Sometimes, you fall in love with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time, and this exactly what happened to me.

I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would fall in love with an FBI agent; the FBI agent who almost arrested me for that matter. I was supposed to get information out of him and then walk away, but I fell hard for him, for the amazing person he was. He was funny, adorable, sweet, loving, caring, beautiful, and awesome. He was perfect.

But also, sometimes people didn't want to hear the truth because they didn't want their illusions destroyed. I thought that was the matter with me. My feelings toward Jake were the farthest thing from being lies; however, everything else was just a huge lie. I keep covering a lie with another lie because I didn't want to face the truth. Things between me and Jake were all a delusion of my own creation. My desire to be with him was so strong and it was preventing me from facing reality; from facing the fact that we could never be together.

Jake had to leave and go home because both of us had work in the morning. If we had spent the night together, I doubt neither of us would have gotten out of bed.

I went to my apartment and noticed something strange as soon as I opened the door.

Was Eric back from London?

I made my way to the living room and my eyes widened when I found who was there.

My parents and Eric!

"Oh, I missed you so much, Em," my mom said as she came and gave me a warm hug, I was still shocked but then I came back to reality and hugged her back tightly.

"I missed you too so much, Mom," I said with a huge smile on my face.

"Here's my favorite daughter," my dad said happily as he came to hug me.

I laughed as I gave him a tight hug. "Oh, I missed you, dad. But you know, I'm your only daughter, right?" He grinned.

I looked at Eric who was smirking. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"They wanted to surprise you." He shrugged, a smile covering his face.

I smiled, then looked at my parents again. "God, I really missed both of you so much."

"We missed you too, Em," my mom smiled and gave me another hug.

"So, where were you?" my dad asked and my smile dropped a fraction. Eric noticed and frowned at me. I still didn't tell them about Jake.

"Oh, I think there's something different about you," Eric said frowning his eyes at me. "What was it with that goofy smile you had on your face?"

"I was with a friend," I lied and shot a glare toward Eric. I didn't have enough courage to tell them about everything, yet.

They didn't seem to be convinced but they let the subject drop.

"So, for how long are you staying here in New York?" I asked, changing the subject.

"We haven't decided, yet," my father said. "But I really missed New York. Still as beautiful as the last time we were here, isn't it, Lillian?"

"Yeah, we have a lot of beautiful memories here, Ian," Mom smiled. "Remember that time when we were on top of the Empire State building?"

"How can I forget?" my dad replied with a smile. "Those were the days!"

Eric and I smiled as we shared a knowing look. Mom and dad's relationship was truly fascinating. But my smile was also because of a memory I had on top of the Empire State building. A memory that I could never forget.

"So, back to you, Emma," Mom spoke up. "How are you and how's your life here?"

"Everything is fine, mom," I said. "My life here has been really good. I really like my new job."

"We are really happy for you, darling," Mom said with a warm smile.

I gave her a smile then I took a deep breath before I asked. "So, what about those retirement plans you told me about?"

Mom and dad shared a knowing look and a smile. Eric and I shared a confused look.

"Sometimes things have to come to an end," my dad started to say. "We have been in this life since forever and it's finally time to stop."

"We have everything, there's no reason to endanger ourselves anymore," my mom said. She sighed before she continued. "We shouldn't have let you or your brother get involved in this. You should have been able to get a normal life."

I really wondered what it would be like if I had a normal life. Would it be the perfect life that I would be sharing with a special person? Or would I still be using my little talent of always finding a way to get into trouble?

"Well, it would have been a really boring life, after all," Eric said, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Yeah, I guess," I said absentmindedly before I put a fake smile on my face.

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We stayed up late talking and sharing memories and stories about London, their adventures around the world, Eric's relationship with Alice, and my new life here. But there was one thing that I couldn't tell them about, yet.

It was almost dawn and everybody went to have some sleep, except me. I couldn't sleep so I was standing on the balcony watching the amazing view of New York City and thinking about what happened today.

Am I going to ever regret loving Jake?

"Isn't it beautiful?" My mother's voice cut my thoughts off as she came and stood next to me, looking at the view in awe.

"Yeah." I smiled.

"What's wrong with you, Emma?" she asked, looking at me.

"Nothing, Mom. I'm fine," I lied, avoiding looking at her in the eye.

"You know that you can never fool me, right?" She looked at me with a raised eyebrow, then she looked at me with eyes full of concern. "You can tell me anything, Em."

I took a deep breath before I said. "I fell in love with someone."

"And what's wrong with that?" she asked, confusedly.

"Because, the person I fell for was the one and only FBI agent who almost arrested me at the last heist," I said, laughing bitterly.

My mother's eyes widened. "I don't understand. How?"

I sighed before I told her everything that happened, starting from the day of the heist to what happened today. I felt like a huge burden has been taken off my chest.

"God, how could you and Eric hide something like this from us?" she asked, unbelievingly.

"We thought we could handle it by ourselves, and we did," I defended our actions. "That plan saved the day so many times."

"But it was so dangerous, Emma." She scoffed, still not believing what I just told her.

"I know," I admitted. "But I thought that I always knew what I was doing, and how to get myself out of it."

"Do you?" my mom asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"No, not this time. I feel like I'm lost," I said, bitterly. "I don't know what to do anymore."

My mom sighed and looked at me in the eye before she asked. "Do you really love him?"

I was caught off guard for the second time this day. I took a deep breath before I mumbled. "Yes, I do."

My mom looked at me with an affectionate smile. "The damage is already done, my dear. You fell for him and he fell for you." Mom returned her gaze to the view before she continued. "Regardless of everything, lies are lies. You can't continue this way, Emma. You are deluding him and your own self."

I didn't know what to say. She was right, everything was a delusion and a big lie.

"You have to let him go, Emma," Mom said sadly, and I felt tears burning in my eyes. "Both of you are going to be hurt but it's going to be better than what would happen if he knew the truth on his own."

She was right once again, I have to leave and let him go. This way, things would be better for both of us. But, how can I leave without giving him a reason? He would be heartbroken. God, lying to him was really hurting me, I have to tell him everything one way or another so I could live with my own self.

"Emma, don't even think about it," my mother said warningly as if she was reading my mind.

"Mom, I know that I have to leave. But he deserves to know, he deserves an explanation. I owe him that," I told her.

"But you know exactly what that will mean, right?" she argued.

"I know," I answered, my voice starting to break.

Mom looked at me painfully, she understood what I meant. I tried to hold my tears as much as I could but suddenly, I broke down in tears. She pulled me into a tight hug and I buried my face in her shoulders, sobbing as the sun rose over Manhattan's skyscrapers.

Telling him the truth would mean that I have to give everything up. Everything I have ever wanted and worked for would be destroyed. If I told him the truth, it would mean that I could never come back, New York and the whole USA would have to become a memory to me. It would mean that I have to disappear. But I had to remind myself that day after day, the wounds and scars I was causing to the both of us were getting deeper and deeper.

Yes, I wanted to have a normal happy life, and the short time I spent with him was everything I ever wanted, and yes I loved him with all my heart. But I was deluding him and my own self. He didn't know who I really was; he fell for the innocent, sweet girl who he had met at the coffee shop. And I was pretty sure if he knew the truth about me one day, he was going to hate every second he spent with me, and every feeling he felt toward me.

I had to leave, I had to let him go, he deserved someone better, someone as pure as him, and obviously, that someone wasn't me. But before I leave, I had to tell him the truth so he could go on with his life. He would hate me, and I would hate myself for it but it was a burden I couldn't continue my life with.

He had to know; no matter what it was going to take...