The sky over London was a deep grey as Sibella's heeled shoes clicked their way along the pavement. She had needed an afternoon of shopping to take her mind off of how much her chest seemed to ache with every thought and every breath. But she was so far out of sorts that after hours of looking at window fronts and racks and displays, she had come away with only a single pair of shoes and a new colour for her lips.
Feeling a lone drop of water land nearly on her forehead, she glanced up the darkening clouds above her. This was her mistake, for a moment later she collided head-on with someone walking in the opposite direction. In surprise, she dropped the bag with her shopping in it, and as she bent to retrieve it she instinctually reached to pick up the books now scattered across the pavement. Apologising, she lifted one book and then another off of the ground, but as she reached for a third, she froze abruptly. Her hand had touched another on top of the cover of the book. A hand she knew.
The blonde halted her apology mid-word as she stared at the hand beneath hers. Soft and fair, the hand was so familiar to Sibella that she could instantly recall how it felt against her cheek, or resting on her waist as she lay next to its owner, how perfectly its fingers intertwined with her own. Slowly, she raised her head and her eyes met deep blue ones, just as startled as hers. Silent, Sibella gave back the books in her arms and stood, her eyes never leaving the entrancing face before her. But as the expression in those deep blue eyes turned from surprise to cold indifference, the blonde felt her own eyes begin to fill with tears.
"I'm sorry," she spoke after a moment, her voice barely more than a whisper.
Without a word, the other woman drew herself up to her full height and turned swiftly on her heel, storming away in the opposite direction.
Tears began to drip down her face just as the heavens opened and a chilling rain began to fall. Other people around her rushed to find shelter. But Sibella remained standing in the downpour, a sob escaping her as she watched Phoebe storm away from her. And as the last trace of blue disappeared into the rain, Sibella felt her heart shatter all over again.