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out there. The pilot said he can’t fly in this weather. It’s too dangerous.”
     
    Karim ignored her words and walked to the bathroom to splash some water on his face. “I’m going. I have to get back.” He placed the drinks on the dresser and walked back to Ella in the living room. “I have to get back to New York. I’ll take a cab to the airport if I have to and then take a commercial flight. One way or another, I’m getting out of here; with or without you, Ella.”
     
    Ella stood still and bristled from the harshness of his tone. She looked at his dark eyes and saw nothing but coldness in them. This couldn’t be the same man she was just laughing with, could it? Could this mean-spirited bully be the same man that had made her heart melt with his smile? Ella didn’t know where that Karim had gone. But she knew he wasn’t here right now.
     
    “Okay then,” Karim said, not waiting for Ella to respond. “If that's how you want to play it, I’ll ask the driver to stay here and you can take the jet when the storm breaks.”
     
    Karim walked out of the room and down the hall, back to the main lobby. The glass had been cleaned up and a piece of plywood was nailed against the broken window. Karim breezed past the front desk and stepped out onto the patio under the portico.
     
    Ella caught up with him and saw the trees blowing in the wind. Branches slapped against the building and shutters flew wildly. The rain was still coming down and the wind had begun to pick up again.
     
    “Karim!” she yelled over the sound of the wind. “Don’t go! It’s too dangerous!”
     
    He kept walking to the main road, thinking he'd be able to hail a cab, as Ella called out behind him.
     
    “Karim! There won’t be any taxis! Please, come back!” She ran to catch up with him. She knew he would have heard her voice through the wind, but he kept walking.
     
    She moved quickly through the rain, trying to reach him before he got to the main road. The rain was pouring down, obscuring her vision. Her heels jabbed into the loose gravel as she ran, and branches were scurrying along the ground, threatening to trip her. She made her way down the driveway and came to a stop just beneath a large palm tree when she heard the crack.
     
    The lightning lit up the dark sky and the sound of it hitting the tree was louder than anything Ella had ever heard. She turned to run back to the hotel and tripped over some debris caused by the downpour. She fell to the ground and grabbed her ankle, screaming in pain.
     
    Karim heard the commotion and turned to see Ella on the floor. He watched as the top of the tree caught fire and saw the trunk split in two. He turned and ran back to Ella, scooping her up in his strong arms just as the palm fell to the ground below, barely missing them both.
     
    Ella looked up through the rain and saw unmistakable worry in Karim’s expression. She felt her heart swell as she stared deeply into his eyes. He looked back at her, his tears mingling with the fresh rain, his heart clenched with worry.
     
    Another loud clap of thunder jolted them both back to reality and Karim turned in the direction of the hotel. He held her tightly in his arms and ran through the rain back through the doors of the lobby. His staffer grabbed a handful of towels and blankets as Karim entered and placed Ella gently on one of the chairs.
     
    “Quick,” Karim said, motioning to another chair. “Bring that over here.”
     
    Djaron scooted the other chair into position so that Ella could rest her swollen ankle on the cushion. Karim looked down and saw the ankle swell up and turn purple in a matter of seconds.
     
    “Djaron, go get a first aid kit, and some ice!” he commanded.
     
    Djaron nodded and ran out of the lobby, returning moments later with a bucket of ice and a first aid kit.
     
    Karim and Djaron attended to Ella’s leg as she winced in pain. They wrapped it with an elastic bandage and then poured ice into a towel and