I don't understand anything about what's going on. It is as if everything is happening in slow motion. I look in amazement at the completely empty cupboard. There is not a single garment hanging in it. I get up and start opening the drawers. They are all empty.

When did all this happen? Did he leave while I was sleeping? Or did he leave before I came back?

I get up from his bed and almost run to my room. I look for my phone and dial his number.

"The number you are calling is not in service"

Even though I can't believe it, I keep dialing his number, over and over and over again. But I get the same message. What happened? Why did he suddenly leave?

I go out to the kitchen to make breakfast. There's no sign of him in the kitchen. I miss his short messages and the fact that breakfast was ready. Without much desire, I make myself breakfast, and then I peck at what I have prepared. I have lost my appetite.

I spend the day on the couch changing from one channel to another, looking for something to make me forget that Christian left. I'm at least hoping to see him at the Kick Boxing class this afternoon. So I patiently wait for that moment.

I leave for the gym in plenty of time. No one has arrived. I sit on a bench while I wait. The anxiety is killing me. When my teammates start to arrive I start to put on my wraps. And then he comes in. He doesn't look at me, but I can't take my eyes off him.

He's wearing a tight black T—shirt and a bag hanging over his shoulder that he drops to the floor. He takes off his wraps and starts getting ready for training. I decide to get up and face him. I walk with a determined step in his direction and stop suddenly when I see one of my classmates next to him.

I don't hear what she says, but he smiles at her and nods his head as he touches her forearm. What's going on here?

I continue walking and stop next to him. He looks away from my classmate and stares at me.

—Do you need something, Ana?

—Excuse me professor, I need to talk to you for a moment. —I say to him as I look at my classmate whose name I don't remember, Gia, Mia, I don't know.

—Any problem to participate in the class? —he stares at me.

—No, it's a personal matter that...

—I am not interested in the personal issues of my students, please take a place to start. —he tells me in a cold voice.

I am left with my mouth open. I didn't expect this answer. This is not the Christian I know. Why is he treating me like this? Why is he so cold and distant with me?

—Ready to begin! —he shouts as everyone begins to take positions.

I back up to the end of the class. I don't think I can be in front after his cold treatment. I warm up mechanically. My mind is elsewhere, I am not paying attention to anything I do.

—Ana! —I feel his voice calling me.

I look forward. The warm-up is over.

—Get your gloves. —he says to me as I watch him look in his bag.

I get mine and start putting them on as I walk in his direction. He hasn't picked up his pads today. I stop in front of him.

—As you have been practicing the sport for the longest time, let's do a demonstration. —he says to me as he finishes putting on the gloves.

—A demonstration?

—Have you ever fought with anyone? —he asks me as I stand in shock.

—No.

—Well, today you will. I want you to show me your knowledge.

We walk to the center of the class. I see everyone making a circle around us waiting. As I watch, I can't stop thinking about the night before. I have so many things to ask him and he won't even talk to me.

What did I do to make him treat me like this?

And then reality hits me. He left because of what happened last night. Which makes me wonder, was he watching me?

—Ready? —he asks as I raise my guard.

I nod with my head. Christian starts making movements and I do the same. I don't let my guard down. I'm waiting for his attack. But he doesn't. He's waiting for me to make the first move.

I step forward and throw the first punch which he deftly dodges. I step back and charge back now with a double combo. Both blows end in his forearms covering his face.

—Good combination. —he says to me, lowering his fists.

I have to talk to him somehow. But how.

I don't miss a move he makes. I watch his legs move, his arms, his eyes. And I quickly cover myself when he attacks me with a double punch.

—You must move your legs more Ana. —he points to my legs as he lets his guard down for a moment.

I decide to try to take him by surprise and I throw a series of punches followed by a kick.

—Very good. Do it again. —he asks me while I attack him again.

This time with more force. I am angry with him for disappearing last night. For not stopping me from doing something stupid. And I'm also angry with him for leaving without telling me. I I don't even know what our strange arrangement ended in, or if it ended at all.

Christian hits me back, which I dodge or block, preventing his blows from reaching my face.

—Very good, but you need more speed with those reflexes.

—Are you finished with the lessons, professor?—I ask him after another series of blows that leave me breathing heavily.

Christian stares at me. He knows exactly which lessons I mean. And it's not exactly Kick Boxing.

—I don't think you need many more lessons, Ana, just practice what you've learned so far. —he says as he comes in my direction throwing combinations.

—I don't like to practice with a lot of people. —I hit him back hard and almost hit him in the face.

—Well, I think you're doing very well, for being the first time you've done it.

He comes back to the attack. I dodge his punches and hit him back while we dance around the room. I don't pay attention to anything other than his punches or kicks.

—If you hadn't insisted on that particular lesson, we wouldn't be in this situation. —I say to him in anger.

I am not even aware if my classmates are watching our conversation. Or if they understand what we are talking about.

—If you hadn't wanted to take lessons, none of this would have happened. —he answers me furiously as he comes back to the attack.

—I can't be...helpless all my life. —I answer by covering up his blows.

—There were other ways to learn to...defend yourself. —he stares at me.

—Give me another chance. —I ask him panting.

—I don't repeat the lessons I give. —I stare at him in shock and anger.

—I thought you were different, but in the end you're just like the rest of them. You're an asshole too! —I yell at him as I attack him with real anger. I throw combinations and a kick to his right leg that makes him whine for a moment and without even trying or noticing it I give him a hook on his chin that makes him stagger back several steps with a limp.

Shit! What did I just do?

I just punched him in the face in front of the whole class. Christian looks at me furiously. And I'm even more furious than he is. Just when I thought I'd found someone perfect, it turns out I've been wrong again. I take several steps back and decide that I've had enough of kick boxing for one season. I turn around, take off my gloves and throw them in my bag while not looking back.

Tears start to fall from my eyes as I leave the gym. I don't know what I expected to happen. His reaction and cold treatment towards me confirmed it. He had seen me last night while I was making out with the stranger. And I'm sure he saw when I left with him and is imagining how the night ended. But he doesn't know that nothing else happened because I couldn't stop thinking about him. Yes, I kissed him. The alcohol may have somewhat clouded my senses, but I came to my senses just before I committed the biggest idiocy of my life.

I go into the apartment and fall into bed while throwing the bag angry to the side of the room.

Idiot. Idiot. Idiot.

Why I thought this could go well. Why I thought our strange arrangement would end well. That this last lesson was going to work out well. But I was wrong. I should have refused. I shouldn't have gone to the club last night. I should have finished the stupid deal and confessed to him how he made me feel.

My phone starts ringing. It's an unknown number. I wipe the tears from my eyes in the hope that be him who call.

—Yes.

—Miss Steele, we called to inform you that you can return to your apartment now. We have finished with the investigation

—Did they get Leyla yet?

—Not yet.

—What if she goes back to the apartment?

—We've changed the lock. You can stop by the station to pick up the keys.

—Thank you. —I tell him while I hang up.

That reminds me, I have to pick up my car at the club. As I sit in bed the scenes of our meetings come to my mind. I think I must leave. If I want to forget about him, I need to be somewhere where I have no memories of him. I dial Kate's number. But she doesn't answer so I leave a message.

I take a bag and throw away the things I bought and the ones I recovered from my apartment. I put them on the bed and leave the apartment with a fixed idea in my mind.

It's 9:30 pm. It didn't take that long after all. I go into the apartment and pass by my old roommate's room. It's completely empty, there's absolutely nothing there. It's as if she never existed.

I leave the keys to his apartment at the front desk along with a message for Kate. In case she wants her old things back. I know she gave them to me, but I don't think I need them anymore.

I go to my room and open the closet. All my clothes are there. Perfectly laid out. I look at the little room. At least here the memories won't haunt me. I drop into bed and hug the pillow when someone knocks on the door. I have no idea who it is. And for a moment I'm afraid it's Lindsey. I walk fearfully to the door and look at who it is.

It's Kate.

I quickly open the door and find her face lined with tears. At her feet several suitcases.

—What are you doing here at this hour? —What happened? —I ask her worried.

—I need a place to stay. —she says to me in tears as I quickly open the door.

Kate passes by and I help her with her bags by closing the door behind us. She drops in the couch and I sit down next to her.

—What happened?

—Elliot and I have a fight. —she says to me between sobs.

—It's not the first time you've fought, Kate, and you're always come back.

—Not this time.

—Why did you fight?

—Because Elliot is incapable of compromise. —she says as she lies on my shoulder and begins to sob again. —And the worst part is that I can't stop thinking about him.

—It's all going to work out, Kate, you'll see.

—I don't want to know anything about a man for a long time. —she says to me while I can't help but laugh.

—I understand you. —I answer as she raises her head and wipes her tears.

—What happened to Christian? —he asks me between hiccups.

—I made a little mistake and he turned out to be a jerk just like the rest of them. —that's the only answer I give her.

—At least we have each other to console. —she says, hugging me tightly.

—After all this time, we're finally going to live together. —I tell her with a smile.

And this is just what I need right now. Nothing else.