was a miracle that she was alright. I will forget everything. Alex wants a new chance anyway. It will be fine.
I went to my mom’s ward. She was getting discharged in a week. I went to Alex’s ward to tell him about my decision and the news.
“Hey,” I said as I entered the room.
“Hey… Hailey. I am sorry, please. I was stupid, please. But I swear, I had nothing to do with what happened with Ervin. I didn’t know anything about that. I just managed the situation after the mess. And hell, I would have never hurt you”
“W-Whatever, Alex. Mom is fine now”
His eyes glistened up. “Really!?”
“Yes,” I replied. He smiled. “So, I am giving you a chance. But you have to leave all this Mafia mess and start over like me”
“Start over like you?”
“Yes. I am gonna live with you and mom and forget anything that happened in the last year. But you have to make sure that mom doesn’t know about anything... From my marriage to you”
“Yes” he smiled and I left.
It has been a week. This week, I was in the hospital-- or I should say that I was switching hospitals day and night. Robert called me a few times, said that he wants to talk to me before I leave.
Yes, I am leaving. Leaving for someplace where I wouldn’t remember anything that happened here. I don’t know what to do. When I told Robert that I am leaving, he looked devastated. I had never seen him so broken. But he didn’t stop me and said that it was better for both of us.
Since then, I have been pushing him away, and now is the time to meet him for the last time. I don’t think that we’ll meet ever again after this. I am going to London and am starting over. Him, I don’t know what he’s gonna do. He is gonna probably move on and continue.
He called me yesterday after everything and said that he’d wanna meet once. I agreed, but he called again today to confirm.
I-I thought that I love him.
But why don’t I feel my heart getting heavy when I am leaving him for good?
Why don’t I feel bad? Sad? Angry? Frustrated?
I-I feel like I am leaving my life behind.
Now it has ended, and I am going away for good.
Mom was discharged and Alex was too. They both are in our house, right now. Packing their things. Alex apologizes to me even now, saying he is very ashamed.
I asked him why he killed Max.
He told me that he didn’t.
I don’t know the truth, but Ervin is dead too and no one could tell us. Other than, if they have written it somewhere as Max did.
I went to his house to meet him for the last time. I told mom; I am gonna visit Sara.
Lisa has left the country in fear after what happened. Guess, she wasn’t the best, best friend.
And Sara… well she is afraid too, so she doesn’t wanna visit us anymore. But mom doesn’t know it, of course!
“Hey” I heard a voice and I looked at Robert. He stood up seeing me and came to me. “Came to meet me?”
“Yes,” I smiled.
He nodded. “Well… I wanna… apologize for whatever I did to you”
“You didn’t do anything. It is alright”
“And I wanna ask one thing” he looked me in my eyes. “Don’t you feel anything for me?”
Robert that is the most difficult question.
“I-I…”
“Be honest. That is what I want” he said.
“I thought I did,” I confessed. “But now… I don’t think so… I-I mean, I think it was infatuation. I-I--”
“It is fine” he took my face in his hands. “It is completely fine, Hailey”
I like you, Robert…. But I can’t tell you.
Because you won’t ever love me back.
I nodded my head and he looked the other way. “I want one thing from you. But you won’t--”
“What is it?” I cut him off.
I am meeting him for the last time, I will do anything that makes him happy.
“I want a goodbye kiss”
I looked at him with a little shock. All he asks for is a kiss. “But you don’t have feelings so…” he added.
“I can. But can’t tell you if you’ll feel anything in it”
“I don’t want it to be forced, Hailey”
“It is not. Come here”
He came closer and I joined our lips. It was not a passionate, heated kiss. It was a loving, friendly, and soft kiss. It didn’t show how much we love each other, because…we don’t. But it showed how much we mean to each other.
I got away and I saw him smiling slightly. “Thank you” he whispered.
“No thanks. I need one thing too” I said and he looked at me. “Anything,” he said.
“I want you to leave the Mafia, Robert. I want you to be a completely legal businessman. You are great in business. Just move on with your legal business”
He looked at me for a second. But without thinking much, he nodded. “I will. I promise”
“Thank you. That is all I want”
“I will” he hugged me and slowly I hugged him back.
“I have to go” I got away.
“Will, you ever return?”
“I don’t know”
I saw a tear roll down his cheeks. “I wanna see you smiling before I leave” I insisted.
“I can’t”
“Robert…”
He looked away and then again at me, with a smile. “I’ll become a good man”
“You are, Robert”
He smiled. “You are the first one to say that”
“I won’t be the last,” I said. “Bye”
“Bye”
I left him.