The clock ticked louder than usual.
Mira sat at the edge of her bed, suitcase open, clothes folded but untouched. The decision loomed like a storm cloud—dark, inevitable.
Forty-eight hours.
She had promised to give them an answer by tonight. London or here. Career or something she hadn't dared to name yet—love.
She heard Noah's knock before he opened the door. He leaned on the frame, arms crossed, eyes unreadable.
"You haven't packed," he said quietly.
"I tried." She gave a weak laugh. "Turns out it's easier to unpack dreams than pack regrets."
He walked in and sat beside her, close enough that their shoulders brushed.
"I booked a flight for tomorrow," she whispered. "I haven't confirmed it yet."
His gaze dropped to her fingers, tangled together in her lap. "You still want it?"
"I thought I did," she said honestly. "For years, I thought success would make me feel whole again. That if I got back what I lost, I'd stop feeling like… a failure."
"And now?"
"I don't know. With you, I feel like I can breathe again. But I'm scared that if I stay… I'll end up resenting it. Or you."
Noah's hand closed over hers. "You deserve a life where you're not always choosing between love and purpose."
She turned to him. "But can I have both?"
His lips twitched. "You should. But if you can't—not right now—then choose the one that won't fade when the other is gone."
Her heart twisted painfully.
They spent the rest of the day in silence, cooking, eating, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder as the sun dipped behind the hills. Time didn't stop for heartbreak.
At 11:47 p.m., Mira stood by her window, phone in hand.
The email to confirm the flight sat drafted.
Noah stood at the door, not saying a word.
She hit send.
The message disappeared.
She didn't cry.
She turned around and met his eyes.
"I'm going," she said softly.
He nodded once, face unreadable. "I figured."
Mira stepped forward and kissed him—long, slow, burning with every goodbye she didn't say aloud.
Then she whispered, "Wait for me?"
His voice was hoarse. "Always."
And just like that, she walked away. Not because she didn't love him—but because sometimes love waited on the other side of unfinished dreams.