He might just as well snap out of it . There was no way she would still be around this time next year.
Who was he trying to fool ? Both of them were booked solid for movies to be shot at opposite ends of the globe for the next two years.
As far as he knew they would have one week off between them. The happy ending their latest movie had been blessed with belonged to the realm of fiction. Happily-ever-afters never happened in real life , least of all to people like him.
A few breaths ago, she had still been in his arms, yet already gone, about to fade into the throngs of travelers that would go on milling through the departure halls long after they had said their goodbyes.
They were both due for some downtime now and somehow, she appeared almost relieved at the prospect , though when her gaze met his, she flashed him a brief smile as if to soften the blow.
He could still taste her on his lips, while his hands were cradling her face, not ready to let go yet.
She started to sway slightly forward , eating up the distance she had been so eager to create with her body, just as he finally willed his arms to drop, quietly resigned to the fact that she would leave anyway.
Pale with fatigue she turned away, ambling off to Departures when suddenly, as if without conscious thought, she moved back into him for one hard, final embrace. Then she was gone.
In the split second that followed pain cursed through his body, as if the visiting team's star quarterback had finally gotten to him.
He found himself bending over to catch his breath, hands braced on his thighs, silently cursing himself for being such a sissy.
Funny, that he was past caring about what the rags would make of this.
He just wanted her at his side. For everyone to see. And to hell with the consequences.
Still, he knew better than that. He would give her some space even if it killed him , even if it hurt more than he cared to admit to himself.
She had been about to keel over from exhaustion judging from the smudges under her eyes. No doubt, she would get back to him as soon as she was aboard her flight and could use her cell again.
All both of them was some sleep. Things would look different in the morning. She would never do this to him.
She'd never have left him like this, stranded at the airport of all places if this was her final goodbye. Now would she ?