*Flashback*
Opening my eyes as the early morning sun shone through the open curtains in the hotel room, I turned my head and smiled at the figure laying next to me in bed. I felt the cool sea breeze blow through the open patio doors as the thin linen sheet covering us had slipped down my bare back. I watched him as he slept peacefully next to me and smiled as I thought about how we’d spent the past week. I never imagined that I’d meet someone like him on this tropical Island and that we’d spend the entire week together, mostly in one of our hotel rooms. This was the first holiday I’d ever taken on my own but not by choice, this was supposed to have been my honeymoon. My fiancé, however, had other ideas and called off the wedding three weeks ago.
My friends convinced me not to cancel the hotel or flights and to come here on my own and get away from everything. I reluctantly agreed, adamant that I wouldn’t enjoy myself but wanting them to stop lecturing me.
Then I meet him.
He was incredibly funny and wasn’t bad looking either, we got on so well it was like we’d known each other our entire lives. He made me forget about how depressed I felt about being ditched before my own wedding and for the first time in a long time, I was happy.
Still all good things must eventually come to an end. I hadn’t told him that I was flying home this afternoon, I hated goodbyes and I knew that under different circumstances I wouldn’t do what I was about to do. Sighing quietly to myself I gently climbed out of his bed and grabbed my discarded clothes, scurrying into the bathroom as quietly as possible not wanting to wake him from his slumber. I pulled my messy hair up into a high pony tail and walked back into his bedroom fully dressed in last night‘s clothes. I leant on the door frame as I watched him sleep, taking in his features, his once neatly styled hair was now messed up and sticking up from every angle possible.
There was a faint smile on his slightly parted lips and I longed to press mine against them one last time. His bare chest rose and fell slowly with every slow breath he took, the sheet had been pushed further down his chest and had now gathered at the bottom of his stomach. Smiling to myself I tiptoed over towards him and softly brushed my lips against his for the last time.
I folded the carefully written note I had in my hand and left it on the pillow next to him. This wasn’t how I wanted to end things but I knew that us parting ways was inevitable, after all, this past week was nothing more than a summer romance, a summer fling. We’d probably never see each other again after we returned to our respective homes and I knew that from the moment we met.
I tried to remind myself everyday that eventually I’d have to leave and forget all about him but it still didn’t prepare me for how hard leaving him like this was. Had we met under different circumstances I knew I could have fallen in love with him quite easily but that wasn’t how things would end for us. Our summer love was coming to an end and I had to go back home, back to my life and away from him.
I quickly and quietly walked out of his room and back to my own, glad that I’d packed my bags the night before. I took one last look around my empty hotel room, making sure I hadn’t forgotten anything and then left for the airport. I knew I’d never see him again.
*End of Flashback*
8 months later…
I walked out into the hot summer sun and headed to the park opposite my new apartment. After my last failed relationship I needed a change of scenery. So when a transfer opened up within my company in Dublin, I jumped at the opportunity. That was two months ago now.
I smiled as the hot sun shone down, it was a beautiful June afternoon and as I arrived at the park it seemed everyone had the same idea as me
Slipping my sandals off I walked across the luscious green grass until I reached a quieter part of the park. I took out the beach towel from my bag and laid it out under the partial shade of a large tree. I made myself comfortable on the towel and pulled a book out of my bag. I sat there for a while, reading and just listening to the laughter of people around me enjoying the sunshine.
“Still reading biographies then?” A voice asked, the voice was strangely familiar and I felt my heart rate quicken as I slowly looked up.
I couldn’t make out his face and I squinted as the sun shone brightly in my eyes behind him. I didn’t need to see him to know who it was, he hadn’t left my thoughts for the past 8 months and deep down I knew that my move to Ireland was partly because I lived in the hope that someday I might bump into him again. And now here he was.
“…” Saying his name again made my legs feel weak as I slowly got to my feet.
He stood in front of me, holding a football under his arm with his t-shirt carelessly tucked into the side of his shorts and his bare chest on display. His hair wasn’t styled as it usually was and it was slightly messed up from the game of football he’d obviously been playing.
turned around as he heard his friends calling his name so they could carry on playing, he threw the ball towards them and turned back to face me.
“You remember my name then?” He asked, the bitter tone in his voice didn’t go unnoticed.
I nodded my head and avoided his icy stare, “Of course I do, how could I forget you?” I always wondered about how he’d reacted after receiving my note and finding out that I’d gone back home, did he care?
“Could’ve fooled me…the way you left me in that hotel room, nothing but a fucking note to explain where you’d gone. No phone number, no address…nothing” The anger was clear in his voice as his eyes burned into me.
I still refused to look directly into his steely gaze knowing that what I felt for him wouldn’t be returned. “I’m really sorry but we both knew that it would end eventually. It was just a bit of fun” I told him with a small shrug of my shoulders.
“Was that all it was to you, ? A bit of fun?” He asked, his voice had softened now and he sounded a little hurt by my words.
I wasn’t expecting that reaction from him, “Wasn’t it?” I asked, confused at his reaction.
I’d always assumed that for him the week we spent together was nothing more than a fling and that I would be forgotten about as soon as he returned home. That week spent with him had been one of the best of my life and I didn’t want to admit that in case he didn’t feel the same, I couldn’t bare another rejection. So I tried to carry on as if I didn’t have feelings for him, that I didn’t think about him everyday and that I didn’t miss him like crazy.
We both remained silent and I still refused to look directly at him, “Did it mean anything to you?” He asked, his tone was quiet and a little vulnerable.
When I failed to answer his question he inched forward and tilted my face upwards to look at him. I looked into his eyes and saw my own feelings reflected in them, “Look at me and tell me it meant nothing to you, I know you felt something. We both did” He said forcing me to look into his eyes.
“It meant something to me…” I admitted, my voice was barely a whisper and I wasn’t even sure he’d heard me until I saw him smile slightly.
His hands found their way to my waist and before I could say anything else I felt his lips on mine, softly at first as we both savoured the feeling of being with each other again. I felt his lips part slowly as he deepened the kiss, it felt like we’d never been apart and I realised exactly how much I’d missed him. Pulling away breathlessly we both smiled at each other as he rested his forehead against mine.
“I knew I’d find you again” He smiled, placing another soft kiss onto my lips.
I let out a small laugh and lowered my gaze as I blushed, “You were part of the reason I moved here, I always hoped that I’d see you again”
let out a sigh and pulled out of my embrace, “It’s a shame that I’m not single…”
My face fell as I heard the words he’d said, I stood open mouthed for a few seconds trying to find something to say when I saw the smirk on his face as he started laughing at me, “I was joking” He smiled, pecking my lips with his.
“I hate you…” I sulked trying not to smile at his cheeky lopsided grin.
“No you don’t” He smiled confidently before pressing his lips firmly against mine again.
I can’t wait to fall in love with you,
You can’t wait to fall in love with me.
This just can’t be summer love.
