New Year's Eve

CHAPTER 8

Helena

I woke up about twenty minutes ago, but I'm still lying there with my eyes closed. I feel that the bed next to me is empty. At first I think that Marcel has just left, having gotten his way. But when I hear the sound of water in the bathroom, I calm down a little. Just a little, because another fear arises. How do I act around him now? Last night was beautiful, even more than beautiful. But that doesn't change the fact that we acted recklessly. I was reckless. What will Marcel do when he gets out of the shower? Will he thank me for the sex and leave, or will he want to stay? To be honest, I was scared of both options.

Just the thought of him leaving made me cringe painfully. I had never felt so happy in my life. In just one night, Marcel Lambert managed to turn my whole world upside down.

Before, I did not believe in love at first sight, fate, kinship, and other nonsense. But meeting Marcel made me doubt myself. I could literally physically feel our souls intertwining with each other in moments of passion. And when we looked into each other's eyes, it seemed as if we understood everything without words. This amazing and unusual connection with a person happens once in a lifetime. And it doesn't matter how long you've known each other: ten minutes, ten hours, or ten years. You can't fake it or not recognize it. And most importantly, once you feel that connection with someone, you won't want anyone else.

I hear the water in the shower subside, and five minutes later a man sits on the edge of the bed next to me.

"It's time to get up, ma chérie", he put his hand between my shoulder blades and gently stroked my skin.

"I'm on vacation, and I can sleep as long as I want", I groaned as I said those words. His caressing touch makes my stomach swarm with butterflies.

"I'd love to stay in bed with you all day long, Marshmallow", he leaned over and said softly in my ear, "But unfortunately, we have other plans."

I turn over on my back, so I can see his face.

"We?"

"Before I arrived, I arranged to meet some friends", the guy explains.

"Okay", he leaves after all, "I don't want to keep you."

"In that case, get out of bed", he smiles, "Because you're coming with me."

"With you? Why?", I assume a sitting position, and find myself face to face with Marcel.

Too close. It's crazy. His hair is still wet from the shower, and his body is only covered by a single towel. Desire is a fiery arrow coursing through my body. I look down at his lips, feeling the urge to touch them. And before Marcel can answer, I kiss him. Lambert responds to me with double fervor. And for a while we disappear into each other. We're lost in mad passion without a trace. The space is filled with our moans and ragged breathing. And at that moment, everything else is forgotten.

A few hours later we do leave my room and head to meet Marcel's friends. He introduces me as his girlfriend. I can't explain why, but it makes me incredibly happy. The day goes by in a fun and relaxed way. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I'm afraid to even imagine that our meeting might not have happened.

When dusk falls on the mountain, Marcel takes me to his apartment. I don't think about resisting. I don't want to part with him. And we don't part for a minute for the next week.

We wake up and go to sleep together. And at night, we have unbridled, violent passion. Each time it's even better, even more beautiful. His kisses are maddening. It makes you forget everything. Forget that soon this fairy tale will end and have to return to a terrible reality.

Trying to enjoy every second with him. During our walks in the city, where Marcel talks about Paris and its history. During dinners, where he introduces me to French cuisine. Every day I learn something new and fall even more in love with the city. I fall even more in love with Marseille. It's so strange. We've only spent a week together, but it feels like a lifetime.

It turns out that a person needs so little to be happy. And how often we're wrong about what can make us happy. Not so long ago, I thought that to be happy you had to have a successful career, great looks and many more unnecessary items on a long list. Now I realize that to be happy, you need someone who can make you feel that way. The rest is totally unimportant.

But the more time I spend with Marcel, the clearer I realize that the end is inevitable. Today is the last day of the outgoing year, and then it's over. I don't know how much longer Marcel will be in town, but soon he'll have to leave. And I still haven't decided what to do with my life. Since my divorce from Fred, I've been a wreck all this time. And now I realize that when Marcel leaves, I will feel even worse.

As if to confirm my thoughts, I hear Marcelle's muffled voice from the other room. I get closer to the door, and he's on the phone. I shouldn't be eavesdropping, but I can't help myself.

"Yes, yes, Marie, I've already booked a ticket for the night of the first", he says to his sister, and his words plunge sharp knives into my heart, "And I remember that I promised to spend tonight with you. I am very ashamed that we have hardly seen each other."

He is silent for a while, and then answers with a laugh:

"You're in your repertoire as usual, Sister. That's it, I'm going to go pack. And yes, I'm not spending New Year's Eve with you. I want to be with Helena one last time."

One last time. Those words echo in my head. I realize what a big mistake I made letting a guy into my life.