Courtney impatiently tapped her fingers against the table. She really was not in the mood for this.
There was an unfinished project on her desk at home waiting for her to finish it. It was due next week with her company's manager, and Courtney was sure that if Chris hadn't forced her to come to this stupid reunion party, she would have been done with her project by now.
The lonely brunette watched the disco ball spin slowly, reflecting patterns of light against the ballroom walls.
No one seemed to be dancing. Everyone was either seated at a table talking away or had disappeared for a quick make-out session.
A D.J. stood at the stage behind all of his equipment, looking as if he did not want to be at the party either. A song request sheet had been placed at the foot of the stage, but Courtney doubted that the D.J. had even taken one look at the list all night. An upbeat song blared from the stereo system, but no one seemed to pay any attention to it.
Looking around, Courtney couldn't find Bridgette, who also happened to be her ride back home.
Speaking of which, Geoff was missing as well.
They're probably kissing up a storm in a closet. Courtney thought, shaking her head.
She saw Gwen and Trent talking in a corner, and a bitter wave of emotions came over her. Boyfriend stealer. She's probably cheating on him right now. Look at her, getting all smitten with Trent like that. What would Duncan say?
Where was Courtney's ex-boyfriend anyway?
The girl scanned the room but didn't seem to spot him. Probably making out with another girl. she thought, jealousy suddenly taking over her.
But who was she to be concerned about him? No. They had broken up a long time ago. No use in going back to that filthy Neanderthal. He hadn't deserved her anyway. Courtney had convinced herself that she had been too good for him.
Not that he minded. He had just gone straight to Gwen...
Someone's presence at her table didn't distract Courtney from her thoughts. Sighing, she turned to face the person while she acknowledged, "Hey, Bridge-"
She stopped talking.
Even Bridgette's eyes weren't that blue.
They stared at each other for what must have been forever until Courtney looked away. Holding her head up high, she greeted him in a voice that lacked any warmth. "Duncan."
"Courtney."
They stayed that way for a few more minutes until they both spoke up.
"I-"
"You-"
Duncan looked away again. "You first."
The brunette girl sighed, yet still refused to face the former delinquent. "You. What do you want?"
Gone was the bright green mohawk she often ruffled when she was in denial about being attracted to him. Gone were the piercings that she had kissed individually as they lay in bed after the times they had their make-up sex. Gone was the smirk upon his lips that she had kissed with a passion so many times before. Gone was the spiked dog collar she had often nagged him about taking off because she thought it degrading.
It seemed to Courtney as if everything that had reminded Duncan of herself, he had gotten rid of.
However, once a bad boy, always a bad boy, right?
"I-I just wanted to ask how things are going," he replied sincerely, feeling a bit pissed at how she was trying to avoid looking at him.
It's already been seven fucking years, yet she still can't look him in the face?
"Fine," Courtney replied tersely, wondering what game Duncan was playing at.
"That's good."
And once again, they were silent. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. The silence with Courtney was going to drive him insane. However, just as he wanted to ask her something, Bridgette and Geoff walked into the room and Courtney stood up and brushed off her dress. "I'm leaving. Goodbye, Duncan."
"I-"
He had worked up his courage to come all the way over here and talk to her, just to have her leave him? Again? No fuckin' way.
"Courtney," Duncan growled, his tone possessive and angry.
She stopped walking and turned back to look at him. "What?" she asked impatiently, fed up with his possessiveness.
The woman was used to that voice before. So many times before when she had been talking with another man and Duncan had caught them together, he had always used that tone with her. It used to make her feel guilty. Now, it just wore her out.
At once, Duncan relaxed and reached out to touch Courtney. He could hear the tiredness in her voice. He could hear the pain...
"Are you okay?" he asked tenderly, laying a hand on her shoulder.
Suddenly, a tingle shot straight up her spine, sending a brief chill down her back. She knew that he felt it, too.
"Won't your girlfriend be jealous if she sees you here with me?"
Duncan was taken back by her straightforwardness. "Gwen?"
Looking away, he answered truthfully, "We broke up a long time ago. She moved in with Trent this past month. It's all in the past. Don't worry about it."
Behind those words, Courtney sensed the pain and loneliness that the great Duncan Kingsley tried so hard to mask.
"Duncan, I-"
She was silenced as he gathered her in his arms, embracing her tightly as if she were the only thing his soul depended on. "Don't go," he murmured to her, "Dance with me."
All of his pent up emotions he had been trying to cover up for so long just let loose. All of that hard work disappeared when he saw how vulnerable she was.
Courtney didn't respond. Instead, she took her head and hand and leaned against Duncan's chest. Pressed against him, Courtney could hear his heart.
It sounded injured.
At that moment, a slow song came on. It was one they both recognized.
"Don't you remember this song, Duncan?" Courtney asked, a lump forming in her throat. Her eyes began to brim with tears.
Oh, for goodness sake, why was she crying?
"Do you remember it, Duncan? Do you?" she cried, a tear sliding down her face, followed by yet another one.
Please remember.
"Every word in that song I remember to this day," was his honest reply.
Courtney didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. Heck, she was already crying.
Duncan buried his face in the crook of her neck, his arms still wrapped around her. The brunette listened as he sang the words into her ear, making it harder for her to resist him.
"...I was praying that you and me might end up together.
It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert,
But I'm holding you closer than most,
'Cause you are my heaven..."
As the piano in the song began to play, Courtney swallowed the lump in her throat. More tears fell, and Duncan realized she was crying. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear.
It was just then that Courtney noticed he was crying as well. "Sorry for what?"
Chuckling bitterly, her former lover replied, "All I ever do is make you cry."
They began to sway to the music again, lost only in a world that contained just the both of them. No one else.
With a muffled sob, the young woman could only remember why this song was one they both recognized. It was the night that she had given him her virginity that this song had been playing on the radio.
It was the night he had first told her, 'I love you.'
"...Still I can't let you be,
Most nights I hardly sleep,
Don't take what you don't need from me..."
As the lyrics came out, both wondered if there was ever a night that passed when they didn't think of each other. Courtney knew she would be lying to herself if she said she had never tossed and turned in her bed before, haunted by thoughts and images of Duncan with another woman. Duncan could only think the same to himself.
"Duncan?"
"Hm?"
"When this song is over, you realize I have to leave, right? Not just from the reunion, but from you as well..." she trailed off, knowing that she was giving up her own heart to hurt the man that had hurt her first.
She felt Duncan't body tense up against hers, as if this was not what he had wanted to hear from her, and then she felt him breathe out in defeat. "Yeah."
It was worth a shot, trying to take her back. Duncan's conscience told him.
Courtney knew that when the song ended, they would have nothing to do with each other anymore. All of their memories together, she would be forced to forget.
But I can't.
Finally, with the lines that always got the both of them, the song ended.
"'Cause you are my heaven.
You are my heaven."
He wished that there could be forever with her. But he had screwed that up a long time ago.
The slim girl he held in his arms was the best thing that ever happened to him. She had been like a dose of nicotine for him. Once he got one try at it, he had to have more. She had been his Heaven once. But he had to break her heart. All because of his stupid, fuckin' teenage hormones.
"Goodbye, Duncan."
She got on her tip-toes to give him a kiss goodbye, catching him by surprise. They knew that this was really it. This would be the final goodbye for both of them. Even if he didn't want it to be.
As she pulled away from him and walked out the door, Duncan reached into his pocket and felt the engagement ring that was supposed to have been given to its rightful owner tonight.
It had never happened.
She had never even gotten a chance to see it.
What hurts most...is knowing that she never will.
A/N: Thank you for reading. Happy belated Thanksgiving! The first chapter of the new story is coming out soon! I hope you're all excited. :)
Also, there's a new poll on my profile. Please go check it out and vote! Thanks, guys!