Kay walked joyfully into the kitchen and laid her bag of groceries, which consisted of a couple bottles of champagne and some uncooked chicken, on the counter. Tonight was going to be special she thought to herself. Tonight was the night she was going to make love to Dominic. She and Dominic had been seeing each other for a while now and they hadn't made love yet but tonight it was going change she vowed to herself. Dominic had been really busy filming Lord of the Rings so she could understand why they hadn't had any time to be intimate but tonight she hoped to give him a little birthday surprise.

Kay stepped out of the rose scented bath water. She slowly wrapped a towel around her shapely form and walked over to the mirror to stare at her reflection. Tonight she wanted to look perfect. She knew Dominic thought she was beautiful no matter what and hopefully that would never change but she was still going to do her hair and makeup so she could look wonderful for him.

Kay lit the last of the candles just as Dominic pulled up. She could hear him unlocking the door as she gently smoothed down her dress.

"Hey" she said as Dominic walked in the door

"Hey yourself, beautiful" Dominic said as he kissed her. "Geez you look nice, you going somewhere?"

"Nope."

"Oh.." Dominic said as he started looking through some drawers. A lock of hair falling over his eyes.

"What are you looking for, Dominic?"

"That new Good Charlotte cd I bought. Do you know where it is? Orlando, Billy, and I are going to celebrate my birthday tonight and I'm bringing the music."

"Really", Kay said as she walked in front of him and pulled him toward her by the waist of his levi jeans, "Why don't you stay here with me? Maybe we could celebrate together." She smiled seductivly

"Oh sweetheart, I didn't know you had planned anything. I've already made plans with Orlando and Billy. I'm sorry."

"Well couldn't you just call them and cancel?"

"You know I can't do that. This is the last boys night out we're going to have for a while since we're all so busy on this movie."

"Fine." Kay mumbled as she lowered her hands to her sides, defeated. "If that's what you want to do go ahead. Have fun."

Dominic put the palm of his hand to Kay's cheek, "I really am sorry," he said in his deep English accent as he rubbed his thumb along her cheekbone. "Maybe we can do something tomorrow. Just you and me."

"Yea maybe." She said lowering her eyes to the floor. She knew there would be no tomorrow. She plastered a smile on her face. "Go you don't want to be late."

"Yea, that's right. I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

"Yea sure"

Dominic kissed her gently on the lips and walked out the door. This was the last straw. He always did this. Always put his friends and career first. Before her. She finally had had enough. She kicked the couch with all her might and picked up the vase on the side table and threw it, listening as the blue vase shattered against the wall. Why did things have to be like this with him? Why couldn't he just stay home, just for a few hours, and spend time with her? Was it so hard?

The cell phone rang 6 times before Dominic finally answered. Kay was contemplating hanging up when she heard his drunken voice.

"Hello?" Dominic answered

"Hey its me, Kay" she could hear The Young & The Hopeless by Good Charlotte playing in the background.

"Hey. Something wrong, darling?"

Kay sighed, "No, I just wanted to let you know I'm leaving."

"Leaving where? Its kind of late to be really going anywhere. Don't you think? Its 2 in the morning. Most of the stores will be closed at this hour."

"I'm not going to the store. I'm going to South Carolina to stay with my parents."

"When are you coming back to New Zealand?"

"I don't think I'll be coming back, Dominic."

"Wha.?"

She could practically see the confusion on his face as he tried to figure out exactly what she meant. He could never think straight when he was drunk.

"Anyways, that's not why I called. I just wanted to wish you the best of luck in life, and that I love you. You may not have known or even realized it but I do."

**

Dominic sat in stunned silence as he heard the click of the phone signaling that Kay had just hung up. She couldn't really be leaving him. It just wasn't possible. He loved her too much. What had he done? He wasn't sure. He dialed the number to the house they shared. The phone rang and rang. He knew she was there. Why wasn't she answering? He let the phone ring twice more and then put it down and ran out the door to his car. He could hear Billy hollering after him asking where was off to in such a hurry. Dominic just ignored him. He opened the car door and got in. He had to get to her before she left. That's all that mattered. He put the key in the ignition and sped out of the parking lot onto the deserted road.

**

Kay heard the phone ringing as she was packing her clothes to leave, but she just ignored it. It was probably just another salesperson trying to sell her something she didn't need. What she needed was to get out this house and away from New Zealand and Dominic forever.

As Kay walked to the front door she thought maybe she should leave Dominic a letter telling him goodbye. But then she thought better of it. Why waste her time? She had already called him. If he couldn't spend a few hours with her she wasn't going to spend a few minutes writing a letter to him explaining herself. Why should she?

Kay turned in the doorway of the front door and sighed. She wished things could have been different and that she didn't have to leave but it was just the way things were. She couldn't do anything about it. She'd be damned if she stayed here another night while he was out partying with his buddies. She walked out the door and slammed it shut. "Good riddance." She muttered.

**

Dominic screeched into the driveway and watched as the neighbors lights came on.

"Why did I have to get a house with such nosy neighbors?" Dominic muttered. With worry etched on his face Dominic rushed out of the car and hoped he wasn't too late. He ran up the steps and swung open the front door.

"Kay!" he yelled. "Kay!"

He yelled her name over and over again hoping against all odds that she would still be there. But he knew it was hopeless. She was gone and there was nothing he could do about it. He turned around and punched the wall leaving a large gaping hole in it. He sat down on the bottom of the stairs and started sobbing. What was he going to do now? She was everything to him and now she was gone. Gone out of his life forever.

As he sat there he heard the door open. He didn't bother getting up. If it was someone coming to rob him, let them. He didn't need anything. All that was precious to him was gone. He heard laughing and recognized it immediately. It was Billy and Orlando.

"Dom, where are you?" he heard Billy yell.

He didn't bother answering him. What was the point? A few moments later he heard Billy and Orlando walk in front of the stairs seeing his slumped over form. He looked up to see Orlando kneeling over him.

"Are you ok? Did you have too much to drink? You left so fast, we were worried about you." At that moment Orlando notices the hole in the wall. "Where's Kay, is she ok?"

Dominic smacks Orlando's hands away. "I don't know where the hell she's at. She left me."

"Oh man. that's rough. Do you know why?" Billy asks with concern in his voice.

"I have no f***ing idea." Dominic muttered as he ran his hands over his face. "She called me while I was at the party and told me she was going to her parents house and that she wasn't coming back."

"She just wouldn't have left ya, mate. She loves ya." Orlando stated matter of factly.

"Yea that's what she told me, but I'm not so sure. Why would she leave if she loved me so much? What did I ever do to deserve this? Nothing! Now I know why I never loved a girl before her. What's the point?"

Orlando and Billy looked at Dominic incredulously and wondered what had come over him. They had never seen their buddy this upset. And they had spent almost 2 years with him. Neither one of them knew what to say, neither had ever been in love before, so they didn't know how to comfort Dominic in his time of grief.

"We're real sorry, mate. Anything we can do to help you? Anything you need?" Billy asked looking at his friend wondering how a girl could get a man so worked up like that.

"Could you guys just leave? I don't mean to sound rude but I'd really like to be alone. I hope you can understand." Dominic choked out.

Billy and Orlando looked at each other then back at Dominic, not sure whether they should leave or not. Not knowing if Dominic was going to do something stupid or just sit around at the bottom of the stairs the entire night.

Orlando looked at Dominic and asked, "Are you sure that's what you want? We can stay here if you want us to. Give you some company, maybe?"

"Yes I'm sure that's what I want! That's what I said, isn't it! Do I need to repeat myself?!" Dominic nearly shouted.

Orlando was taken aback by this sudden hostility and put his arms up in defense. "Fine. Fine. If that's what what you want. We'll leave." He paused and looked at Billy. "Come on, Billy. Let's leave the man alone."

Dominic regretted speaking to Billy and Orlando like that when he heard the door slam. He knew they were only trying to help. Dominic got up from the stairs and walked into the living room. He stared around the room and saw the broken vase on the floor. The vase he bought for Kay at a market in the city. It was such a beautiful vase, now it was broken. Maybe he could get it fixed, he thought. Make it good as new. Dominic sat down on the sofa and stretched out. Yawning, he closed his eyes.

Just as he was nearly asleep he heard the door opening. Thinking it was Billy or Orlando coming to see if he was alright he got up and headed to the door.

"Really guys, I'm fine! You don't have worry about me. I'm not going to do anything drastic like kill myself. You can leave now."

He was almost to the door when he spotted her.

Smirking Kay replied, "Well I wasn't planning on staying. I forgot my passport so I came back to get it."

Dominic stopped short. He couldn't believe she was standing there. Smirking nonetheless. He should ask her why she left. Ask her why she wanted to cause him pain, but all he did was smile and say, "Right."

Kay pushed past him to go upstairs. On the bottom stair she noticed the gaping hole. She turned to Dominic and noticed he was watching her, with such love, walk up the stairs. She blushed forgetting for a moment that she was angry with him.

"Who did this?" she asked, "Did you do this?"

"I really don't remember. I may have. When I found out you were gone I think I lost it," he said looking down at his feet.

She looked at him, "You actually cared that I was gone?"

"Yea, why wouldn't I? You know I love you." he said looking up at her.

"Well you haven't been acting like it," she said diverting her eyes from him.

"What do you mean I haven't been acting like it. I tell you I love you every single day." He said, his voice straining.

"Love isn't just saying the words. You have to show it too. And you haven't been. All you do is hang out with your friends everyday or you're working on that stupid movie! You never make time for me! Like today, I tried to make this a day we could spend together and celebrate your birthday but NO!" She stomped her foot down on the stair. "Your friends came first! You had to hang out with them! If you love me you sure in hell have a fine way of showing it!" Kay took a deep breath and smoothed back her hair with a shaking hand.

Dominic just stared at her in amazement. He'd never seen her so angry. He hadn't even known she could get like that.

"I'm sorry I didn't even realize it. I thought you didn't mind that I was working on this movie or that I hung out with my friends a lot. I thought our relationship was going great." Dominic mumbled guiltily.

"Well you thought wrong. Our relationship wasn't going great. Oh, I tried to pretend it was. I tried to make it work, but every time I did you would do something like blow me off for your friends and I would be back at square one. While you were out partying, which you never invited me to do with you, I'm here at home crying because you can't get your act together!"

Kay's brown eyes flashed in the darkness. Dominic stared at the floor. Feeling ashamed that he had neglected her so. Why hadn't he seen it? At that moment Dominic heard soft sobbing. He looked up to see Kay's head bowed down on her chest. She was crying. Oh God, what had he done? He had made her cry, not only once but other times as well when he wasn't around. Times he should have been. He ran up the few remaining steps separating them and put his arms around her, hugging her tightly to him. She just stood there not moving. She didn't move towards the embrace nor did she turn away from it. She just stood there in the darkness crying into his arms.

He whispered over and over again how sorry he was and kissed the top of her head. Amazing, he never knew how wonderful her hair smelled or how soft it was. Why hadn't he taken the time to notice? He vowed that if she let him he would take the time to get to know her. The real her. He felt her arms go around him and he knew she had forgiven him for everything and for that he was glad.