"Back when.." he started to say, then stopped, and sighed.
She shuffled her feet nervously, looking up at the clock every now
and then."I remember."
"No", he looked at her carefully,"You don't. Back when-"
"I don't want to talk about this" she pushed the coffee mug away
and stood up."Not here."
He looked around the restaurant and back up at her."We're more alone
than we've ever been".
"I don't want to talk about this, because I've moved on, and so have you
and I see no need to-" she looked down at the hand that covered hers,the eyes
that burned into her."I know."
He looked away then, the sliver of gold still on his finger.
"He said he loved me."
He swallowed hard, still looking out the window at the world outside.
Fast moving cars, slow moving people in deep conversation with people
they really wanted to be sitting there, listening to.
"He said he loved me, and I believed him, because being with him
hurt less than being with you."
He turned around slowly and looked at her sadly."And?"
"And I made a mistake?" she said quietly,"God! I want a cigarette
now."
He smiled, nodding slowly.
"This is what you wanted to hear all along, huh?"
He shook his head, the smile slowly fading from his face."I never wanted
you to hurt."
She looked down into the cup of coffee she had pushed away, into
the grease that had settled from the air onto the top, making the coffee
look grainy.
"I wanted you to be happy, though I know you couldn't tell it, the stupid
things I said that night."
She nodded slowly,"Me too, I think."
"You were happy?"
She shrugged,"For the time. He's a really complicated person."
"And?"
She laughed slightly, a hoarse laugh from deep in her throat,"And so are
you?"
He looked out the window again, and cleared his throat."I missed you, Abby."
"Shut up, Luka. You're going to ruin the moment."
She shuffled her feet nervously, looking up at the clock every now
and then."I remember."
"No", he looked at her carefully,"You don't. Back when-"
"I don't want to talk about this" she pushed the coffee mug away
and stood up."Not here."
He looked around the restaurant and back up at her."We're more alone
than we've ever been".
"I don't want to talk about this, because I've moved on, and so have you
and I see no need to-" she looked down at the hand that covered hers,the eyes
that burned into her."I know."
He looked away then, the sliver of gold still on his finger.
"He said he loved me."
He swallowed hard, still looking out the window at the world outside.
Fast moving cars, slow moving people in deep conversation with people
they really wanted to be sitting there, listening to.
"He said he loved me, and I believed him, because being with him
hurt less than being with you."
He turned around slowly and looked at her sadly."And?"
"And I made a mistake?" she said quietly,"God! I want a cigarette
now."
He smiled, nodding slowly.
"This is what you wanted to hear all along, huh?"
He shook his head, the smile slowly fading from his face."I never wanted
you to hurt."
She looked down into the cup of coffee she had pushed away, into
the grease that had settled from the air onto the top, making the coffee
look grainy.
"I wanted you to be happy, though I know you couldn't tell it, the stupid
things I said that night."
She nodded slowly,"Me too, I think."
"You were happy?"
She shrugged,"For the time. He's a really complicated person."
"And?"
She laughed slightly, a hoarse laugh from deep in her throat,"And so are
you?"
He looked out the window again, and cleared his throat."I missed you, Abby."
"Shut up, Luka. You're going to ruin the moment."