This is how it ends.
On a cold, rainy night in New York, Hanna Marin cries into her pillow, staining the white linens with designer mascara. She's lost everything: her job, Caleb, the apartment she can't afford on her own. Not that she'd want it when the years they shared haunt every corner. So she cries until the sun rises again and there are no tears left.
Slowly, her heart mends and she finds her footing in life once again. She ships his phone to an address in Montecito and packs up their things to put in storage. But the memories linger, reappearing at the worst possible moment, a reminder of when things were good and love came first.
It feels like she's been flying for days when Hanna finally gets off the plane at LaGuardia. Her eyes are heavy with sleep and the designer bag on her shoulder digs uncomfortably into her back. No wonder since it's weighed down with three sketchbooks full of designs. Something about spending fourteen hours traveling always seems to inspire her.
She doesn't even bother turning her phone on, treasuring those last few moments of freedom before the incessant emails and texts start coming in. It's liberating not flinching every time her phone chimes and she's starting to feel like her boss is worse than A.
And the phone would have stayed off except that she couldn't bear the thought of another hour on the subway, especially with two bags in tow, so she called a car and quietly slid into the backseat before turning the phone off again. In minutes she was in front of the pale brick building and she relished the thought of sleeping in her own bed again after so much time away.
But the happiness is short lived as she lugs her bags up the four flights of stairs before digging through her purse to find the tangle of keys at the bottom of her bag. The door falls open with a click and she finds Caleb already crossing the room to pull her into his arms.
"You didn't let me know you were coming," he says with mock indignation. "I would have picked you up."
"I didn't even know when my flight was until the driver called up to my room," she explains, "and my phone's off."
"Yeah?" he teases. "How is Cherise going to send you instructions for her dog's thyroid medication?"
"Celeste is still in Milan for another day," Hanna explains, "and Julianna is covering for me tomorrow so I have the day off."
Caleb looks at her perplexed. His excitement masked by the sheer shock of having his girlfriend home without the burden of her job keeping them at arm's length.
"When was the last time," he says softly, "that we both had the day off?"
"Circa twenty-twelve," she responds.
"I know you're joking," he says, "but it's almost too true to be funny."
"Let's just enjoy it," she says, looping her arms around his neck.
She looks up to see a smile on his face as he leans down to lock eyes with her. Their lips brush, ever so gently, and Caleb slowly deepens the kiss, wrapping his arms tighter around her. Hanna kicks the door closed with her foot and lets him lead them into the alcove that serves as a bedroom. A warm glow from the street lights outside spills in through the open blinds, providing the only illumination as they fumble through the familiar room.
With warm, trembling hands Caleb claws at the zipper on the back of her dress, sliding it down slowly so his palms ghost over her soft skin. She shivers in response, missing the feel of his strong hands on her body, the warm comfort of his embrace and the feeling of sheer trust in him. They're everything to each other and it's been too long since they shared a moment like this.
Her dress finally falls to the floor revealing a matching set of black lace intimates. Caleb licks his lips in response, fingering the lacy straps and letting his hand graze over the top of her breasts. Hanna instinctively digs her hands into his side eliciting another smile from Caleb.
"Not fair," she tells him, tugging at his shirt. "Your turn."
Caleb doesn't need to be told twice before his shirt hits the floor in one quick motion. His jeans come off next, almost as fast, until he's barely clad and an uncomfortable bulge presses against his boxer briefs.
"Better?" he asks.
"Oh yeah," Hanna tells him.
She bites her lip, dragging her fingernails across the muscles of Caleb's chest. A smile crosses his own face and he pulls Hanna close. Their heartbeats fall into sync as they close the space between them. Caleb leans down to kiss her again, cradling her head in his hands as he gently lays her back against the bed. She's wedged between his strong arms, blonde hair splayed against the pillows and she wants nothing more than to feel him, every last inch of him. Her legs loop around his waist, savoring the subtle sensation through her lacy thong.
"Not yet," he whispers against her ear. "I want to taste you."
Even after years together his words cause Hanna to blush a pale shade of pink and she hides her face behind a manicured hand. Caleb's laughter is muffled against her neck and when he finally composes himself, he coaxes her back to life with tender kisses until she finally lets him slide off her lacy panties. He kisses his way down toward her waist.
"I've been," he says in between kisses, "thinking," another kiss, "about you...all...week."
She bucks her hips in response when his lips finally connect with the tender spot at the apex of her thighs. Her breathing falls shallow and the pit of her stomach fills with nerves as Caleb bows his head between her knees. With every stroke of his tongue, her fingernails dig deeper into the edge of the mattress, white-knuckling the sheets as she whimpers with pleasure.
"Caleb, please," she gasps, feeling the last bit of her restraint fading away.
He pulls back, just barely, replacing his tongue with his hand and then the taste of herself on his lips almost distracts from the strain as he settles between her legs. She buries her hands in his hair as they move in unison, her slim legs tightening around his waist.
"Yeah, yeah," she murmurs against his cheek as he works his way inside her, laving her hot skin with wet kisses.
Euphoria ripples through her body, sending sparks to the very tips of her toes and she vaguely hears Caleb's grunt in response as her nails scratch against his skin, desperate for anything to hold onto.
"I...love...you," Caleb pants.
His words are like magic, driving her over the edge as she shuts her eyes, savoring those last few seconds of pleasure before it passes and she releases her grip on Caleb as his body writhes over hers.
"Did you…?" he asks as he lands on the pillow next to her.
"Yeah," she breathes, resting her hand across his chest.
Caleb entwines his fingers with hers, stroking her thumb gently as they come back to their senses. It's been a long time since they laid in bed like this, awash with the glow of sex. Even longer since they had sex without her phone ringing...multiple times.
With his free hand, he reaches over to brush her wavy blonde hair to the side, admiring those icy blue eyes. Compelled by her radiance, he leans down to kiss her, a move that takes her breath away.
"I missed this," Caleb tells her afterward.
"Me too," she replies, snuggling up next to him, "but things should be slowing down soon. Celeste is hiring a new assistant. I'll be able to focus more on the designs and less on getting coffee and steaming dresses."
"So it's like a promotion?" Caleb says. "We should celebrate."
"We will," Hanna assures him with a kiss.
But they never did
The promotion only meant more work for Hanna. Longer hours and new responsibilities that require weeks of traveling on end. Caleb needed more and with his own demanding job, their lovemaking became paltry and rushed until it was virtually nonexistent and his final plan to save their relationship was once again sabotaged by her career. The love is still there, a glimmer of eternal hope, but the patience and understanding wears thin.
AN: We all know this story has a happy ending, but I'm starting from the middle and working back. It only gets better from here. Thanks for reading and being part of my Five Days of Haleb project. I hope to be updating at least one story in the next week. Wanna chat? I'm on twitter and tumblr as Halebfic :)