A/N: At end


The gentle sound of water cresting and falling fills the air. Tobias could imagine it, the water hitting the sandy shores just before finding its way back home into the ocean. Combined with the cool breeze and the quiet night, it is utterly peaceful.

It's a stark contrast to Tobias' inner thoughts.

In two weeks, he'll have to start over again – leave Singapore and the comfortable life he had made for himself there, and go back to his home country to start at a new job albeit a promising one. He feels that he is making the right decision but somehow the uncertainty of it all, the thought of going back and facing the things and people from his past is enough to make Tobias nervous. He left America for a reason, after all.

His mind immediately conjures up Marcus' face, the uninvited memories of his childhood and most of his teen-aged life quickly follows. He'd spent many unsuccessful years trying to forget him and all the things he had done. Marcus had fucked up his life but still he cannot completely severe the tie connecting him to his father. He hates using that word for him. Marcus doesn't deserve that title because no father would ever intentionally hurt his child.

Then there's Tris.

Ever since he'd finalized his plans and said yes to his prospective employer's offer, he found himself thinking about her more. He had always thought about her every single day after he left Chicago, even if he's already with Nita. Tobias isn't sure if that counts for cheating but if it does then he is as guilty as the next man in death row.

His relationship with Tris didn't exactly end in a good note. Heck! They didn't even formally break up, but who needs that? Tobias is pretty sure Tris hates him. He left her behind without even telling her. Tobias wonders how she's doing, last he'd heard was she's already a mother and had moved for good to Washington. It was an obvious choice since she, Christina and Will already have places there studying at University of Washington. That was all Zeke could glean out from Uriah. His best friend's brother had always been Tris' friend, of course his loyalty is with her, which leads him to think that she might have told Uriah to not tell Zeke anything knowing full well that the older Pedrad sibling will tell Tobias. Just more proof that Tris does not want to have anything to do… that she's through with him.

Wherever she is and whatever she's doing though Tobias hopes she's fine. No matter what happens there will always be a piece of him that cares for her. Tris will forever be an important part of his life even if he won't ever have her back.

The door opens and closes disrupting Tobias' silent soliloquy. It could only be Nita. Soon enough she stands behind his chair. This is their vacation but they haven't spoken much nor have they spent a lot of time together in the three days they've been here. If he knew she only brought him to this place to try to talk him out of his plans, he wouldn't have come. Boracay is nice though. It puts Singapore's man-made beaches to shame.

"Are you sure?" Nita asks him massaging his shoulders. "I mean about going back to the States. Wouldn't it be tough?" Her hands move to play with his hair. They've been through this, talked about his recent resignation at ST Electronics and his impending move to Seattle. But of course Nita will still try to change his mind and make him stay with her in Singapore. Tobias had been trying to understand her, maybe all she wants is for them to stay together after all long distance relationships, according to the demographics, more often than not do not work; maybe she just doesn't want to lose him. But he also can't help thinking that she is being too self-serving, selfish.

"It would be tough, yes," he uses the same leveled voice he reserves for hard-to-teach subordinates, "but I have a job waiting for me there, Nita, and the offer's pretty good." He waits for a response but all he gets from her is an exasperated sigh loaded with all the words she doesn't say. Nita doesn't want to understand, no matter how much he explains himself to her she won't because she'd already made up her mind about this.

Well, too bad for her because he'd already made his decision and he won't be deterred. Tobias is really getting tired of dealing with the same things from her over and over again. He feels like a broken record jumping and repeating the same words, the same tune.

He wouldn't have this problem with Tris. She would even push him to chase all the open opportunities that will advance his career, Tobias thinks. When they were still together, Tris had always been his biggest supporter encouraging him to do better every time; she's happy with his successes and comforts him when things don't quite work out unlike Nita who, for the sake of keeping him near, had limited his options. Tobias knows very well that it is unfair to compare them but he can't stop himself especially with the way his current girlfriend has been acting the past few months.

"I am being offered something ST cannot give me. That's a once in a lifetime chance. I would be a fool to decline it," he tells Nita frustration evident in his tone. Tobias wants to tell her to stop being narrow-minded, stop making everything about her. He has a life outside their relationship, too, just like her. He lets her go out, work long hours, basically, do anything she wants whenever she wants; why can't she do that for him?

It wasn't always like this. Actually, it was good, very good when they started. Tobias met Nita a year ago at some party one of his colleagues threw. She's pretty and she knew it; everything she did showed it – the confident manner she held herself, the way she so self-assuredly went around the room and started conversations with the other guests including him. Nita approached Tobias from where he was drinking alone at the bar and started talking about the whole distilling process his brandy went through before it got into the bottle and then into his glass. She asked for his number before he left the party and he gave it, he was single anyway. The next day she called him, the week after that they had their first date.

Things progressed quickly. Nita had always been straightforward especially when it comes to getting what she wants, and she wanted him. Tobias, on the other hand, wanted something to make him forget about Tris, someone to help him move forward. It's been more than three years. Tris could still be with the father of her child for all he knows. Hell! She could even be married, happily married. Those reasons were more than enough to justify giving a pretty girl his number but still he had to convince himself that he was doing nothing wrong.

Obviously Nita failed to do that – make him forget but for a while he thought she could.

The first few months were good. Nita was showy and outspoken about her affection for him like she was proud of having him. It was something he never had growing up. The physical aspect of their relationship was also good. Nita was certain of her body in a way Tris wasn't. She knew how it worked; knew as well what would feel pleasurable for him. He can't say it was better with Nita though because somehow it always felt lacking like something was missing, and they just can't quite find it. But it was enough to take his mind off his old love even for a bit.

"Baby," Nita starts, voice trying for sweetness but he cuts her off.

"You know Nita this is getting real old," he stands abruptly from his seat, the chair's legs making a sharp sound as it scrapes the floor. He looks at her and sees the fake look of shock painted on her face. It makes him even angrier. "I'm tired of dealing with your selfishness," he doesn't shout but he punctuates each word, emphasizing them, they might as well have been made of jagged glass.

Tobias leaves Nita out in the balcony as he walks into the room going over the bedside table. He checks his phone for new messages, emails or calls. There's one from Zeke asking him what time his flight to Chicago will land. Tobias wanted to visit his old friends in his home city before going to Seattle and his best friend volunteered to pick him up at the airport.

Tobias was just beginning to type his reply when Nita's arms circle his waist. "I'm sorry," she says against the back of his neck. "I understand you're doing this for your career," she kisses the skin behind his ear, "but I just don't want us to be away from each other."

He took his time replying to Zeke's message; Tobias even checked his email's inbox before turning around to look at Nita. She was immediately upon him, peppering his face with kisses before pushing him down to the bed. She straddled his legs then lowers her lips down to his neck as her hands work to unbutton his shirt. This has always been her way of making it up to him every time they fight. Normally, it is enough to placate his mood even for a while. It would be easy to give in, let his more primal urges take over his logic. But not tonight, no, not tonight.

He stops her hands from completing their work on his top. "Stop."

"Don't you want to?"

"Get off me."

Nita does and she stands up from the bed putting more distance between them. She runs a hand through her long black hair and he knows she's just as furious as he is now.

"I already said I'm sorry, right?" she screams, "and I understand. What more do you want me to do?"

Her anger only sets him off even more. "Understand?" Tobias lets out a disbelieving laugh. Could she hear herself? He sarcastically asks himself. "You don't understand a thing because all you care about is yourself," he gets up from the bed, walks over the cabinet and forcefully yanks its doors open. "You are so self-absorbed," he grabs his bag from where it is leaning against the wall and almost ruins the zipper opening it. Tobias starts pulling clothes, stuffing them carelessly into his luggage. He stops momentarily and whirls around to look at Nita. "Your ego is probably bigger than mine." He goes back to work, packing the last of his things. His passport and other travel documents are already inside since he never took those out. Tobias pulls the zipper closed with finality.

"Where do you think you're going?" Nita grabs his arm when he goes over the bedside table to get his phone. He shakes her hands off.

"Away from you," he spits the words out.

"You are unbelievable, Tobias!" she says frustration and anger mixing together.

"Yeah, and so are you." He slams the door closed and quickly jumps into the empty elevator. The other guests would probably complain about them. He can't bring himself to care. He just wants out.

Tobias breathes in deeply to steady himself. He looks at his watch; it's already one in the morning. Great! He'll have to call the airline and see if they have any available flights leaving for Singapore before noon. He'll just go back, pack his things and re-book his Chicago-bound tickets. He has to call Zeke as well, tell him he'll be home earlier than planned. For now though, he needs to find a place to stay the night in. Hopefully the hotel will allow him to check-in to another room. If they don't, he'll just have to wait it out, wait for the sun to rise and for the boats that'll take him to the mainland. All those are manageable.

I'm done with her, Tobias tells himself still seething as he gets off the elevator. I'm ready to leave her and everything else behind.


So, some things: (1) ST Engineering is a real company in Singapore; (2) Boracay is in the Philippines; (3) I was supposed to make Tobias give into Nita but, well, he didn't want to do that obviously and (4) I'm on Tumblr - herbrightoceaneyes.