Vanessa
The pavement was shimmering from a freshly fallen rain shower and the pink neon sign above the diner reflected off the puddles. Wordlessly, Matt shoved his hands in his pocket and shuffled his feet as he stared down at the ground. Finally, he glanced up at me, his expression unreadable. "What are you doing here?" He pondered. His tone wasn't accusatory, something more akin to curiosity.
I shrugged, the ache of having him right there in front of me but an invisible chasm separating us, squeezing my heart with a vice-like grip. Exhaling, I looked at him with trepidation for fear of being so vulnerable. "I wanted to see you," I admitted, my voice small. "I miss you."
He closed the gap between us, threading his fingers through mine. "V, I've missed you too but the whole reason why I ended our relationship was to eliminate your constant need to escape from New York and run back into my arms."
"I'm not escaping," I replied defensively. "I'm allowed to visit my friends and family on spring break."
He nodded, avoiding my glare as he wrapped his arms around his chest. "Sure, you are but..." He paused to sigh. "Vanessa, this break-up hasn't been easy on me either and I need you to hear me when I say, I don't want to see you. It's the only way to be able to make it through this."
"Then let's just get back together," I pleaded. My hands still laced with his, I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him, but he turned his head to avoid my lips. The peck landed on his cheek; the blank canvas painted with the sting of his rejection.
I cleared my throat, biting my tongue to clamp down on my anger. "Fine," I spat out, shoving my hands into the pockets of the denim jacket I wore. "If that's what you want then consider us done and over. I'm not going to wait around for you. I'm going to move on with somebody that knows what he has and will fight like hell to never let it go."
The muscle in his jaw twitched, the steel in his eyes matching the coldness of my words. "If losing you is what it takes for you to be happy," he began, his voice unwavering. "Then that's a sacrifice I have to make but don't ever accuse me of not knowing what I had."
"I would have battled a whole army to hold onto us!" I cried, swiping with the back of my sleeve the tears that pricked my eyes. "I was committed to this relationship no matter how tough the distance got. You're the one choosing to throw it all away. Remember that."
With a swivel of my boots, I stormed down the pavement, my golden cloud nine morphing into a tuft of grey that unleashed smattering drops of heartbreak down upon me in droves.
***
Matt
Groaning, I bent over the sink as I scrubbed at an endless pile of plates in a sink full of suds. It had been another grueling shift at the restaurant and the balls of my feet ached and the kink at the base of my spine radiated with fire. I was stretching my neck from side to side when a soft pair of hands came up from behind me and began kneading my shoulders.
"You look like you could use a massage," Aimee whispered sensually into my ear.
A soft moan dribbled from my lips upon her hitting a pressure point that relieved the tension shooting down my back. I leaned my head back against her forehead as she worked magic with her fingers. On a normal day, I wouldn't have allowed her to touch me with a ten-foot pole, but on that evening when all my muscles screamed, I was desperate enough for relief to have even allowed Scissorhands to give me a rubdown.
"What a rough night, huh?" she asked, trailing her fingertips from my shoulder blades down to my waist in a leisurely motion. "I can't remember the last time we were this slammed." Then guiding my hips, she turned me around to face her.
She gazed up at me, her green eyes sparkling with mischief. "I've been dying to ask you if you're single, but I'm terrified to know the answer. When Vanessa was here, she claimed you were her boyfriend but-"
"We broke up," I interjected.
Her sweeping touch on my chest stilled. "Oh? What happened?"
I took a step back, drying my hands on a dish rag and focusing on the stacks of dishes that still needed to be put away. "Nothing that you need to concern yourself with," I muttered.
She gave me a knowing smile, pulling her vibrant locks back into a ponytail. "You're not over her," she observed. "You instantly got this mopey expression on your face when I mentioned her name."
"Aimee, it really is none of your business." I grabbed a cup, buffing out the water spots with a towel but she surprised me by grabbing hold of my shirt collar and yanking me back around.
The glass dropped to the floor with a shatter as I gasped. "Matt, a word of advice when it comes to relationships; the easiest way to move on from someone is with somebody else."
I opened my mouth to protest but she silenced me by pressing her lips against mine and inserting her tongue into the gap my words never got the chance to make it out of. She tasted of bubblegum flavored lip balm and spearmint.
Her mouth was foreign meshed with my own and I knew it was because Vanessa's was the one that felt like home. But even so, I still sought solace in the unknown. Throwing myself into the lip lock, I placed my hands on either side of her face.
Matt, have you lost your mind? This is Aimee. If you let her sink her hooks into you, she will never let you go. Abort! Abort! My brain screamed at me to cease and desist but my body cheered me on from the bleachers.
So, I did the completely irrational thing and gripped her waist, placing her atop the counter. My fingers flew to undo the buttons of her blouse as her hands made quick work of untucking the top from her trousers. Then nudging the starched fabric off her shoulders, I planted kisses across her creamy collarbone.
Her chest heaved at my touch, and she titled her head back, opening her neck up to me. "I've been fantasizing about feeling your mouth on me again." She lowered her gaze, her eyes swirling with lust. "Have you been dreaming about mine?"
"Uh-huh," I muttered, cupping her breast with one hand as I sucked at an exposed nipple. I hadn't.
"I'm so glad that you and Vanessa decided to end things," she whispered. "You have no idea how badly I want you to fuck me."
I stilled at the mention of my ex=girlfriend's name. Vanessa. Of course. How could I forget her for even one second? The one that I was so deeply and passionately in love with. The one that I yearned to spend my life with. The one that would never come back to me if she knew that I had sex with Aimee right after we broke up.
Pulling away, I dragged my hand down my chin and stared at Aimee. "What's wrong," she questioned, furrowing her brows.
I shook my head. "Aimee, I'm sorry but I can't do this."
She let out a loud sigh, haughtily buttoning her shirt back up. "And why not?" she asked with annoyance in her tone.
I gave her a long look. "You know why."
"Aargh," she growled. "You two aren't even together anymore."
I shrugged, a slow smile tugging at my lips. "I love her, Aimee. She's the one."