Look at the stars, look how they shine for you

And everything you do

-Coldplay

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Bonnie stood far from the maddening crowd, observing them like an anthropologist would study the wild behaviours of a barbaric tribe.

The yacht was swarming with philanthropists, patrons of the arts skittering round the deck and dancing under the glittering swirl of voltaic yellow lights draped around the boat. A stir of vertigo crept up in Bonnie again as the yacht tread water. She latched on to a chrome brass railing peering over the water to where the lights danced on the river's surface.

"Hey, are you ok?"

Bonnie glanced back at the blonde, she could feel the urgent heat in her cheeks as bile sprang up her throat.

"Hmm" she responded grabbing the woman's champagne glass and knocking it back in one long glug.

Gasping, Bonnie wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Thanks, I needed that" she said between coughs.

"You're welcome?" she cocked an eyebrow observing a flustered Bonnie.

"I can't stand boats"

"You're Kol's girlfriend right?"

The rapid change in topic threw her off guard and she found herself nodding vehemently between short gasps.

"Yeah, I'm Bonnie" she finally introduced herself offering the peaches and cream blonde a weak handshake.

"Caroline, nice to officially meet you"

"Same here, you work with Kol right?"

Bonnie remembered seeing the girl a few times carting Kol around or getting him coffee during rehearsals.

"Yep, He's brilliant at what he does" grinning, she draped her flaxen hair over one shoulder and turned her head to look at Kol.

"Yeah, that he is" Bonnie swallowed hard, her spine tingling as her eyes trailed Caroline's dazzling sapphire eyes. They both watched Kol, head thrown back in a pulsating laugh as he stood in the middle of the circle his colleagues had formed, directing his hands in conversation.

He looked alive. He looked happy.

Bonnie didn't talk to Kol for a while, save for the occasional wave from across the bustling deck and she was growing restless. She loathed the pretentious conversations about the rapture of Rachmaninoff's concerto or Beethoven fifth symphony as she ambled her way past the waiters. She snatched a number of sparkling silver champagne glasses and knocked them back with the fluidity of a Russian ballerina.

"There you are darling"

Kol found her by the orchestra drowning in their strained violin chords attempting to drown out the crowd. He looked clean and freshly shaven in a black tuxedo that framed him beautifully. Bonnie let her eyes wander over his form for a moment recalling everything about the day they had met in person, smack bang in the middle of the cheesiest place in Manhattan, the Empire State building.

"Hey handsome" she teased sensing the flush in his cheek s as it spread to his ears.

"I love it when you call me that"

Kol lowered his mouth to the curve of her neck; she swayed to the warmth of his body and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders.

"I miss you" she whimpered hearing the slight hitch in her own voice as his hands quested to the dip of her exposed spine.

"Hmm…" moaning along the side of her delicate neck, he pressed himself closer to her and the sensation played a teasing tug with her groin.

"I'm bored, when does this shindig end?" Bonnie breathed feeling the air vibrate around them. She felt him pause, his hands fixed around her hips.

Kol pulled back, his dark eyes narrowed "Why do you do that?" he asked softly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Why do you mock my world, my people?" he let go of her now, stumbling back toward the sparkling chrome railings.

"Your people?" she shook her head still flustered with the spell he had cast on her aching groin.

"This is what artist must do Bonnie" he said gesturing with the sweep of his hand to the raucous crowd.

"Right, artist must sell out" her brow furled as she studied him, this version of Kol.

"You don't need to be here, ""if it's such a torturous exercise for you to smile and engage with people then-"he raised his voice, pointing firmly at her.

"I'm here to support you, Kol" Bonnie interrupted with a shrill rasp of her own, giving as much as she had taken from him "I have to be here, isn't that part of my job description?"

"Every-single-thing- in my life has been about supporting Kol" she felt the throbbing vein on the side of her neck engorge with rushing blood as her hands balled up at her sides "Cooking for Kol, pouring drinks for Kol, listening to Kol…"

"I moved to a different city for you!" everything was wheezing around her, a violent heat pulsating through her nerves. "I left my friends for you, here in Seattle I have nothing and no one but you"

"So now I can't complain about this shitty life?" she screamed, jabbing a finger to his chest "This fucking shitty weather?"

"I just have to shuffle and jive and play happy home?"

Kol's eyes did not lose their intensity, his jaw tensed and then he spoke, gently in a barely audible whisper "I have to go, I have to go back to those people and in a few weeks I have to perform for those people."

"I'm trying to be an adult here Bonnie"

"When did you change? When did you become this person, this Kol?"

"No more reckless behaviour" he shook his head not listening, not looking at her.

"When did you change?"

"When did you change?" Kol shot back glaring at her with darkened eyes, his temples pulsing.

"I never saw it, I never noticed" Bonnie jerked back, her throat tightening to the onslaught of things she was feeling. This unsaid and things bottled up since they left NewYork.

"I'm trying to be an adult"

Bonnie's nostrils spayed, her lips curled in disgust and burning contempt "I never noticed. You've changed…so much"

"Seattle has to be different for me"

"When did you change?"

"I have to go"

"Kol" her lips quivered as she watched him dip and fade like the flickering lights of will-o'-the-wisp. Her head spun and her knees shook climbing down to the waiting motorboats swaying in the water next to the yacht. Bonnie watched the dazzling amber lights from the yacht as the motorboat carved through icy water, a cold spray soaking her coifed hair. She sputtered and shook the wet hair plastered on her face.

Now, she really had no one in Seattle.

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