The squawk of the seagull landing back on the balcony railing shook Vivian from her memories. Her skin flushed, she wanted nothing more than to feel Leo pulsating within her again. Right now. The man was like a drug. Vivian felt a tear escape from her eye. How had she allowed herself to be seduced so easily by the man who'd trashed her heart? Her breakup with Leo had sent her into a dizzying downward spiral that annihilated her life and everything she thought she knew about herself.
“Shoo, bird, I got nothing for you,” Vivian said as she waved a hand at the bird, sending him flying off toward the aquamarine water, its waves shimmering with a tint of gold from the bright sun.
Wiping the tears from her face, Vivian walked toward the chaise and sat down. Amal still wasn’t back from her vacation sex, and Vivian had no one to commiserate with about her sexcapade last night. Fluffing the pillows behind her, she leaned back and gazed out at the water. Two sailboats were anchored off shore. Jet skiers zigzagged through the boats in concert with the fragments of thoughts shifting through her mind.
All the credit for the distance after their split rested solely with Vivian. She'd walked out on Leo, leaving nothing more than a “Dear John” letter to explain her abrupt absence.
The breakup itself was orchestrated by Leo alone. Five words uttered from Leo’s lips had done more than just end their relationship. It had devastated her entire life. Everything she thought she’d wanted had lost its appeal. The high of gallivanting across the African continent exposing political corruption and atrocities had gone from righteous and uplifting to sad and disheartening.
With five little words, she’d grown dissatisfied with the life they’d built working side by side as investigative reporters. The microcosm of her life had changed, and she couldn’t get away fast enough. She’d flown halfway around the world, shocking her editor with her resignation from The Washington Post before slinking off to her mother’s winter home in Aspen. Depression had descended upon her, and she became a recluse, shunning her family and friends for months as she struggled to make sense of her disillusionment.
Five words had triggered it all.
I don't believe in marriage.
Leo was matter-of-fact and unapologetic when he'd first said those words to Vivian as if he was speaking of leprechauns or unicorns.
As much of a nonconformist as she was professionally, personally, Vivian was a traditionalist. She was proud of her desire to get married to an amazing man and raise children with him. She'd been devastated to learn, after five years of a monogamous, committed relationship founded on passionate love, that marriage was off the table for Leo and children weren’t even on the radar. He resolutely refused to entertain the ideas, and Vivian still didn’t understand why.
Leo had insisted that his views on marriage had nothing to do with his unconditional love for her or their relationship. She was the only woman he'd ever loved, and she would be the only one he loved for the rest of his life. Despite his reassurances, Vivian couldn't help but feel as though there was something wrong with her. Why was this man who professed to love her so much unwilling to marry her?
Unable to accept the divergent beliefs she and Leo had about marriage, a line had been drawn in the sand the day she ran away, one neither she nor Leo could erase. Making love under the moon and stars on a Caribbean night would never be enough to bridge the chasm between them.
7
The high-end luxury outdoor mall was about a mile from Vivian’s condo complex, along a meandering sidewalk, offering unobstructed views of a shallow pink sand beach littered with seashells and lined with tall palm trees. Vivian had grown tired of waiting for Amal to return or even respond to her many texts and voice messages. She’d needed a distraction from Leo. The next best thing to a tongue lashing from her best friend was retail therapy.
Heat wafted from the pavement, creating an outdoor sauna effect. Vivian regretted walking back with all her bags under the bright sun as sweat slid down her face to her neck and chest. Her braids clung to her damp skin, making her body temperature rise even higher. As the handles of her bags sent sharp stings into her left hand, Vivian paused to readjust them onto her shoulder.
Shopping initially hadn’t provided the respite she wanted. The realization that Leo was somewhere on this island had panicked Vivian, making her antsy and nervous. Her heart longed to call him and find out why he was here, although she suspected it had something to do with the massive heart attack his father had suffered six months ago. Why hadn't Burt called to warn her that Leo was on the island?
Knowing Burt as she did now, he probably withheld the information for her own good. Trying to talk to Leo again was futile. Vivian didn't want to subject herself to the same heartache she'd gone through after coming home from Africa. Last night was just a minor setback, and nothing that had transpired between her and Leo as they made love on the beach could magically change Leo's views on marriage. There was no future for her and Leo. She wouldn't allow herself to continue to love and commit herself to a man who was unwilling to make the ultimate commitment to her. She was worth more than what Leo was willing to give.
As she walked through the wrought iron gates of the condo complex, Vivian heard a familiar, cheerful cadence.
“Vivian! Welcome back. How was your shopping?” Mr. Percy Higginbottom, the elderly property manager, emerged from the management office, waving his hands frantically.
“As
