I stayed in the room for what felt like hours, waiting for Richard. Exhaustion eventually pulled me under, and I drifted off on the bed still naked. When I woke up, the suite was dark and he still wasn’t back. I glanced at the clock — it was already past eleven. Worry twisted in my chest.
I quickly slipped on a loose, silky knee-length nightgown and threw a light jacket over it to fight the night breeze. Barefoot, I hurried out of the room, took the elevator down, and stepped into the cool night air. The beach was quiet, the waves gently kissing the shore under the moonlight. I whispered a silent prayer as I walked along the sand.
There he was — sitting alone on a wooden beach chair, a half-empty bottle of wine beside him and a glass in his hand. He looked lost in thought, staring out a
