Chapter 3

The sky was just starting to lighten when he was awakened by bird calls. It took him a second to make sense of his surroundings then another to figure out that he couldn't move his arm because it was wrapped around Isabella. He relaxed then and enjoyed the sensations of her body pressed against his, for she had turned toward him in her sleep. Her arm was draped across his stomach, and her leg was hitched over his. Her hair tickled his jaw. He wondered what would happen now. He realized that every thought he had of the future included her. This made him smile. He kissed her forehead when she began to stir, and she snuggled even closer to him.

She nuzzled into his neck and sighed deeply, "Mmmm." After a few sweet, peaceful moments together she tensed suddenly and bolted upright, "Oh... my phone! I missed- OH!" She stood up and started looking frantically around the beach. "My shoes!"

"Isabella, what is it? What is wrong?"

"I- I have to go. I'm sorry, Eduardo." She gave up on her shoes and ran off barefoot up the path.

Later that afternoon when she did not come to the pool to write, he stopped at the front desk and was relieved to learn she had not checked out. He went up to her room and knocked. He heard her voice reply quietly, "Yes?" He didn't say anything but knocked again. He couldn't give her the chance to refuse to open the door. He needed to see her. "Yes?" louder this time. He knocked again. Finally, the door opened. She was clearly surprised to see him.

"Isabella?" he pleaded.

Her face was pained, but she shook her head and started to close the door, "I'm sorry, Eduardo; I can't."

He pushed back on the door with his hand, "You must talk to me. I will not leave. Tell me what is wrong. Why did you run away?"

She closed her eyes for a few moments then stepped into the hallway pulling the door closed behind her. Her features turned to stone. "I'm married. I can't spend any more time with you. Last night was-"

"It was wonderful," he interrupted. "Holding you in my arms was... Isabella, I have felt nothing better."

Her voice was cold, emotionless. "It was wrong. I shouldn't have let it go so far. I apologize. Please leave me alone."

He stood there stunned and watched as she quickly turned and went back into her room. The sound of the lock clicking felt like a punch in the stomach. He stared at her door, pulling at his hair with his fists in frustration. Why did she do this? He thought over their time together. Her face, her voice, her body all told him that she felt the same as he did. What had changed? He knew she was scheduled to leave the next evening. He had until then to figure out what to do.

ooooo

She laid on her bed, lethargic. She hoped her husband would accept her excuse of a dead battery as the reason she didn't answer his call. Probably not. The one condition he had given her for going on this trip by herself was that she answer the phone every evening when he called. He said he needed to know she was safe, in other words, alone. She thought it was ridiculous at the time but, since she would probably still be with Eduardo right then, apparently it wasn't.

Oh Eduardo. The confusion and pain on his face was more than she could bear. How could she have expected anything like this to happen? It was so strange. With Eduardo she felt safe, beautiful, smart, fun, desirable, free, and, most of all, happy. He was such a good man, a wonderful man. She buried her face in her pillow and resolved that she could go on and keep him and their time together as a happy memory to help her through difficult times.

ooooo

She dropped the phone on the bed as if it had burned her. She wanted to scream. She wanted to fall apart. Eduardo. She wanted Eduardo. She could keep it together long enough to find him. It was dark, too cloudy for moonlight. The wind was swirling between the buildings and she could feel raindrops starting to fall. She ran through the resort until she came to the group of buildings that he told her housed many of the resort's staff. The wind and rain were both getting stronger. "Eduardo!" she called out. "Eduardo! Eduardo!" She ran between the buildings calling again and again.

"Isabella!" She saw him in a doorway several yards away. They ran to each other, but when he reached her, he grabbed her by the arms and held her away from him. Had she hurt him too much? "What are you doing? The storm is here. Do you not see? It is dangerous!" he scolded.

"I'm sorry!" she cried, trying to be heard over the wind. "The things I said today, I didn't mean them! I didn't. Eduardo, I'm so sorry, please?"

He crushed her to him, "Gracias a Dios," he murmured. "Come, we should be inside."

Gracias a Dios = Thank God