Just for Tonight

44.

Migé woke them up both with a steaming bowl of coffee. He couldn't help noticing that they were holding hands in their sleep.

"Hello friends! Wake up!" Then he burst out laughing. Seeing Chloe again, and having seen the others the day before, had made him realize how much he had missed all his little world.

Ville opened his eyes and smiled to see that Chloe was struggling to emerge. Then he turned serious again, thinking about Raf's call. "Chlo ... coffee!", he exclaimed to wake her up.

"Thank you, guys", she mubbled.

"Someone is tired", Migé laughed as he looked at Ville.

Ville opened his hands : " Not guilty!" and Chloe smiled.

He told Migé the story of Raf's phone call in the early hours of the morning. Both looked at her in dismay.

"Who's that guy daring to talk to you like that?", Migé asked softly.

"I don't feel like talking about it. He's my boyfriend, and yes, he is short-tempered." Her voice was surprisingly calm and detached.

Mige grimaced. "You don't seem to dare talk to us about it. Chloe, we are here. We are your friends. If you have any problems, please talk. We'll find solutions. You can stay at my place as long as you like."

"Chlo... talk to us. What's going on isn't normal and, above all, it doesn't sound like you", Ville added. "And I'm really worried. Is he being violent with you?".

She seemed to hesitate for a moment.

"It's better for everyone if you stay out of it. I'll be fine. Thank you, Migé, for your offer to host me for longer, but I think, on the contrary, I'll see about an earlier flight, if, however, I can change my plane ticket."

Ville stood up abruptly, his jaw clenched. "As for me, I'm going to see Emy today. I've got some things to say to her."

Migé looked at each of them in turn, surprised. He could have sworn... but his friends were stubborn and there was nothing he could do about it.

"I'm going to take a shower", he announced to give them a little more time alone.

Ville approached her. She saw concern and anger in his eyes.

"Think twice", he said. "We're offering you the chance to stay here in Helsinki. At home."

"Thank you", she murmured. Then, suddenly, she put her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest. He hugged her gently to him, and smelled her hair. She still had that fruity scent and he felt the tears coming. He held her tighter.

"Stay", he said, overwhelmed.

"I've got nothing left here", she said, gently pulling herself free. "You have your life and I have mine."

"You are right, I'm going to clean up my life. That's why I'm going home today."

"So, you live together", she noticed simply.

"We do, Chlo."

"Ah. That's nice."

He looked at her intently. And if he opened up to her, maybe in return she would tell him about what she was going through over there.

"When I came back from the farewell tour, I had finally figured out the time you had asked me for. From the airport, I went straight to your place. Your apartment was for rent. I searched you in the city for weeks. Then Migé finally told me you were no longer in Finland, but in London. So I sold the Tower. To me, that place was meant for us. I bought a house not far from here. I found myself alone, except for Migé: you had all ... run away from me".

He stopped for a moment.

"Later, I met Emy. She's beautiful, she talks a lot and best of all, she's harmless."

Chloe tried to decipher his facial expression.

"I've given her everything. My house, my money, my body. I helped her make a name for herself in the fashion world."

He paused again. "But there's one thing I can't give her. My heart belongs to someone else."

He saw a tear roll down her cheek. He waited a moment, hoping she would open up to him. She took a deep breath.

"Your heart... I've mistreated it, Ville. I had this stupid little voice telling me it would be better if I disappeared. So I ran away, and it wasn't the first time. But coming back to Helsinki wasn't running far enough. So I went to London. I applied for a job as a journalist, and Raf interviewed me and finally hired me. He wooed me, bought me flowers, restaurants, made me feel at ease in a new town. When things got more serious between us, I saw and experienced his angry side. But I realized I didn't care. I wasn't deeply in love with him and in the end I probably deserved that anger, those threats. The price I had to pay for hurting you so much, for running away from you twice. My heart was locked".

She wiped her eyes and added, "until yesterday."

He approached her. Dangerously. He took her face in his hands and they locked eyes.

"Is it correct to say that Raf has real reason to be jealous of me?"

"And does Emy have any reason to be jealous of me?"

He smiled.  The flame still burned in her, her way of being and expressing herself still present.

"Do you mean you still have feelings for me?",  he asked.

"What about you?", she replied.

"I blamed you. I've been really angry with you. I really have. I've been screaming at you. I even thought I'd turned my love for you into hate. I'm not going to lie to you about that, Chlo. But what has always bound us together is an unconditional, all-encompassing love. The kind of love that only comes around once in a lifetime. If you're lucky enough".

He approached his lips to hers.

"Tell me to stop", he begged her.

Their lips touched softly.

"Stop", she forced herself to whisper.

He pulled painfully away from her.

"Ville, we're better than this. Than to cheat..." , she explained quickly.

"You're right, you're right. But once we're free ... ". He caressed her lips with his thumb.

"We will talk and maybe ... Ville, are you sure you'd be willing to give me another chance?". She couldn't believe it.

"As long as there is love", he replied simply.

"I don't deserve it. I don't even deserve that you still feel a single little thing for me. I've ruined everything." She hid her face in her hands.