We don't need to be best friends
We don't need to hang again
But tell me why we have to be strangers?
'Cause I loved you once
We don't need to act the same
But you act like you don't know my name
Tell me why we have to be strangers?
'Cause I loved you once

- Loved You Once, Clara Mae.

Eye-contact.

Some avoid it to hide a love

or a lie.

He avoided it because

he didn't want to

remember why

he loved her.

He remembered,

she was stronger than

titanium but

as delicate as

silk.

I look up, hoping to catch his eyes with mine. To get him to acknowledge me beyond a smile and nod. He was studiously ignoring me, talking to a girl named Maureen. She was loud, young and giggly. But that wasn't what bothered me.

What bothered me was that he was using Maureen as an excuse not to talk to me.

It was stupid, we broke up years ago and parted peacefully. Me going to Milan and him to San Fransisco. We even made polite talk on the airport, but now that we were face to face in the same town, same bar he seemed to forget my name and existence.

It was saddening because Simon was such a great guy and someone you really wanted in your life. It took a little bit of sneaky planning but soon Maureen was too wasted to be much fun for conversation and Simon was sitting at the bar a few stools away from where I was perched.

I turn to face him, to say 'hi'. To ask him how he's been, but he was staring at his hands. There was a weight in my chest making it harder to breath, the awkwardness so apparent it was painful.

"Simon, it's been a while."

"Yes, it has been." he agrees his eyes scanning the crowd, for an escape route.

My chest squeezes and I talk quickly to say anything that will make him stay.

"We should catch up sometime."

He makes a noise, and I wasn't able to identify it as disapproval or agreement.

I take it to mean the latter, "Cool, so... Do you have the same number? I can hit you up sometime?"

Maureen stumbles back and straight into Simon.

Simon grimaces and picks her up, he finally faces me and smiles apologetically. But I see the relief shining under his mask. "I need to take her home. See you around, Isabelle."

I wasn't having it.

I didn't need to be a stalker or a detective to know where Simon lived. Simon lived in a handsome apartment with his equally handsome roommate, George. George was a geek in training however and moreover not my type.

I wonder how he'll react, would he be angry or eager to get rid of me? I guess now I was going to find out. After I said my piece.

George must've seen my angry glare, or noticed my clenched fist or maybe he just listened to my words of wisdom "get out."

He did, I always liked that about George, he never questioned if I could kick his ass, he knew I could. I was currently sitting on their worn form use living room couch when Simon walked out of their room with a headset placed sloppily over his neck, he was speaking before he notice who he was talking to. "What do you want order? Pizza? Chinese?"

"I'm partial to Thai."

His head snapped dup and he gaped at me, looking stunned for a solid three seconds.

"What are you, uhm, doing here?" he was looking at me with his open curiosity. His brow's furrowed.

But despite his question his eyes didn't meet mine, and I desperately wanted them too. From my memory I know that his eyes are why I fell for him in the first place. Not just for the rich coffee color, and when catching the sunlight, they turn into sunsets of their own. For something else but I can't remember.

And I really want to.

"I want to know why you keep avoiding me. It's been three years and I thought we parted on good terms."

He looked distressed but he still kept his gaze away from mine "It's different now."

I take a step closer, "Why?"

What changed?

"Before... we were in different places, going somewhere new. A fresh start. Everywhere I go here, you're there. Haunting me. It's kind of freaky, actually" he shrugged.

I scowled and he looks up and his eyes catch mine.

"We don't need to be best friends," I tell him "we don't even have to hang again. Just, I don't want to be a stranger to you. Just because I loved you once."

His eyes flicker, like he can't decide where to look. He seemed to be focusing his gaze on my forehead. "We're not strangers."

"Could have fooled me. I thought you hated me."

His eyes meet mine, him defiant on my behalf. "I don't hate you." And just as quickly he averts his gaze to my eyebrows.

Finally, I speak what has been bothering since the beginning of the exchange, "Why won't you meet my eyes?"

He looks up, his brilliant eyes catching mine. "Because," he falters but his eyes never did, "because I'm afraid that when I meet your eyes, I'll fall in love with you again."

"That's why I want you to look at me, I want to remember why we were once in love. So that we can," I falter not sure what to say. Not sure what I wanted. "So that we can be part of each other's lives."

He looked at me, his eyes still on mine and I remembered. Remembered why I loved him.

He was always honest.

He must have remembered too because he smiled and said "Thai, you said? I like Thai."

I like Thai too, but I don't think i'm invited...

xxx

PS. Shoot me a comment?

PPS. Please check out my Sizzy one-shot, it's "He Wasn't Good Enough For Her, (No. Wait! He Was.)"