Last Kiss

By

Lady Knightley

"I never thought we'd have a last kiss"

Miserable. Sad. Lonely. These words were only understatements to what Elizaveta was feeling right now. She sat on her bed, tears showing no signs of stop as she looked at the several scattered pictures before her.

They were pictures of them. Gilbert and herself.

All showed precious smiles of content and happiness. One of them caught her eye. It was the day when she spent the night in Gilbert's house, cuddled up against him and chatting about all the topics they could touch.

The picture showed not much because of the darkness that swallowed upon the room but portrayed the couple smiling widely at the camera… Elizaveta remembered that night like it was yesterday.

"Oh yeah, Roddy was really angry! It was great payback!" Gilbert's laugh echoed through Elizaveta's ears and she couldn't help but laugh with him. His laugh was extremely contagious and simply endearing to her.

"We should probably go to sleep now. It's I dunnow, like 1:58 in the morning" He frowned but obliged to her demands and wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you" It was a ghost of a whisper, something that most people probably wouldn't hear but Elizaveta did. It was because it was Gilbert's voice that silently told her as he laid his head on hers.

"I love you too" She whispered just as quietly. Gilbert smiled lightly before he kissed her gently.

"Good night"

Elizaveta let out more sobs; she couldn't remember why she even decided to look at the pictures, the memories. It just brought her more and more pain.

A creak of an opening door made her look up. Standing there, just peaking form the door was one of her best friends, Kiku. He smiled softly as he had the last few days after her break-up. Elizaveta managed to let out a miniature smile that she had practiced in front of the mirror so many times to give reassurance to the people around her. Unfortunately, her eyes didn't show of a hope to move on, it showed how remorse she was feeling. All the hurt seemed to be seen through her once shining emerald eyes.

"The party's about to start. Bella is over here to go fix you up if you want" He spoke softly as if careful not to trip over any sensitive topics. Elizaveta got up from her bed and wiped some of the tears away just to at least look presentable in front of her friends.

"It's okay. Tell everyone I'll be down in a bit" It wasn't her party. It was Shelly's, it was just coincidence that her house was the only one free for Friday night. Elizaveta was perfectly fine with letting them use the household as long as they do the clean ups.

"Okay. Just… take it easy" With those last words, he was gone. The smile that graced Elizaveta's lips faded and she faced the mirror in her bathroom.

The person that faced her was almost nothing like the one back then, the one that was full of smiles and had a glowing complexion. The reflection showed of a girl who looked broken and just torn apart. She took in a deep breath and started applying her make-up. The cover was temporary but it would last long enough until she would have to retire for the night.

The music was not so loud yet enough to drown you into dancing on the dance floor. Elizaveta saw many people there that she knew quite closely. There was Arthur and Francis bickering away, Kiku with Mei drinking with some others and then she remembered, she was alone for this party. There was no one to cheer her up or accompany her through all the drunken people that would soon flood the space.

Sooner than she had anticipated, the memories started flooding in again. It was the night when Gilbert had picked her up form her house to go to the prom.

"I promise Dad. He's a great guy." Elizaveta played with her hair. Gilbert was still not there to pick her up yet and somehow she felt worried for some reason.

"But darling, I still havem't met him. How can I be so sure?" Her father sat down, sinking into the soft armchair propped near their fireplace.

"Darling! A handsome young man is here for you!" Elizaveta immediately got up and almost sprinted to the door where her mother was opening the door for Gilbert, in all his untamed glory wearing a simple coat and tie outfit.

Elizaveta smiled as she gave him a hug and guided him to the living room where her father was still sitting on the chair.

A smile was sent to Gilbert by Elizaveta and Gilbert immediately knew what she meant. He walked to where her father sat and shook his hands with him. Elizaveta gave a thumbs up to her mother who stood just beside her. She could easily tell the two were getting along nicely and soon enough she was on her way with Gilbert to the prom.

As soon as Elizaveta entered the gym, dancing lights greeted her. A grin reached Glbert's face as he pulled Elizaveta to the dance floor. A slow song was being played as it was requested by the students.

Elizaveta wasn't sure about dancing. It was surely something she was not used to but Gilbert guided her feet to the rhythm. Just for him would she dance.

"The place looks wonderful tonight" Elizaveta was shook from her thoughts by the voice that drifted to her ears. A soft blow of breath came to her neck suddenly and she started blabbering nonsense.

"The lights were a great touch you know and of course I couldn't ignore the beautiful flowers they used on the walls. The council did a great job in thi-"

A soft kiss was planted upon her. It was sweet, chaste but fascinating all in itself. Gilbert gave a sheepish smile.

"Let's just dance and enjoy the night"

"Lizzy, are you okay? Hey" Elizaveta was dropped back into reality and she was faced with large sea blue eyes. She felt wetness upon her cheeks and she soon realized that the tears were back once again. Her time must've been up.

"I-I'm fine. I'm just gonna go." She ran up the stairs and into her room again.

How could the memories just suddenly come back like that. Everything just reminds her too much of him. All the smiles they shared, the fights they conquered together and all the lessons that they've learned.

Her sobs became heavier and heavier as she felt that, unlike her, Gilbert was moving on. Looking forward to a new life… without her and seeming perfectly okay with it. It was as if she was a memory that slowly faded into nothingness. She was just going to be part of the memories that was like dreams, once you wake up, you forget them.

But to her, Gilbert wasn't just a memory; he was the light that brightened up her days. Forgetting the feeling she felt with him was something close to impossible. She knew that the pain would never leave. It would fade, but it would never leave.

That night, Elizaveta fell asleep with a tear stained face and a nightmare of memories in her head. It was as if the world had crashed down, she felt helpless, unneeded and lonely without him.

The morning she woke up to was a bright and sunny one. It was the type of day that Elizaveta knew brought her smiles usually but it just wasn't working. The sun may have been beautiful and the symphony of the birds' chirps was perfect but a day without Gilbert was just… forlorn.

Elizaveta's eyes caught sight of a small piece of paper. A rather messily written phrase was written on it.

It read 'I love you, forever and always'.

He said he loved her but Elizaveta continuously asked herself why he went away. Was she not enough? Was she unfit for him? She believed all of the words he had said to her and she knew they were genuinely from the heart but it seemed as if it all faded.

No matter where she looks, there's always something that reminds her of Gilbert. Did he go through this too? Was there something special that reminded him of her only?

Elizaveta broke down again. It was all unexpected, even their friends were shocked to see her run to her house crying with Gilbert looking at her from afar sadly and almost as if he had regretted doing something. Elizaveta only wished he had regretted it but with Antonio telling her that Gilbert's been fine whenever she asked how he was; it seemed as if it was just another part of her imagination.

It was easy for Gilbert to forget her as if she was just a dream that was suddenly erased from your memory once you wake up. For her to forget him, his smile, his laugh and his antics, it was close to impossible. Just the thought of forgetting him was ludicrous to her. Without him she felt lonesome, hopeless and even desperate. Her world was slowly crashing down.

He was a picture she couldn't get out of her head. She remembered all those chaste and sweet kisses he'd give her. But she never saw it coming and she never expected that they would ever have a last kiss.

"Gilbert"

His name, just like their last kiss, would forever be on her lips.

End.