Page 69 of Meet Me in Tahiti

She wasn’t sure how she was going to say goodbye to him tomorrow. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to look him in the eyes without falling apart. But she’d do it. She had to.

She’d grown this week. That much she knew. She’d faced fears she hadn’t even admitted to herself before this trip—open water, being alone, heartbreak. The breakup with Ethan felt like light years ago. She’d come a long way.

She’d laughed until her cheeks hurt, kissed until her knees went weak, and let someone truly see her for everything she could be—vulnerable, scared, radiant, and joyful.

No, she wouldn’t trade any of it.

Not even to avoid the pain she felt now. Not even close.

She’d never felt this alive. And tonight, she hadn’t gone to the upper deck. It didn’t feel right—not after everything that had happened. And besides, if she’d gone up there and he hadn’t come… it would have broken her in a way she might not have been able to handle.

They’d said what needed to be said. Or at least… most of it.

So, now she would do what he’d admired in her. She’d be brave. She’d let him go with grace. She’d let this trip be beautiful, not tragic. Because she’d remember it forever, and she wanted to look back on it with joy, not just pain.

She took a deep breath, eyes misting.

Then—a soft knock came from her door.

Tessa’s breath caught.

For a second, she stood frozen, heart kicking against her ribs. Then she crossed the small room and opened the door.

Russ stood there, his hair a little windswept, his expression unreadable in the dim hall light.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey,” she replied, just as quietly.

There was something so vulnerable in his presence, so gentle and tired. Without needing to be asked, he stepped inside as she opened the door wider.

She closed the door behind him, heart still racing.

They sat together on the edge of her bed, shoulders barely touching. Neither of them rushed to speak.

Finally, she broke the silence. “Are you going to be okay?”

He nodded. “Yeah. It’s all going to be okay.”

She looked at him, trying to read the truth in his eyes.

He turned slightly toward her, just enough, and she reached out—fingers curling into the soft cotton of his T-shirt. He pulled her into a hug, arms warm and sure around her. She held on tightly, breathing him in, memorizing everything—the way he still smelled like salt and coconut, the strength in his chest, the quiet weight of him beside her.

Then their lips met.

Slow. Sad. Beautiful.

It wasn’t rushed or hungry. It was just tender, lingering. A goodbye wrapped in silence. A kiss that said what they hadn’t found the courage to speak.

When they finally pulled apart, Tessa kept her forehead close to his.

“So what are you going to do?” she asked quietly.

Russ exhaled. “I’m going to admit to it. All of it.”

She drew back, eyes meeting his.

“I emailed my boss tonight,” he said. “Told him everything. That it was my fault. That I crossed the line. And I made it clear that Jules and Malik had nothing to do with it.”

---