She stays out in the water for so long he's afraid for her. He'd swim out to get her, but she's too far out and he doesn't trust himself to swim that far, even in this calm water. Just as he makes up his mind to go in anyway he sees her disappear and then he runs to the water's edge just in time to see her bob back up and begin to swim to the shore.
He sighs in relief as she finally gets closer, though that relief vanishes when he sees her red eyes. She's been crying for the first time since they got here, and when she gets out of the water she brushes past him, walking to the chair to get her towel. He follows her, resting his hand on her shoulder. She flinches and he drops his hand as though he's burned.
'I need to pack,' she tells him, facing away from him.
'Okay,' he says. 'Me too.'
She nods and starts to walk back to their cottage without looking back.
They shower and pack in silence and someone from the hotel appears to bring their bags to the waiting car. She gets in first, pressing herself into the corner to keep herself as far away from him as possible.
He thought they'd made progress. They'd made love, they'd connected, he'd thought they'd moved past the horrors of the past few months. That was dumb-it took him ages to move past this, months, years even. In some ways he still hadn't moved past it till he met her. He shouldn't expect her to feel better so quickly. But he'd thought…
The ride to the airport is silent and when they arrive, she gets out of the car and thanks the driver before boarding the plane. He doesn't want to get on the plane. He doesn't want to leave. It was… the whole trip was exactly what she needed, they needed. And now, going home, they're going to have to deal with everything.
He's been able to forget about cheating on her while they've been here, but as he climbs the stairs to the airplane it hits him again. He can't believe he did that. He's cheated before, of course, but no relationship has ever been as serious as his relationship with Liz, and… she cannot find out about it. Because she would kick him to the curb and he needs her, he loves her, he wants her…
She is in her seat and her eyes are closed. He takes the seat across from her, buckling his seatbelt before sneaking a glance at her. Her hands are folded neatly in her lap and he thinks she's meditating, because she breathes in, holds her breath for seven beats, and then breathes out.
The pilot announces that they'll be taking off. She keeps her eyes closed and he watches her. She looks so sad, he thinks. She looks as though she's filled with grief. He is, too, and his heart aches for her.
The flight attendant comes around and offers them a drink. He accepts a glass of water and Liz opens her eyes and asks for a glass of orange juice. The flight attendant nods and returns a few minutes later with her glass of juice. She sips it quietly and looks out the window.
'This was a good trip,' he offers, wincing at how stupid he sounds. She nods and doesn't look at him. He tries again. 'Do you have any other poems you like?' Jesus, he thinks. What the hell is wrong with me?
'I don't want to talk right now,' she tells him, and takes another sip of her orange juice.
'Okay,' he says, defeated. He looks down at his glass of water and doesn't say anything else.
Her parents have organized a car to pick them up from the airport and the ride back to her apartment is again silent. When they get back to her apartment, she locks all the doors behind them and then goes to listen to her messages. There are a lot of them, some urgent, some not. She takes notes and he unpacks their stuff and starts a load of laundry. He finishes up and he goes into the kitchen to see her.
Elizabeth, this is Ben Stone. Could you please give me a call when you have the chance? Thank you.
It's the last message on the tape and she looks up at him. 'I should give him a call,' she says.
'Okay,' he tells her. 'Want me to run out and get lunch?'
'Thanks,' she says, offering him a small smile.
He comes over to her and kisses her hair. She stiffens under his touch but then deliberately relaxes.
'I love you,' she tells him.
'Me too, Lizzie.'