Your Love Is Standing Next To Me

Chapter 27 - Stop the world

"Why can't we stay like this forever?" I contemplated the beauty of the moment.

My rhetorical question made Alex smile innocently.

I was sitting on the quay, barefoot, cuddled into Alex's arms. From time to time, he would lean his head and nuzzle his nose into my hair or kiss my forehead. My head was lying carelessly on his shoulder while we were looking at the stars, at the boats on the Seine, at the city and drinking some old red wine.

Everything was perfect, the combination between the dark of the night and the bright city lights, the smell of the Seine and Alex's sweet scent, the soft dizziness from the wine, the sound of some street musicians playing old French songs on cellos in the background, the warm breeze touching my skin, the tranquility of our bodies.

"Marie, I don't want this moment to ever end..."

"Nor do I, Al..."

If only time could stop! If only I could capture the savour of the moment, put it in a small perfume bottle and smell it every time I wanted to remind myself what love meant.

Suddenly, Alex got up and helped me to my feet. I stepped barefoot on the hot pavement and looked into his eyes in a demanding way.

Alex looked agitated, nervous and I couldn't understand why. I figured out immediately that he wanted to tell me something and, judging from his anxiousness, it was something that could possibly go wrong.

I understood immediately. He wanted to break up with me. The trip to Paris was meant to be the last present he gave me. But how were we supposed to tour together again? My band had to do the opening act every night for his.

***

Alex took my hands in his and avoided looking at me. He was too embarrassed to do it. I fixed my look on the shoreline, trying to calm down and hide the tears which started to shed from my teary eyes.

"Marie..."

I didn't turn my head. I didn't want it to happen, I couldn't just let him go! And I didn't want to look him in the eye when he told me something like "I need space", "time to think, to size things up, to make a decision". I knew what those things meant. I just couldn't.

'Be ready for pain, girl!' a voice inside my head announced.

I had to be strong. I should've known that this time would come. Nothing is forever. Better now than later, right? I tried to encourage myself not to burst into tears. It was ok. I knew it was too beautiful to be real, I had to go back to my shitty boring university life.

"Marie... All the time spent with you has been a blessing. From the very first moment when I saw your face that night in London, I knew you were the one. The one I'd never be able to forget. Then..."

"Alex! Say it straight!" I ordered with tears in my eyes, knowing what he was going to say.

'Please don't try make me feel better! A breakup is a breakup!' I wanted to add.

"Marie... Look at me!"

He was holding my hands firmly. I turned my head and opened my eyes. I froze.

Alex was knelt down on one knee in front of me.

I couldn't breathe anymore, my head was spinning at the speed of light and my feet were betraying me. I felt like collapsing in the water.

"Marie, I know we've only been together for... I don't know... Four months or so... But I feel that you're my soulmate... You can cheer me up instantly when I'm sad, you can make me laugh until I can't breathe. I, I want to spend the rest of my life with you... And I know that we'll be able to handle anything together! I love you so much and I want you to, you know, be... My wife...?"