Emma wrapped her arms around him tightly. "I’m gonna miss you."

"I’ll miss you too, sweetheart," Alexander replied, holding her close. "But you’ll be fine. Even better than fine. You’ll have an awesome time."

Just then, a knock came at the door.

Everything felt normal.

Too normal.

Emma pulled back. "That must be him."

Alexander went to answer it.

Zayn was on the doorstep, looking effortlessly cool in dark jeans and a white button-up with the sleeves rolled up.

"Mr. Kane," Zayn said politely.

"Zayn," Alexander replied, moving aside to let him in. "Come on in."

Zayn stepped inside, spotted Emma, and grinned. "Ready?"

"Almost," Emma said.

Alexander looked at Zayn closely. "Make sure to take care of my daughter."

"Absolutely," Zayn said without thinking twice.

"She’s never been this far away from me before," Alexander continued. "I’ve always gone with her everywhere. But now," he smiled a little, "she’s heading out with her boyfriend instead."

Emma felt her face get warm. "Dad..."

"Be careful," Alexander said to Zayn. "Both of you. Call me when you land."

"We will," Zayn promised, looking at Emma. "The car’s waiting."

Emma grabbed her suitcase and hugged her dad one last time. "I love you."

"I love you too," Alexander said. "Have a blast. And Emma?"

"Yeah?"

"You deserve to be happy... even if it’s not with me."

Emma felt a lump in her throat. "Thanks."

Zayn took her suitcase. "Ready to go?"

Emma nodded.

They walked over to the car, a slick black SUV with tinted windows. The driver, one of Zayn’s bodyguards, took her suitcase and placed it in the trunk.

Zayn opened the door for her, and Emma slid in. He got in right after her.

As the car drove away, Emma looked back at the house.

Her dad stood in the doorway, watching her.

Emma waved.

He waved back.

Then they turned the corner, and he was out of sight.

And just like that... he was gone.

*****

The drive to the private airfield took about thirty minutes.

Emma had never been to a private airfield before and had only flown on commercial airlines.

When they pulled up to a small building with a stylish white jet sitting on the tarmac, Emma couldn’t help but gasp.

"Is that it?" she asked.

Zayn grinned. "Yep, that’s ours for the week."

"Zayn, this is crazy," she said. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"It’s super comfy," he replied. "Trust me, once you fly private, you’ll never want to go back to commercial."

The driver opened the doors, and another guard, also one of Zayn’s guys, stepped up to take their bags.

Zayn took Emma’s hand. "Let’s go."

They walked over to the tarmac.

The jet was gorgeous, sleek, modern, and luxurious.

A flight attendant was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. "Mr. Virelli, Miss Kane. Welcome aboard."

Emma climbed the stairs, Zayn right behind her.

Inside, the jet was even more impressive.

Cream leather seats, shiny wood accents, soft lighting, a small kitchen area, and a bedroom at the back.

Emma stood in the aisle, just staring in awe.

"This is amazing," she said.

Zayn came up behind her, his hands resting on her waist. "Do you like it?"

"Like it? Zayn, this is... I’ve never seen anything like it," she turned to him. "This feels like way too much."

"Nothing is too much when it comes to you," he said simply.

The flight attendant popped up again. "We’ll be taking off soon. Please take your seats and buckle up."

Zayn led Emma to one of the big leather seats. She sank into it; it felt like sitting on a cloud.

He sat next to her. "Feeling good?"

"Definitely," Emma admitted.

The engines roared to life, making a low, steady hum.

Emma felt some butterflies in her stomach. She had flown before, lots of times, but never quite like this.

Zayn held her hand. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Just a little nervous."

"Nervous about flying?"

"About everything." Emma looked at him. "This is a lot, the jet, Miami, a week alone with you. I’ve never..."

"Never what?"

"Never done something like this before," Emma said, finishing her thought. "My dad’s always been right there with me. Always. And now I’m just heading out. Without him."

Zayn gave her hand a squeeze. "He wanted you to do this. He told you that."

"I know. It just feels weird."

"Weird good or weird bad?"

Emma thought for a second. "Weird good. Like I’m finally growing up."

Zayn smiled. "You’re amazing, you know that?"

Emma felt herself blush. "Stop it."

"Never."

The jet started moving, rolling down the runway.

Emma gripped Zayn’s hand tighter.

He leaned over and kissed her temple. "I’ve got your back."

The jet picked up speed and then took off.

It was smooth and easy, hardly a bump.

Emma looked out the window and watched the city get smaller below them.

Everything was getting tinier, farther away.

Her home. Her dad. Her life.

All of it was drifting into the distance.

And somehow, that felt okay. She felt off; something didn’t feel right. Even though she was happy, her heart didn’t quite match that feeling.

*****

Three hours later, they landed in Miami.

The plane touched down smoothly. When the door opened, warm, humid air rushed in.

Emma stepped off the jet and immediately felt the heat.

Miami.

She was actually in Miami.

Another black SUV was waiting on the tarmac. The same setup, driver and security.

Zayn helped Emma get into the car. "The hotel’s about thirty minutes from here," he said.

"What hotel?" Emma asked, clearly curious.

Zayn grinned. "You’ll see."

As they drove through the city, Emma stared out the window, completely captivated by the palm trees, ocean views, and beautiful buildings. She couldn’t help but press her face against the glass with childlike excitement.

Finally, they pulled up to an amazing beachfront resort.

Emma’s eyes widened. "Zayn..."

"Come on," he said, opening her door.

They walked into the lobby, where the marble floors and shiny chandeliers caught their eye. The huge windows showed off an incredible view of the ocean.

The concierge smiled warmly. "Mr. Virelli, Miss Kane. Welcome. Your suite is ready."

"Suite?" Emma whispered, surprised.

Zayn just smiled back.

They took the elevator to the top floor. When the concierge opened the door to their suite, Emma was momentarily speechless.

It wasn’t just a suite; it was a penthouse.

The spacious living room had a full kitchen, a bedroom with a king-sized bed, a fancy bathroom with a soaking tub, and a balcony.

Emma hurried to the balcony, threw open the doors, and stepped outside.

What she saw left her in awe.

The ocean stretched out forever, the blue water sparkling in the sunlight.

Tears filled Emma’s eyes as she soaked in the beauty around her.

Zayn came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Do you like it?" he asked.

"Like it?" Emma’s voice quavered with emotion. "Zayn, this is...this is..."

"Perfect?" he suggested softly.

"Yes." She turned to face him, looking up with a heart full of gratitude. "Thank you for this. For bringing me here. For everything."

Zayn gently cupped her face in his hands. "You deserve the world, Emma. This is just the start."

Then he kissed her soft, sweet, and exactly right.

With the ocean breeze around them and the sun warming their skin, Emma felt, for the first time in days, completely and totally happy.

For now.