I surprised myself a little, but I didn’t mind that he’d left without letting me know. I felt great. Hell, he at least bothered to leave me a note to explain, and I loved it. It was my first ever one night stand, and I’d had the best time yesterday, so there were no complaints from me.
In any case, it was better not to get attached.
“Still, I wish I got to see him one last time,” I murmured.
I certainly wouldn’t forget him so quickly. The warm water had helped take care of some of the soreness in my body, but I could still feel what was left over from last night. It made me blush and giggle to myself.
No one at home would believe this. Not that I had any plans of telling them, but with both the guys I dated, I was too shy to hold hands or even kiss in the first few weeks of the relationships, and here I was spending time and sleeping with a guy I didn’t know that well at all.
He’d told me I could stay in the hotel, too, and in his suite. According to the note, I could stay in the room until tomorrow morning. It sounded appealing, but I didn’t think I’d be taking him up on the offer.
I had been gone for several days, and in that time, I didn’t dare to leave my phone on. I didn’t want to have any contact with anyone while I was off doing my own thing. I was sick on top of disappearing, so everyone had to be worried sick already, so it was time to head back home and face them and my problems.
Running away wouldn’t solve my problem, after all.
Oh…wait.
I just remembered, there was still the money issue to deal with. I had to find a way to get some cash quickly. I could figure that much out online. I went to the living room, still only wrapped in towels, and went through my things until I found my mini laptop. The hotel had Wi-Fi, so connecting to the internet wasn’t a problem, then I went around checking the issue with my bank.
It was resolved quickly. It wasn’t much, I couldn’t afford a flight, but a bus ride was possible, and I wouldn’t have to bother anyone with money. Smiling, I turned it off, put it back with my things, then sat down on the bed. I was dry already, so I picked out a change of clothes and got into them, then pulled on my flats. Once I was ready, I fixed up my luggage again.
I had time to stay in the room, and I wouldn’t have minded, but now that I was thinking of it, I wanted to go home.
Mom and Dad would want an explanation.
It wasn’t my intention to make them worried. And it wasn’t like I didn’t want to turn my phone on at any one point to tell them I was fine. I just didn’t carry a charger for my phone, so it had gone off a while ago already. Besides, if I’d had it on, I would have been tempted to look for something to read online and might have given up my plan.
My only ever chance to be wild, there was a lot I wanted to read before it was too late, but this was something I’d wanted more.
Besides, I’d missed my family.
I picked up Jake’s note and the room card, then pulled out my own from my purse so I wouldn’t forget to hand them over at the reception desk. I looked over Jake’s note one last time, then stuffed it in my purse and picked up my luggage to leave the room.
Just like you, Jake, I have to go back home and be a woman.
Delaying wasn’t going to help anyone, and I could feel my heart drop as I closed the door behind me, leaving it, and my memories in it and with the man I met there, behind.
Chapter Ten
Klara
Though I’d thought of taking a bus ride home, in the end, I decided it was impossible. It would be a long trip, and while I wouldn’t mind the scenic route, I was now impatient to go back. I wanted to see my parents, have a good talk, a good cry, and go to sleep.
Lucky for me, I had enough funds to purchase an airline ticket, and more money to pay back. I didn’t like taking loans. I didn’t have a formal job, though I did do some small stuff online that got me pocket money each month so I’d bother my parents less, I was hopeless with loans.
I’d have to bother Mom and Dad to pay it back for me, I thought sadly.
I wanted to try at least and sleep through the flight, but my emotions weren’t quite stable. I was excited, nervous, anxious, with apprehension growing in the background. I would have to face everything
I’d been running from, after all. It wouldn’t be easy, and I did miss my family and friends.
Did I make a mistake?
I didn’t know how much time I had left. Maybe, instead of wasting it getting wasted in clubs, I should have been spending time with the people that cared about me. After all, once I was gone, the ones that would suffer the most would be them. Mostly, I was afraid, but that was something I didn’t want to deal with alone.
Hours later when the plane landed in the airport, I felt awful, my eyes felt swollen, and there was a low ache in my head. I was still feeling pretty stressed, but I was ready to face everything.
I passed some time, stopping at a café in the airport to have some breakfast. Thanks to the timing of my flight, it was early in the morning when we arrived. After breakfast, I walked out to find a taxi to get me home.