Her haunted eyes come to mine. "I love you," she whispers.
I smile sadly and take her in my arms. "I love you too." We hold each other for an extended time. "Be happy," I whisper into her hair.
"How could I possibly be happy without you, Elias?" she whispers. "Don't go."
"I have to."
I pull out of her arms, and without another word I turn and walk out of Claudia's terrace house. I get into the back of my waiting car and stare solemnly out the window as it pulls away.
"Goodbye, Claudia," I whisper as the scenery zooms by. "Fly high, baby." I get a lump in my throat for all the good times we shared. "You deserve the best."
---
I sprint the last block. It's four in the morning, and I'm running in New York.
I love this city at night; it has a peace that daylight doesn't deliver. Last n
