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how long this has been going
on."
    "Don't think about it," she
said.
    We sat there in silence for a few
minutes.
    "What time is it there?" she
asked.
    I pulled the phone away from my
ear and looked. "It's three' o clock. What time is it
there?"
    "It's nine in the morning. Are you
going to be okay?"
    "Yeah. I think I'll take a shower
and grab some food." I sucked in another deep breath and exhaled
slowly.
    "Alright. Well if you need me, I'm
only a phone call away. Okay? I love you," she said.
    "Love you, too. Thank you. I'll be
home soon. I'll check flights once I get back."
    We said our goodbyes; I set the
phone down on the bed and lay there for a moment.
    I undressed, got in the shower,
and stood there, allowing the hot water to scald my skin. It
burned. It hurt, but it made me feel alive. Everything seemed to
happen too fast, and I couldn't quite wrap my head around it. The
man I’d loved at one time wasn't the man I saw today fucking Maria.
That bastard. I didn't realize that something like this would make
me feel so empty, but I supposed that would happen after being with
someone for over seven years.
    I stepped out of the shower and
dried my body, then slipped on a pair of skinny jeans and a shirt
that showed the right amount of cleavage. After I tucked my hair
behind my ears, I applied mascara and pressed my ruby lips
together. I looked down at my hand, removed the diamond from my
finger, and placed it in a little pocket inside my suitcase.
Everything had come full circle, and I felt like the chains had
been cut. Released.
    After running my fingers through
my hair one last time, I made my way out of the hotel and walked
down the street. A small sandwich shop on the corner caught my
attention, and I stepped inside. The smells of freshly baked bread
filled the room, and my mouth watered. I wanted to eat it all, but
I settled for a sandwich and water. I sat at one of the tables
close the windows. The reflection that looked back was not
me.
    "Almost didn’t recognize you with
your hair down," a voice said.
    I turned and peered into the same
stranger's eyes from the bookstore as he sat down in front of me. I
picked up the bottle of water, took a sip, and just stared at
him.
    "I find it interesting that I keep
running into you," he said.
    I swallowed. "I suppose that means
you should tell me your name."
    Just as before, he narrowed his
eyes at me, and then looked down at my hands. "Where has your
pretty ring gone?" he asked, then took a sip of his
drink.
    When I didn't answer, he lifted an
eyebrow. I cleared my throat and swallowed. His eyes never left
me.
    "I’m not engaged anymore. He's a
cheater."
    He gulped down the remaining
liquid, then set his empty glass down. "Fair enough."
    Moments passed and I finished the
last few bites of my sandwich.
    "There is something about you"—he
narrowed his eyes—"something about you that I want."
    My heart hammered in my chest, and
I thought it might stop. A shot of adrenaline rushed through me,
and I wasn't sure if it was his words or the look on his face that
caused that reaction. Again I had no words, but that didn't stop
him from continuing. I felt like I was playing a game of cat and
mouse, and I was the hunted.
    "Why are you so nervous? Are you
afraid?" he asked, his accent thick and pure sex.
    I had a feeling he wanted me to
say yes, and though the internal alarms sounded, I didn't falter.
"Should I be?" I sipped the water and set it down on the
table.
    "Truthfully? Yes. If you were
smart, you'd leave right this moment and go straight home. I'm like
the moon in a sense. I go through phases and—"
    I leaned forward just a little,
and he stopped talking then gave a sly smile.
    "I have a dark side," he
finished.
    His words absorbed me like a
forest fire, all-encompassing and suffocating, but I didn't move. I
swallowed hard and a chuckle escaped from him. When he laughed, I
noticed small dimples in his cheeks. He looked down at his half
empty glass, and I admired his long