Kimber looked down at him irritable and a little shocked. What did he want?

Christian's voice wavered a little as he started to recite his wedding wows to Kimber, "before you arrived into my life, I had forgotten or mislaid the understanding of what it is to express real feelings. Only because of you I realised, what really counts in life. You had shown me what love is and what it means and you proved to me that it is worth fighting for it. We have a long journey behind us, we experienced highs and lows together. And I felt each day with you as a gift. I love you, Kimber! Till death tears us apart..."

Tears blurred her vision, and Kimber tried to blink them away. That was simply more, than she could bear, more than she had expected. She fell to her knees next to him as well and put her arms around his neck. Their lips found each other completely automatically for a passionate kiss. She felt the heat of his body, the passion and the despair radiating from his kiss, and she did not resist, when he began, to undo the buttons of her blouse...

Christian thought he was dreaming as he found Kimber's arms around his neck and her mouth was looking for his. How very much he had longed for that! His body responded immediately. He gently drove his tongue over the operation scars on her chest and belly. He heard as she groaned quietly and thrust her body against him. He lifted her into his arms with once single energetic move and carried her over to the bed...

Time seemed to have stopped and all their doubts and fears were removed for once. Kimber was ready to give in, to hand herself over from tip to toe and she believed nothing could stop her.

She felt as if something was rustling under her as Christian set her down carefully on the bed. Acting completely out of instinct, she dug under herself and drew the object out. She hardly had any time to be surprised about what Christian could do with a paper bag in the bed, when a photo fell out from the folded paper, "what the hell...?"

Christian, entirely in seventh heaven, realised too late that Kimber suddenly became rigid in his arms. He lifted his head breathing heavily and regarded her questioningly.

"Who is this?" Kimber held the picture right up under his nose accusingly.

Christian found himself back in reality in an instant. He straightened up groaning, "a female patient," he finally said after some hesitating.

Kimber folded her arms before her body, as if she would've wanted to cover her naked body, "you make house calls lately, or why is it written on the back, call me! Abby?" She asked coarsely.

Christian laughed distressed. He wasn't able to do anything more than that right now. He would've needed some more time first to process being interrupted in the act, the situation that Kimber had caused, "don't get worked up."

"But I already had!" Kimber stood up and quickly buttoned her blouse up, "you will never change Christian, will you?" She looked him straight in the eye with poise, "have you slept with her?".

Christian squirmed on the inside. It became clear to him that he walked right into a trap. It wasn't important anymore what his answer would be. He knew from Kimber's expression that she had already made up her mind about the matter.

"Have you?" She was waiting for the answer impatiently.

"She means nothing to me."

Kimber rolled her eyes. Why did men always avoid answering questions straightforwardly? She lifted her finger accusingly, "we had an agreement! Already forgot? You signed a contract before our wedding that you do not meet other women behind my back anymore."

"We are not married, sweetheart."

Kimber stared at him, rendered speechless.

"I'm sorry," Christian realised that he had gone too far with his remark.

"No, I'm not," Kimber shook her head. She went to the door and took the suitcase, "I should maybe even be thankful to Quentin for stopping me before making the biggest mistake of my life!"

"Please don't say that!"

Kimber looked at him sorrowfully, "I always knew you can't be faithful. You were simply not born to be able to sustain a monogamous relationship. I was constantly afraid that one day you would return to your old ways of functioning. Gina was right."

"Gina? What does this have to do with her?" Christian looked at her scrunching his forehead.

"She had opened my eyes, telling me how you are. She said you will only ever love one woman, somebody you can't have-Julia."

All of a sudden, Christian had the feeling as if someone would've pulled the ground from under his feet. What did Gina know about him and Julia? Had she perhaps seen, how they had furtively kissed on the day of the wedding? He cleared his throat to make his voice some more steady, "that is complete non sense! Gina is jealous. She wouldn't otherwise say things just to steer us apart! Julia and I... that's the past. It is true, we were once very close, but that's long over."

"Yes, looks like it," Kimber shrugged her shoulders indifferently, "and in her place there is...what is her name again?-Abby now."

"I thought you had left me!" Christian knew how lame this excuse must have sounded, but her simply had the feeling he had to defend himself somehow.

"Yes," Kimber pressed out bitterly, "and you wasted no time. While I fought for my life, you kept yourself busy here," Kimber passed him and opened the door.

"Please don't go...not like this!" Christian asked.

"I just can't do this anymore. I don't have any energy for it," Kimber said softly. She was aware of how she was full of tears again by now. But this time she would not let herself become weak. And even if she would break down outside in the hall, she had to remain strong now.

"I love you!" He pressed out desperately, "does that mean nothing at all for you?"

Kimber felt her face burn for the suppressed tears, but she willed them back. Everything was said that was needed said. There was no turning back, "good bye, Christian!" She left the apartment, without looking at him again.

Christian stood there perfectly benumbed and stared at the shut door. He simply couldn't believe that she wasn't there anymore. If he had still harboured any hope an hour ago that she would come back to him, now all his hopes, dreams and desires were shattered. He had never felt so lost and lonely before. He let himself fall onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. He didn't even notice his tears rolling down his cheeks and soaking the pillows.