I stop and watch her, watching from the distance. I can’t believe what I’m seeing or that we’re here.
I knew I hurt her deeply when I ended things, but if she can be here like this by herself, then it meant I hurt her worse than I realized and she wasn’t better without me.
A pang of guilt strikes me when a tear runs down her cheek. It sparkles against her dewy skin in the light. I can’t stand here and watch her like that. I take a step forward, and my footsteps on the stone floor alert her to my presence.
She turns to face me, eyes wide, her soft lips parted as shock suffuses her beautiful face.
Her hand drops from the wall, a dead weight, and her gaze rivets to mine.
I don’t want her to say anything. I won’t say anything either. Everything I say will take us away from here. Silence is best.
Instead, I want to show her.
I walk right up to her, and I’m filled with the honeysuckle scent of her hair. I’m closer to her than I’ve been in years. When I reach out and touch her face, the feel of her against my fingers feels like coming home.
“Paul…” she whispers my name, and I run my fingers over her cheek.
I move in slowly, lowering my head to hers, and she moves to me too. When our lips meet, I know I won’t end my night without her.