The light hit her eyes, causing her to blink repeatedly as she awoke to the world. Recalling the night before as she took in the unfamiliar room, Hilary smiled. The weight shifted on the other side of the bed before she felt light kisses trailing up her bare shoulder, onto her neck and settling, open-mouthed under her ear.

"Good morning," she said, rolling to face Kai as he leaned over her.

Freshly showered with a towel wrapped around his waist, he looked like something from her dreams. "It's better now," he said before closing in and taking her lower lip between his own. He continued his efforts, settling over her while her hands worked their way into his hair.

She giggled as his kisses traveled from her lips back down her neck. "Don't you have a meeting?"

"I have a few minutes,"

"We both know that if we get started, it won't be a few minutes,"

Kai stopped, his face reappearing in her view. She'd never seen him look so...happy. His fingers had found a section of her hair and were now twirling it in spirals.

"I have a few hours after my meeting," he said, "do you want to get a late lunch?"

Hilary motioned for him to move so that she could sit up. Bringing the sheet with her, she leaned against the headboard. "I would love to, but I have classes all afternoon. Can we do dinner?"

"I have another meeting back in Japan. I have to leave by five."

"Oh," Hilary didn't know why she was surprised. He did say he was only here for a meeting and then he was flying back right away. Still, she could feel her heart breaking.

The reality of their situation was dawning on him as well as he stood up from the bed. Silently, he walked over to his closet where a fresh suit hung

"I should take a shower," Hilary mumbled, eager to be out of his line of sight if only so he didn't see how upset she was. She could already feel him pulling back and after a night where she'd finally allowed herself to open to him again, she couldn't take it.

All her work, years of pretending she found other boys interesting, that she could settle for someone else, be happy with someone else, undone in a single night of fantasy.

She showered quickly, concealing herself in a soft towel so that she could go around and collect her scattered belongings. She hoped Kai had already left so that she could save a shard of dignity.

He hadn't. Now fully dressed in a gray suit that did wonders for his hair, Kai sat at the table near the large windows, egg omelet and coffee in front of him while he read from his phone.

"I ordered a plate for you too," he said without looking at her.

"Thanks," Hilary grabbed her items off the floor. She couldn't be rude to him – they shared fault for the circumstances they found themselves in. They had one night and then back to reality.

Dressed in yesterday's clothes, Hilary joined him at the table. Her eggs were slightly cold, but the view of the city made up for it. "It's beautiful up here,"

Kai nodded, looking outside.

After sitting in silence for too long, Hilary put her fork down. "Okay. We're adults. And we've been friends forever,"

He turned to her; his eyebrow arched at her announcement.

"So, we can go back to being friends and put this behind us. No one needs to know."

Kai cleared his throat, putting the phone away in his jacket's chest pocket. Hilary's eyes followed as he stood and buttoned his jacket. He leaned down until he was just next to her ear.

"There is no going back, Hilary," he whispered, pulling away so that their eyes were at an even level. His eyes dipped, just for a moment, to her lips which were slightly open as she studied him. Swooping in, he stole a final kiss.

She gasped as he stood up again and started walking towards the door, pausing only to grab his briefcase. "I have the room booked for the rest of the day. Stay as long as you'd like and feel free order more food if you need,"

Hilary sat in the chair after he was gone, fingers playing with her lips as if she could recreate the feeling that he brought. Lost in thought, she began to see the various ways this could play out for them. And has he walked farther away, a feeling of hopelessness began to bloom.

Hello again. Thank you to all the lovely readers. Your words make my day.

Konix