Chapter One

She sat lifelessly at the edge of the bed, staring down into her empty hands, desperately searching for answers. Searching for anything but that lone tear sparkling in the light. As she watched another fall to the floor and soak up in the carpet, a gust of wind lightly grazed her bare skin and the room went dark. The soft glow of the once burning candle was gone and she sat amidst the darkness.


Flashback
She stood at the middle of the floor studying the clock on the wall as it ticked closer to the hour. Her eyes followed the arms as they counted down the seconds, each mark seeming to stand alone as the light reflected off of the silver tip. The clock struck eight and she heard it. It rang slowly through her ears, each beat with more emphasis than the last. She could almost feel it now, pounding in her head. Nothing had ever changed about it. It began with one long beat and ended in two shorter, more steady ones. Her mind brought her back to her last thought.. 'Nothing had ever changed.' Those few words echoed and her decision was made.

Her footsteps became more and more cautious as they carried her closer to the door. Her hand shook as she reached for the golden knob and she drew in one last breath before turning it.

"Hey," he smiled, walking into the room. "Where's your mum and dad? I didn't see them when I walked in." "Oh, um.. they're out of town for the week. They have a business trip in Montreal," she stuttered, closing the door behind them. Her heart told her to lock it, it was the only way, but her brain continued to fight the impulse, saying everything would fall apart if she did. Eventually, her brain fell captive to heart and the door was locked.

"I brought you your favorite. Double mocha latte with whipped cream on top, just like you like it," he smirked, shaking it at her. "Thanks. You can set it on the nightstand." She watched as he turned and put it down. She could see the muscles in his back and shoulders retract and flex as he bent down and stood back up. Her gaze trailed from his torso down to his thighs and calves as he turned to face her again.

She began to walk towards him, never letting her smokey blue eyes fall from his. Gradually, she closed the gap between them and lifted her arms to fall on his shoulders. Her lips moved up to find his warm cheek and she delicately caressed it. Her soft breath lingered on his skin as her mouth trailed down to gently catch his. His lips began to close on hers, but he quickly pulled away. "Cam.. Cam, what are you doing?" He almost pleaded, his voice filled with confusion. She drew back to face him. "Exactly what I've wanted to do for the past ten years."

Everything changed with those words. All that they had ever known was tossed aside and a blank canvas was left in front of them. Bright colors and beautiful pictures would lie atop a fresh, white page and memories of the past could be carried off with the wind.

"I've wanted it too," he whispered, still peering deeply into her eyes. Slowly, he lowered his lips to hers and they met in a passionate kiss. Years of unspoken emotion flowed through their lips, touching every inch of their bodies. She could feel his hands lightly trail across her back and move down to rest on her waist. She let her hands glide across the back of his neck and sweep around to settle on his cheek. His hands started to roam again and he slipped them underneath her shirt, feeling every bit of skin as he lifted it over her head. He paused for a moment, looking at her with innocent eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this?" "I've never been so sure about anything in my life," she murmured, letting her lips come to his again.

They began to move toward the bed, never breaking the kiss. Her fingers swirled circles through his soft brown curls, then drifted down to take the bottom of his shirt into her hands. She swiftly pulled it over his head and let it fall to the floor. Carefully, he lifted her up into his arms and gently set her on the bed.


Later that night
His hand reached for hers as they lay in bed wrapped up in each others arms. He linked them together, then brought them up to his mouth and softly kissed each of her fingers. A sweet smile formed on her lips as she stared into his light brown eyes and she nuzzled her head into his neck. She could feel herself starting to fall asleep, her heartbeat steadying with each passing minute. Just as she she was about to drift off, he kissed the top of her head and whispered so softly into her ear, "I love you." In a quiet voice, she whispered back, "I love you too."


Morning
Her hand fell on the other side of the bed as she rolled over. She slowly opened her eyes and looked to her right to see only sheets and covers. 'Where is he,' she thought. She glanced over to the nightstand and saw a note laying beside the still full latte cup. She picked it up and began to read the words.


Cameron,
I know that you're wondering where I am right now. I had to leave at 8:00 to go to the gym for my workout. But that isn't the point of this note. Last night was the best night of my life and I'm glad that we shared that together. I've never felt so close to anyone like I do you. You are beautiful in every sense and I really did mean what I said. But I don't feel like now is the right time to start a relationship. With the draft coming up, I have no idea where I'll be a few months from now and I don't know how either of us would handle the distance. I just don't want to see either of us heartbroken. I feel horrible for leaving you like this, but I don't know how else to. I'm sorry.

-Sidney

She dropped the note. As it fell to the floor, a single tear followed in it's path. The words, "I'm sorry," could no longer be recognized as the tear drowned them. Lonely and empty, she sat on the bed.