Page 5 of Girl, Bound

Goodbye. One word,simple yet cataclysmic. It echoed in the hollows of her heart, reverberatingagainst the walls of her soul. Ben, her partner in every sense, had walkedthrough hell with her. Together, they'd stared into the abyss, and it seemedthe abyss was not done staring back.

Ella wanted to scream,to rage against the unfairness of it all. Ben had been her rock, her north starin a sea of chaos. He'd stood by her side through thick and thin, fought toothand nail to keep her safe. He'd even helped her catch one of America's mostnotorious killers, risking life and limb without a second thought.

But now he wasrunning. Leaving her behind like so much baggage, so much dead weight.

And damn it, Ellacouldn't blame him. Not when being with her was a death sentence, a one-wayticket to an early grave.

Ella fought back thetears that threatened to spill, blinking furiously. She couldn't break, notnow, not in front of him. ‘Where will you go?’ Her voice was steady, but ittook every ounce of strength she had to keep it that way.

Ben's gaze shifted,focusing on a point just over her shoulder. ‘The West Coast. As far away fromhere as I can get.’

A million miles.Ella's heart clenched, the thought of him starting a new life without her,moving on, leaving her behind. But she understood. God, did she understand. Shecouldn't ask him to stay, couldn't condemn him to a life of fear and danger.Not when she knew, with bone-deep certainty, that being with her was a deathsentence.

‘I hope you find whatyou're looking for out there,’ she said.

Ben's eyes met hers,and Ella's breath caught in her throat. The emotion that swirled in theirdepths, the longing, the regret, it was almost too much to bear. He wasn't overher, that much was clear. But he wouldn't risk staying, wouldn't gamble with hislife. Not again.

A heavy silencestretched between them, thick with words unsaid. Then, Ben spoke.

‘Come with me.’

Shock jolted throughher. A bolt released from a crossbow. Ella's world tilted on its axis, theground falling away beneath her feet. Had she heard him right?

‘What?’

Ben took a stepcloser, his stare boring into her soul.

‘I'm serious, Ella.Come with me. Leave the FBI, leave the killers and the criminals behind. We canstart over, build a life together. A normal life.’

Normal. The word wasforeign, a concept she'd long since forgotten. Ella's mind reeled, thoughtsscattering like leaves in a storm. A part of her, the part that longed forpeace, for a chance at happiness, screamed at her to say yes. To take his handand run, to leave the darkness behind and never look back.

But the other part,the part that knew the truth, the part that had seen the depths of humandepravity, held her back. The angel of death would never let her go. He kneweverything about her, every secret, every weakness. If she ran, he wouldfollow. A change of scenery wouldn’t deter a serial killer.

And Ben would becaught in the crossfire once again.

Ella closed her eyes.She wanted to say yes, wanted it with every fiber of her being. But shecouldn't. Couldn't risk his life, couldn't put him in danger. Not again. Thatlife wasn't hers to claim, not while a killer played chess with her every move.

‘Figured,’ Benmurmured, his sigh stirring the stillness. He reached for his bags, leatherworn from journeys past, and slung them over his shoulder - a gesture thatpunctuated the end of their shared path.

Then, he steppedforward, pulling Ella into a fierce embrace. She melted into him, breathing inhis scent, committing every detail to memory. The crisp undertone of hisaftershave mingled with the natural musk that was uniquely Ben.The way his armsfelt around her, strong and safe. The way his heartbeat thrummed against hercheek. The way his warmth seeped into her skin, chasing away the chill that hadsettled in her bones.

‘Take care ofyourself.’ His eyes held a storm of unspoken thoughts, emotions crashing likewaves against a breakwater.

He turned, thefinality in his stride, cleaving the last frayed strands of hope. She watchedhim go, the man who had been her anchor in a roiling sea, leaving her adrift.With each step he took, a piece of her splintered and fell away, like leavesfrom a tree bracing for winter's bite.

‘Goodbye, Ben.’

The door clicked shut,severing the moment, the connection, the possibility of anything more. Silencerushed in, filling the void with its oppressive weight. Alone, she leanedagainst the wood, the grain pressing into her back, the only thing keeping herupright as the world threatened to crumble beneath her feet.

Memories assaultedher, flickering behind her eyelids like a silent film. The good times, thelaughter, the stolen moments of joy. The bad times, the fights, the near-missesand brushes with death. All of it, every moment, every breath, it was etchedinto her soul, a part of her forever.

Ben pulled back, hishands cupping her face. ‘Take care of yourself, Ella.’

And then he was gone,striding down the hallway, his footsteps echoing in the silence. Ella watchedhim go, her heart shattering with every step. She wanted to call out, to beghim to stay, to tell him she loved him. But the words stuck in her throat, chokingher.

As Ben's silhouetteblurred, a cold dread settled in Ella's chest. This was farewell. No dramaticdeparture or final showdown - just a quiet exit, a soft closing of a door thathad been left ajar for far too long.

She lingered, thethreshold a line she couldn't cross, her eyes clinging to him until he turnedthe corner and vanished from sight.

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