Chapter 6
Two days after that, Raphael and I watched the first sunrise on Cadillac Mountain.
Warm shades of red and orange slowly peeked through the sky as the sun. climbed higher.
I opened my arms, feeling the cool sea breeze, and amid all that awe, life was still pulsing quietly within me.
Raphael aimed the camera at me, capturing the moment.
I felt
I laughed freely, just following what
my
heart wanted.
Then I shouted to the wide open sea, “It feels amazing to be alive!”
I didn’t even realize the guy beside me had started breathing unevenly.
Once the sun was fully up, the sky lit up completely.
I looked at Raphael and said, “Don’t move, it’s time for me to show off my skills.”
He obediently set down his bulky camera and stood still like I told him to.
But after all my effort, I stared at the screen, utterly disappointed in myself.
How did I turn this cheerful, good–looking guy into someone who looked like a loyal, dopey golden retriever in every photo?
I thought about deleting the photos, but Raphael quickly stopped me.
“Keep them all! Send them to me!” he said.
Η
This guy is really strange. He actually wants to save these silly pictures. Maybe that’s just how artists are.
After leaving Mount Desert Island, I kept traveling without taking a
break.
Raphael came along, always serious and hardworking.
He filmed a documentary about me, and I took funny photos of him.
Those days felt full of fun and laughter.
But as the saying goes, good times never last.
About two weeks later, one evening after dinner, Raphael asked if I wanted to check out the newest cut of the film his team had put together.
I accidentally dozed off while we were watching the video.
When I woke up, Raphael looked like he was struggling to say something.
I blamed myself for being rude and quickly said, “Sorry, I’ve just been really worn out lately.”
But he replied, “I should be the one apologizing.”
A sinking feeling hit me.
Then he admitted, “While you were sleeping, I answered your phone.
“It was Stephen who called.”
I frowned. “What did he want from me?”
Raphael replied, “He asked you to come back and wanted to know where
you were and what you were doing.”
“So, what did you say?” I asked.
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Raphael looked away, clearly uncomfortable, and his ears turned red. “I told him you were asleep, and then I ended the call.”
I didn’t say anything.
The silence dragged on, and the more it lasted, the more unsure he seemed about my reaction.
He finally moved closer and asked, “Did I say something wrong?”
“No, you told the truth,” I said.
Still, Stephen might take it the wrong way.
But honestly, I no longer cared what he thought anyway.
As I walked out of Raphael’s room, I figured Stephen and Braelyn were probably back in the country by now.
When he realized I wasn’t at the hospital, he called because he was completely lost and didn’t know what was going on.
But I had already left a letter for Travis.
Once Stephen saw it, I figured he’d be thrilled, maybe even throw a party.
I broke things off with him and gave him the house and the savings. He got the job promotion and the money, and played the poor guy with a terminally ill ex. Honestly, I kind of envy him.
Lying there, I started drifting off again.
I can feel my strength fading every day, and the medicine doesn’t seem to help anymore. One day, I might just fall asleep and never open my eyes again.
As those thoughts came and went, my phone on the bedside table began
Chapter 6
to buzz.
One missed call turned into another.
The buzzing wouldn’t stop until it gave me a headache, and I finally picked up.
Then I heard Stephen’s voice come through, sharp and demanding, “Zorelle, where the hell are you?!”
Chapter 7
