I coud never forget the way she looked that night.
We had met unexpectedly down an alley near the bar where I was working, where music is loud and alcohol plenty. I had first spotted her, giggling amongst a group of her friends. All had black hair color both long and short, each more beatiful than the rest. But none could ever compare to her.
Her, Ava
It had been three years since we last met, three long years of sorrow, pain and endless question of why? Who? And how? It was only in the near end of the third year I had began to move on, to forget.
Our eyes met, a brief clash of black and brown. I stopped breathing. She smiled modestly, and made the first move. She slowly walked towards me, carefully placing one of her foot in front of her after another.
"Sam", she purred into my ear as she came into ears length, "It's been so long."
I desperately tried to ingore her lavander dress inch up her thighs as she eased herself onto the barstool, the way her full lips seemed to glisten in the cheap flourscent, the her lashes fluttered as she spoke. She was just as captivating as she was three years ago.
The room suddenly seemed too hot, and I qucikly wiped my moist palms on my jeans, "Ava," I gritted stiffly.
"Oh Sam," she whispered, "Don't be like that, I've missed you."
I gritted my teeth and turned away at her words. The beer bottle finally found its way on my mout and I gratefully took a gulp. I took a deep breath. Play it cool, act unaffected, and maybe you'll be able to convince yourself. My consicence told me and my last voice of reason.
"How kind of you to drop by," my tone was light, almost too casual, "What brings you back?"
"Oh this and that," her tone changed from light to serious, "But mostly you."
My heart jolte at her last few words, but I refused to let it show. Instead, I finished my beer in one gulp and called for my friend Winston, who is also another bartender in th club, for another.
"Make that two," Ava said to the bartender, flashing me an alluring smile, "I'm sure Sam won't mind paying." She lifted a perfectly manicured hand and began stroking my arm. Winston look at me for confirmation, and feeling trapped, I gave a small grunt of approval. Ava smiled as the bartender moved away and leaned closer to me.
"Always a gentleman aren't you Sam?"
I took a deep breath, remembering a better time when she would also whisper the same words to me. But that was a different time, when I had mistaken the lustful of looks for love.Emotions I had pushed away for an agonizing five months all flooded back and at full force.
"Why Ava?" I gasped, desperately trying to keep the pleading out of my voice.
"I'm sorry Sam," she replied, her tone contradicting her words, "You were great and all but a girl like me is high in maintenance, and you know I'm not the working type. I couldn't possibly survive on your line of work." She stopped and for a moment, we stared at each other's eyes before I had to look away. I can't show her how hurt I am, not now, not ever. "The chemistry was great but the money wasn't," she finally spoke again, "And then I met John.."
John Strife - the handsome rich lawyer, with his confident smirk and smooth words. The name that haunted my dreams for months when she left me.
"... And he was great. We hit it off right away, and I could never see the right time to tell you, and I knew it would break your heart, so I tried to protect you.
I gulped down my beer as soon as it arrived, ignoring the way it burned my throat. "By leaving without a word?" I chuckled darkly, "Why are you back Ava? Wasn't John's money enough for you? I said furiously as my voice started to rise.
"Oh Sam...", she leaned to me closer, ignoring the shot of beer in front of her, "John and I are over now. I've realized how wrong I was, and I want to give us another shot."
My hear skipped a beat and my mind raced to comprehend her words. Hurriedly, I grab a shot of whiskey in front of Ava and gulped it down.
She still wanted me.
She smiled romantically. Leaning forward until her lips grazed my left ear, she murmured, "So what do you say?"
The rest of the night was blur to me. I don't remember exactly what hapened that night. I vaguely remembered driving back to my place with Ava on the passenger seat doing things what a couple would do. I felt happiness after three longing years. Happiness I've only shared with her.
And then there was nothing.
I woke up the next morning to a cold bed and a terrible hang over. I sat up, rubbing my eyes and spotted a card on the bedside cabinet. I cautiously went towards it, taking one uncertain steps after another.
It was probably the explanation why she wasn't here with me his very moment. She must have a good reason, I am sure of it. Impetuous faith, smirked the voice of reasn in my head, and i bitterly pusehd it away. There must be a good reason, surely.
I picked the card up with trembling hands, and with a deep breath, began to read the cursive words written in gold.
You have been invited to the wedding of
Ava Hill and John Strife
I let out a sob, almost dropping the card and missing the single word clumsily on the other side.
Sorry
It took me of what seemed like an eternity before I was able fathom what just happened. This was no different when she had left me three years ago only now she had left me a letter.
I tried to keep my composure. I need to be strong. I can't let I happen again. I just can't. I opened the cabinet where I had taken the card to get a beer. Instead of finding a beer, I found a picture of us smiling together.
"How can you break something that is already broken?" I asked myself, my voice quivering in pain and tears falling.
