Authors note: Thanks again to fabulous people who review.
She wanted to stay, Christ she had never wanted to leave him. Not when she'd watched him disappear in the rear view of the cab, not this morning as she lay wrapped in his strong protective arms and now her flight number being called to board for surely the last time.
It hurt her chest to even think about saying goodbye and turning her back on him for what would certainly be the last time.
He had laid himself bare before her; all doubt of the truth in his words of love was gone. Ray Barnett had a lot of pride and he had just stripped it away to stop her leaving, to make her believe he loved her, but would love be enough.
She hadn't moved, she hadn't left him yet, but she hadn't yet said anything to make him believe she would stay. He tried to look for an answer to his question in her eyes, but couldn't read the intense look behind her huge brown eyes as they filled silently with tears.
He was on the verge of begging her to stay with him, to plead for her not to go when she finally spoke.
"I Love you, Ray…. I really do"
"But" He could sense her hesitation. she was searching for the right words to carefully break his heart; He felt the pain and anger at her coming reaction bubbling to the surface.
"What if we end up hating each other?" she sighed suddenly angry at her lack of words to explain herself. She was usually so articulate, this is what he did to her, and he changed her, made her unable to think right.
"What if we don't," He asked simply she could hear the defeat in his voice. He had resigned himself to the fact that she was going.
She felt torn in two, Neela the thinker would get on that plane and protect herself from the possibility of getting hurt, but she had changed since she had been in Chicago, since she had known Ray.
She wasn't the same studious little Neela that had arrived at county so naïve and overwhelmed.
She looked into defeated eyes her chest constricting at the pain she had put there behind them and all she could think about was taking away that pain, she leaned forward on tiptoes and gently kissed him.
He didn't mean to tense when she kissed him but he knew what was coming, it was the goodbye he really couldn't bear to hear. He wrapped his arms around her slight form and tried to make the most of what was sure to be the last time she would be in his embrace. She pulled away too soon staring up at him.
"Come on lets go home" She was smiling weakly tears still staining her cheeks. His breath caught in his throat as he processed the words that had left her lips.
Really bad at endings, this feels a little abrupt. Please review and let me know what you think cos I have a few more Reela ideas and would appreciate the feedback.
Cheers
Raven