her remedy

14

We stare at each other in equal disbelief for a moment. Michael gets up and says, "I should probably go."

I'm too shocked to say anything. My eyes go from Simon to Michael walking out and then to the floor. The all too familiar floor.

Simon sighs. "What are you doing here?" He says flatly.

"I got cold outside and knew you wouldn't be back until-"

"In Chicago, Adele. Why did you come to Chicago?" He interrupts, clearly holding back a lot of mixed emotions.

"I thought it would help heal our relationship if we were together again." I say softly, looking up to his face.

"Oh, so did you plan on making out with another guy too? Was that part of the whole thing? That will for sure get us back together, right?" He raises his voice.

My volume lowers and I answer, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for it to happen. I don't even-"

"You know something, Adele? I trusted you. I trusted that we would fix things when I got back. I just couldn't think about you until then. But you just ruined any chance of that ever happening."

"What I did wasn't wrong! We're not together right now, Simon! I can kiss whoever I want!" I scream, noticing that a few people are slowly gathering their things and leaving.

He shakes his head. "I told you that we would try again when I came back. Why would you even try to date someone if you knew I would be waiting patiently for you?"

"You told me you wanted to forget about me! You broke my heart so much that I flew here desperately wanting to see you. I've been terrified all day that you would avoid me the second you saw me. I cried the whole flight. And that kiss just happened in the moment. We both know I'll never see him again." I say, feeling tired of crying and arguing.

"He wanted to kiss you, Adele. And you let him. You wanted to kiss him just as much as he wanted to kiss you." He says as if he's just stating obvious facts.

"Of course I wanted to kiss him." I whisper to myself, just loud enough that he hears something.

"What was that?"

He walks closer to the table, towering over me. For the first time ever, I'm actually almost afraid of him.

"Of course I wanted to kiss him!" I yell, getting up from the chair and walking to the exit. "Of course I wanted to feel loved again!" I feel warm tears streaming down my face. I can't hold them back anymore.

Simon's own eyes look shiny as he looks into my face with a lost expression. He is silent for a while.
"When will you understand that I have always loved you? Even when I told you I wanted to forget about you?"

"If you truly loved me, you would never try to forget about me." My voice gives out when I say "forget."

When he doesn't respond, I realize he is crying. I've never seen him like this. He takes a deep breath and dries his own eyes. "I could never forget about you. I didn't even try to." His tone is serious.

"Then why did you ever say goodbye to me? Why did you even consider forgetting about me?"

"Because being away from you is the hardest thing I've ever done."

I stand there for a moment before I open the café door and slowly walk away. Before I do, I turn around look him straight in the eye.

"Simon, when will you ever understand how terrified I am of losing you?" We stare at each other for another moment before I leave the café and head towards his hotel.

I've made all the wrong decisions tonight and there's no going back.

*

I decided to get a hotel room by myself, and of course the room is on Simon's floor.

As I've done for the past two nights, I cry myself to sleep. It's for different reasons but it's for the same person.

The same person who has mended and broken my heart in ways it never has been before. The same person who has shown me what love is and who has given me the happiness I've always longed for. The same person who said they loved me with all their heart and then tried to forget about me.

I guess it's true that nothing good lasts forever.

*

"Miss?"

I snap out of my trance.

"Yes?"

"Your boarding pass, please."

I sigh and hand him the pass.

Just as I reach down to grab my carry-on bag, someone strong and warm runs into me from behind.

They place their arms around my waist as I turn around. I immediately recognize their familiar touch.

"Si-"

My words are interrupted as he collides his lips with mine. The moment is so surreal and passionate that I question if I am dreaming.

Security begins to run closer to him, so he pulls away and says, "I love you, Adele. With all my heart. Don't ever forget that. I'll see you soon."

Before I can even answer, he's being escorted away.

I stand there for a moment, stunned. Then I say to the now empty gate, "I love you too."

Reluctantly, I board the plane. Right before we take off, I receive a message from Simon.

It's the first one I've received since we broke up.

This love will last.

Scared and uncertain, I answer.

Promise?

He answers immediately.

I promise.