Bela was pissed. She'd spent weeks crying over Hamish and he had the audacity to act like she was the problem. Where did that self-entitled jerk get off? He was the one who caused this whole situation, he'd ghosted her and now he couldn't even stand to be in the same room as her. How was that fair?

At least Randall was right, tonight had helped a little, even if it was just because she was so staggeringly angry with Hamish that she couldn't focus on feeling sad.

She caught up with him quickly. He'd made it down to the end of the street in the few second head start he'd had, and Bela had to practically run to keep up with his long strides.

As he rounded a corner into the alley beside the bar she snapped. "Are you seriously going to make me chase you all the way home? I'm not going to leave until you talk to me, Hamish."

She almost walked into his back as he stopped.

"Fine." she heard him mutter as he turned to face her. Illuminated in the blue neon light of the bar sign, Hamish's face was totally blank.

Bela stared in silence, waiting for him to start. He just stared right back at her.

"Urgh!" Bela wanted to punch a whole through his stupid, perfect face. "Is this your plan? Just pretend I don't exist and hope I go away?" He flinched but didn't say anything.

"Fine then, just stand there." If he wasn't going to talk to her, he could damn well listen to what she had to say, and, thanks to the drinks she'd had with Randall, that was a lot.

"You can't keep doing this, Hamish. It's not fun being someone's one night stand but whatever, it happens! I get it - you hate me, but you can't keep avoiding me. We work at the same place Hamish, Randall is my friend. How your acting, it isn't fair."

It was like a damn bursting in Bela's chest. All of the hurt, anger and frustration came tumbling out. She'd been blaming herself this whole time, thinking there was something wrong with her but now she realised, it wasn't anything to do with her.

His face softened as a tear trickled down her cheek.

"Oh don't." She scrubbed at her cheek furiously. "Don't act like you care - these are angry tears Hamish, I'm so fucking angry with you."

She instinctively took a step back as he moved towards her, closing the gap. He cupped her cheek, running his thumb up to wipe away the next tear that fell. As if in a trance, he leaned forward, pressing her body against the alley wall, trapping her with the gentle pressure of his hips. When his other hand found her waist, pulling her flush against him, Bela met his lips with her own.

At his touch, Bela felt the past three weeks evaporate. He kissed her slowly, breathing deeply as her scent overwhelmed the air around him, filling his lungs, his head, swirling in an intoxicating vortex. His mind was consumed with Bela, the taste of her on his lips, the feel of her pressed against him. It was as if he'd been suffocating for the last three weeks and here she was, oxygen.

"I could never hate you." He spoke finally. He took a deep breath and then crashed his lips against hers again. His kisses grew more urgent, more heated, deepening to the point where Bela couldn't tell where she stopped and he began.

He moved his arms to her neck, the small of her back, the strip of skin exposed at the base of her sweater. As his grip slipped across her ribcage, Bela groaned against his mouth. She ran her hands from where she'd snaked them around his waist and slid them under the hem of his shirt. It was like her blood was aflame, pumping burning desire through her entire being.

His lips moved to her ear, nipping at her earlobe, then down to caress her neck, sucking softly at her pulse point, his hands brushed over her chest and he growled lightly.

Suddenly, Bela felt him tense.

"Haim?"

He pulled himself away, abruptly leaving her standing in the cold night air.

"Haim, don't-"

The look of devastation that Bela wore almost sent him back to her side. He could feel Tundra prowling below the surface, urging him to touch her, to hold her, kiss her - anything to lessen the pain they were both feeling. It was an irresistible pull, binding them together and the only relief was in her arms, but Hamish couldn't. He didn't deserve her salvation when he knew what it would do to her, how it could end. How it always ended.

"I can't," his voice shook. "I'm so sorry. I can't let myself-."

This time when he walked away, Bela didn't follow him.