Passionate Choice

Chapter 2.6

   Alone in the cabin, Selena had sat, numb with misery as she faced up the reality, the reality that for Keith, his nine months with her, those months of enchantment among tropical islands had been nothing more than a last fling before he gave up the freedom of being strictly single.

   Eventually, her pride had asserted itself and she had shaken off the misery, reminding herself that she had gone into the affair with her eyes wide open expecting nothing by way of commitment and, at first, not expecting to make any commitment herself. She and Keith had agreed to split when they returned to Nassau so the time had come to split.

   When he had come back to the boat, he had found her all ready to leave, her bags packed, her shorts and sun-too changed for crisp white cotton pants, an emerald green blouse and a loose, white cotton jacket. She had been lugging one of her bags up from the cabin to the cockpit.

   "What are you doing?" he had asked, approaching the hatchway with the intention of going down the ladder so that she had been forced to back down.

   "Leaving," she had replied brightly. "This is the end of the line, isn't it? Would you mind taking this bag?"

   He had taken it from her and dropped it on the floor of the cockpit and before she had time to pick up another bag and push it up to him, he had ran down the ladder.

   "You don't have to leave yet," he had said.

   "Oh, I think so," she had replied. It's the best way. I'd like to go ashore and spend a night in a hotel, maybe two, if I can't fly out tomorrow..."

   "You don't have to stay in a hotel. You could stay on board or you could..."

   "No, thank you. I've had enough of living on a yacht. I'd like some comfort, some luxury, a bathroom to myself, some time to get my act together, make some long-distance calls, attend to my hair, book a seat on a flight to London, be by myself for a while before going home," she had interrupted him sharply.

   He had stood looking at her, hands on his hips, his eyes dark and expressionless, his face giving nothing away of how he felt about her decision. If he had spoke then. If he had only said: Selena, don't go. Stay with me, she would have capitulated to his demands completely. But he had said nothing. He couldn't have said anything and the shadow of a young woman called Sora had moved between them.

   "You're really keen to get back to your studies and get that master's degree, aren't you?" he had said at last. "Nothing else, no one else matters." One corner of his lip had twisted downwards in a sour grimace. "OK" he had shrugged and had taken the bag she had been holding from her. "You could always stay in a room here, at the Nassau Harbour Club," he had suggested.

   "No. I'd prefer a bigger hotel, one nearer the town and the airport."

   "Then I'll go and call a taxi for you," he had said coolly.

   Not much more had been said. The taxi had come and he had helped the driver to put her bags in the boot.

   "We won't ware time in a tearful goodbye scene," he had remarked drily, holding out his right hand to her. "We had a great time, Selena, and I shan't forget. No regrets, I hope?"

   "Oh, no. No regrets." She had smiled at him even though she had been crying inside.

   "Will you write, let me know when you get that degree?"

   "No. I don't think so. Goodbye, Keith... and thanks, thanks for everything." Her voice had choked and she had almost treated him to the tearful farewell scene. Pulling her hand from his grasp, she had stepped blindly into the back of the taxi and closed the door. When the cab moved forward, she had turned to wave but Keith hadn't been there. He had gone.

   And so it had ended, their short love affair, coolly and without recriminations and she had truly beloved that she would never see him again.