The Last Dance

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The ballroom was empty, everyone else had long since retired back home. But Thomas hadn't been able to bring himself to leave, he sat at an empty table, a glass of whiskey in his hand. He wasn't sure why he felt so compelled to stay, the lights were dim and everyone was gone. The deserted room did nothing for him and yet for the past fifteen minutes, he couldn't bring himself to leave.

He took a sip of the whiskey, the liquid leaving a burning sensation as it traveled down his throat. A sigh escaped his lips, he set the glass down, deciding that it was probably best to leave now before he ended up drunk. He collected his tuxedo jacket hanging on the back of his chair.

"Thomas," He turned around at the sound of her voice, he knew that voice, God that voice haunted his dreams and nightmares.

She stepped out of the shadows, her silhouette slowly becoming a full figure. A small bitter smile formed on his lips. "Angelica, shouldn't you be off on your honeymoon?"

She made her way to him, the long white gown billowing at her feet. "John got called into the hospital for a last-minute surgery."

Thomas rolled his eyes, "already putting the job before you I see."

Angelica narrowed her eyes at him, "not like you were any different." She smirked, "least he managed to put a ring on my finger." She held her hand out, the diamond ring on her finger glimmering.

Thomas gave a quiet laugh that echoed through the empty ballroom. "I would have."

Angelica's eyebrows furrowed, a frown gracing her features. "You would have what?" She asked, though Thomas had a feeling she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Married you, if you had given me the chance."

"You had five years," she said softly.

He couldn't argue with that, for five years he had her all to himself and for some reason, he could never bring himself to get on one knee and propose. He had loved her and really only saw himself ever getting married to her, but he had let her slip away.

And now here they were, Angelica married to another man and Thomas still hopelessly in love with her. He didn't think he had ever witnessed a more pathetic love story in his life.

"Would you have said yes?"

"Yes," she answered without hesitation. "I loved you, I still do... but John proposed."

It was like a steak knife being driven through his heart, he could have had her, he could have ended up happily married to her.

"I get it," Thomas said because he did, he got the need for stability, stability that he hadn't offered to her, he got it. Didn't make it hurt any less, but she was happy and he supposed that was what truly mattered.

She was happy. Something he would have to remind himself for days to come.

"I'm sorry."

Thomas took a step towards her, closing the space between them. "No need to apologize."

Angelica looked up at him, her doe eyes as entrancing as the day they first met. He could get lost in the warm brown of her eyes for days, there was something about them, something that had this strange but welcome hold on him.

Her eyes, he would miss staring into them, he would miss being able to get lost in them.

Thomas's hand found hers, hovering above it as he decided if closing his hand around hers was a good idea. He didn't have to think much longer, Angelica took it upon herself to link their fingers together.

He leaned in, far closer than what was appropriate, but Angelica didn't even blink. So he stayed where he was. "How about a dance? Our final goodbye."

Angelica smiled, "Thomas we live in the same town, work in the same hospital, I don't think we'll be saying goodbye to each other anytime soon."

"That's not what I mean," He replied. "But you know that."

"I suppose I do."

Thomas stepped back, guiding her to the dance floor, kicking up streamers as they went. He pulled her to the middle of the dance floor, standing on top of a red bleeding heart painted in the center of the white tile.

"I don't recall agreeing to this dance," Angelica smiled.

"Well?"

"Fine, one last dance," Angelica said and Thomas grinned.

He pulled her closer to him, resting his hands on her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck. It felt good to hold her again, hold her this close to his heart.

"You do realize there is no music?" Angelica questioned with a faint laugh.

"Imagine," He simply said.

And they did, they swayed side to side, bodies close and in sync. Angelica nestled her head into the crook of his neck. Thomas pressed a kiss to her hair, his lips lingering, the smell of her perfume flooding his nostrils.

It felt good.

This was their last goodbye, to their relationship, to their love. They would walk the same halls of the same hospital, they would attend the same charity galas, and they would even go to the same birthday parties because they shared friends(they had once shared much more). But there wasn't a them anymore and tonight they would close that chapter of their life, this would be the end of their storybook.

Not a happy ending by any means, but then again when was real life ever.

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