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“I love you, Xavier. You have to know it’s going to kill me to walk away from you right now.”

I stepped slowly away from him. A grim smile was on his face. “If it helps at all, I can’t feel your pain. I suppose that means you made the right decision.”

A sudden feeling of regret washed over me. I never knew he could feel my emotions. But now knowing he couldn’t anymore brought an unsettling feeling to my stomach.

“You might not be able to feel it, but it’s there.” I dropped my hand from his cheek. “It always will be.”

Xavier nodded his head. His steamy eyes, which I once lost myself in, were now dipped in grief. “I’ve taken leave for the rest of the year. You won’t be seeing me after today.”

I swallowed the bitterness of hearing those words. “I’ll still see you at pack meetings.” Was I clinging to the possibility of seeing him again?

“I spoke to your dad. We have arranged that the family and I will take a vacation. We come back the day after you leave.”

My mouth fell open a little. This was it. I wouldn’t see him again. “So this is goodbye?”

Xavier nodded his head, “I don’t want it to be, but I can’t cause you any more pain. Another month of suffering, I can’t do that to you.”

His words were making sense, but that didn’t mean I wanted to hear them. “And when I return from traveling, you will be here?”

Xavier’s face twisted, his pain showing. “No.”

“You’re moving away.” I spoke through the tears. This was really it. “I suppose that’s for the best.”

“For the both of us,” he added, as if trying to comfort me.

“This isn’t fair.” I choked, feeling as if my heart was caving into my chest. I was suffocating, from my own heartache.

“I know you will be ok.” Xavier didn’t reach out to comfort me. “You’re strong, and I’m leaving you in good hands.”

I nodded my head. I knew he was right. But that didn’t mean I wanted to hear it. But I had to face it. Xavier and I were really over.

Xavier moved forward. “I’ll leave, so you don’t have to.” My hand clung to his shirt as he pulled me into his chest and softly planted a kiss on my forehead. The moment lasted for a second, but to me it lasted forever, because I never wanted to let him go.

“I love you,” he said, and slowly stepped away. Gently, he took my hand from his shirt, and gently left a goodbye kiss on the back of my hand.

“Goodbye, Xavier,” I whispered, finally looking up at him through teary eyes. “I love you too.”

Xavier slowly stepped back. Just like me, he didn’t want this to end. He smiled softly through his watery eyes. “You’re going to lead a great life, Chloe. I hope one day we will cross paths again.”

“One day,” I whispered, and Xavier and I locked eyes one last time before he turned his back to me. He didn’t look back and I knew I wouldn’t see him again.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to survive. Xavier was gone forever. But surely I would see him again, wouldn’t I?

Why was I even considering seeing him again after everything he had put me through?

“Chloe, you’re home.” Dad walked out of his study, surprised to see me. “I thought you might be staying at Alec’s tonight.”

Seeing that I had stayed there the last few nights, I suppose that was a good guess. I knew Dad could see my ruined makeup and stained eyes, but he didn’t comment.

“He is gone, Dad. Xavier, he let me go.”

Dad gave me a weak smile and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest. “So he told you he leaves tonight?”

“Tonight?” I frowned and pulled back to look up at Dad. “They’re leaving tonight for their vacation?”

“Vacation?” Dad frowned. “No, relocation. They’re moving.”

“But he told me he was going on vacation and then coming back to move after I leave.”