It was over. The moment his lips touched hers she knew. After six exquisite months, the relationship was abruptly and decidedly over. The fact pressed against her forehead and made it ache. Perhaps subconsciously she had known for weeks, but she had needed this kiss to force her to accept the reality.
She had plotted and waited for the time when they could steal a moment alone. They had been apart for two months and she had been back on the island for two weeks; but the timing had never been quite right. Now they were finally alone.
He did all the right things. He pulled her into his arms, pressed his lips to hers. His tongue probed her open mouth, just as she remembered and his hands moved around her waist and wandered to all the right places.
But it was all a farce. His lips were firm but distracted. She could tell that they had become accustomed to kissing another’s lips while she had been away. They were just accommodating hers. His tongue moved mechanically, not with the abandonment of someone who had not been kissed in ten weeks. She felt herself pulling back, retreating mentally, then physically.
She stepped away and slapped him. The smack resounded loudly and she recoiled as if she had been slapped as well. They were both shocked by her action. Their eyes met as they recognized the irony of the slap. When they first started dating, when they needed only each other, he had wanted to kiss her in public and she had promised to slap him if he did, if only to save her reputation. Now, she was actually carrying out her threat, but with no one looking on.
“I wanted to tell you,” he said, gently fingering his cheek where she had hit him.
“What, that it was nice while it lasted, but it’s time to move on?” she spat.
“It’s just that … you know … I have a family, you have a family. This is just too hard. I can’t afford to get caught and neither can you. I had to let you go.” He paused, dropped his voice and almost managed to look sincere. “It is the hardest thing I have ever done.”
“Seems to me like it was pretty easy.” She lowered her voice as well, resignedly. “You didn’t even have the decency to tell me it’s over. After all that we had together.” She stopped, thinking about this hotel room they were in together and her hopes that were now dashed. She felt her anger building again. “And you brought me in here for what? To kiss me, hoping to fake it until I left again so you can carry on with whoever the new flavor is?”
“It’s not like that. Calm down,” he said in a conciliatory tone, “You know you meant the world to me. I still love you.” He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and reached for his lighter.
“Don’t smoke in here. Get out! Get out of my face, out of my life!” she shouted. She felt a strong desire to throw something.
He must have seen the venom in her eyes. He left the room hastily without another word.
“Don’t smoke in here,” she repeated softly to the closed door, placing her hands on her belly, “you might hurt our baby.”