PROMISE

THREE: We're Strangers

AMANDA

TO SAY I was shocked would have been an understatement of the century. We both stood there unmoving, gaping holes through each other. Millions of emotions flittered across my face as l stared into the eyes of the man l had loved nearly all my life. Judging by the expression on his face, he was experiencing the same emotions l was.

Grief flashed in his eyes before he quickly recovered and stared back in stark shock. He quickly recovered and maintained an impassive expression. To see that my presence didn't delight him in the least was like a dagger to my gut. It stung so much.

"Amanda l..." He cut off mid-speech by my outstretched hand. I schooled my features to seem like being near him after all this time didn't kill me on the inside.

"Nice to meet you Doctor Kyle. Samantha speaks so highly of you. I look forward to working and learning under you." There had been a lot of things I wished to do from under him once.

I swallowed down the bile rising in my chest. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second as he glanced from my hand still outstretched to my face.

"Likewise." Was his curt response as his eyes roamed my face.

He seemed confused and unsure by how to proceed for a minute. His eyes never left mine as his warm firm hand wrapped around mine in a touch so familiar l nearly sobbed. For the first time in a long time l felt at peace. Troubled, heartbroken but at peace.

"If l didn't know any better l would say you two know each other from somewhere. You could cut the tension in here with a knife." Samantha chuckled reminding us of her presence. During my heart breaking encounter with Kyle, it had completely slipped my mind that we weren't alone.

"The thing is..." Kyle started to say and l cut him off

"No, no. This is the first time we are meeting." I ignored his widened eyes imploring me to tell the truth.

"We're strangers." His jaw jumped when he realised what l was doing. Kyle had wiped me from his life, it was time for me to do the same. I was going to pretend I didn't care about him until he begged me to stop.

"Yes. We've never met." My impassive face was still intact but hearing those words from him hurt. I said them but that didn't mean he had to agreee with me.

"Now if you will excuse me, l have to get to an urgent meeting. I am already..." She checked her watch.

"Fifteen minutes late. Great. I would love to stay and tell you more about the hospital but you are in capable hands. Doctor G will show you everything you need to know." With that she exited the office leaving me with Kyle.

We both stood there either of us knowing what to say. Finaly Kyle broke the silence.

"How have you been?" He asked me.

"What do you...mean?" I sighed at the absurd question, exasperated. Pulling my hair and screaming my voice away didn't seem like the best idea for my first day.

"How have l been?"

I stared at him in disbelief then blinked at his incredulous question. He couldn't have been serious. It had to be a trick question right? Was he joking? He had to be. I asked him that.