Chapter 64

Kiara stood anxiously at the arrival gate, scanning the crowd of travelers coming out of customs. She had been waiting for what seemed like hours, but in reality, it had only been a few minutes. She nervously played with her hair, trying to keep her excitement and anticipation at bay.

Finally, she saw him. Liam's tall, muscular figure emerged from the crowd, carrying a backpack over his shoulder. He looked around, trying to find her, and when their eyes met, he smiled widely.

"Kiara!" he shouted, and she ran towards him, throwing her arms around his neck. Liam dropped his bag, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist.

"Oh my god, Liam, you're finally back!" Kiara exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes.

Liam held her tight, taking in the scent of her hair, the feel of her body pressed against his. "I missed you so much," he whispered, his voice husky with emotion.

Kiara pulled back slightly, cupping his face in her hands. "I missed you too, Liam. So much."

Liam leaned in and kissed her, his lips soft and warm against hers. It was a sweet, gentle kiss, full of all the love and longing they had been holding back for months.

When they finally broke apart, Liam took Kiara's hand, interlacing their fingers. "Come on, let's go home," he said, picking up his bag.

Kiara smiled up at him, feeling the weight of the months apart lifting off her shoulders. "Yes, let's go home," she agreed, as they walked towards the exit, their hands still tightly clasped together.

********************

Kiara sat across from Liam at their favorite coffee shop, nervously stirring her latte with a spoon. She took a deep breath and looked up at him, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Liam, I need to talk to you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Liam's face immediately grew concerned. "What's wrong, Kiara? Is everything okay?"

Kiara shook her head. "No, everything's not okay. I've been feeling really overwhelmed lately, and I need to take some time to clear my head."

Liam furrowed his brow. "What do you mean? Are you talking about breaking up?"

Kiara shook her head again. "No, it's not that. I just need to take a trip, alone, to Hawaii. I need to be somewhere quiet where I can think and figure things out."

Liam's expression softened, and he reached across the table to take Kiara's hand. "I understand, Kiara. But I can't let you go alone. What if something happens to you?"

Kiara squeezed his hand gently. "I'll be okay, Liam. And I think it's best if you stay back and take care of yourself."

Liam looked confused. "What do you mean, take care of myself?"

Kiara took a deep breath. "Liam, you've been struggling with your mental health lately, and I think you need to focus on taking care of yourself right now. I don't want you to come with me and put yourself in a situation that might make things worse."

Liam's face fell, and he looked down at the table. "I understand," he said quietly. "But I'm going to miss you so much."

Kiara smiled weakly. "I'll miss you too, Liam. But I promise, when I come back, I'll be in a better place, and we'll be stronger than ever."

In Hawaii, Kiara was having the best time of her life when suddenly, she received a call from her bestfriend and the one person that would always give her the tea.

"Kiara, have you heard the news?" her friend asked breathlessly. "Lucas and his girlfriend are on the rocks. They might break up!"

Kiara felt a surge of excitement mixed with guilt. Lucas was her ex-husband, and they had gone through a bitter divorce a few years ago. She had thought she was over him, but the news of his relationship troubles filled her with a sense of satisfaction. She tried to tamp down the feeling, but it was hard not to feel a little vindicated.

"That's too bad," Kiara said, trying to sound nonchalant. "I hope they can work things out."

But her friend could sense the undercurrent of glee in Kiara's voice. "Are you okay?" she asked, sensing that something was off.

Kiara took a deep breath and decided to come clean. "I'm sorry, but I'm actually kind of happy about it. Lucas hurt me so much during our marriage, and part of me can't help feeling like this is karma."

Her friend listened sympathetically, but warned Kiara to be careful about reveling in someone else's pain. "You don't want to be that person," she said. "Try to focus on your own happiness and let go of the past."

Kiara knew her friend was right, but it was hard not to feel a little bit smug as she watched the sun set over the ocean. She resolved to enjoy her vacation and not let the news of Lucas's troubles bring her down. After all, she had come to Hawaii to relax and rejuvenate, and she wasn't going to let anyone or anything get in the way of that.

Later on, she was feeling home sick and decided to call Liam. She sat on her bed with her phone in her hand, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. She had been counting down the days until she could see Liam again, and now that she finally had him on Facetime, she couldn't contain her emotions any longer.

"Hey, Liam!" Kiara said with a wide smile, as Liam's face appeared on her screen.

"Hey, beautiful!" Liam replied, his eyes lighting up as he saw Kiara's face.

"I missed you so much," Kiara said, her voice filled with emotion. "I can't believe it's been so long since we've seen each other in person."

"I know," Liam said, his tone sympathetic. "But we'll be together soon, Kiara. Just a few more weeks, and we'll finally be able to hug each other again."

"I can't wait," Kiara said, her eyes starting to tear up. "I miss you so much, Liam. It's been so hard being apart from you for this long."

"I miss you too, Kiara," Liam said softly. "But we're doing this for a reason. We're staying safe and taking care of each other. And soon, we'll be able to be together again, and it will be all the more special because of this time apart."

Kiara nodded, her heart filled with hope. She knew that Liam was right, and that their love was strong enough to overcome any distance or challenge.

"Thank you for always being there for me, Liam," Kiara said, her voice filled with gratitude. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Kiara," Liam said, his eyes glistening with emotion. "I can't wait to be with you again soon."