She'd be late again. As usual, so the company should be accustomed. She quickly gathered her purse, keys, and phone, put on her sunglasses, and closed the door behind her. She ran down the stairs, four flights of stairs. She opened the heavy door to the stairwell, and found herself in the lobby. High heels clattered on the sidewalk, and she heard her cell phone ring. Quickly, walking in unison, she found it and, to her surprise, read the name on the screen. Before she could answer, however, she saw him standing almost opposite her. They were only a few steps away. She unconsciously dropped the keys she was holding.
He quickly walked over and bent down to pick them up. Returning to his feet, he cursed inwardly – up close, he saw slender, perfectly tanned legs, a flat stomach, a cinched waist, and a bust… She was wearing a tight red dress. And she looked great in it.
"Hi…" he said hesitantly, handing her the keys. He deliberately touched her hand, but she quickly pulled it away.
"What are you doing here?" She brushed past him and headed her way. She tried to control her breathing and her racing heart.
"I wanted to talk.
" "Do you think we have anything to talk about?" she decided on sarcasm.
"Well... it's just... it's been a while since we met...
" "...yes, and a lot has changed since then. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm in a hurry.
" "Give me half an hour.
" "I don't even have enough money on my cell phone to send a text." He held out his phone to her.
"Call me. It's really important to me. I came all these miles here, tomorrow...
" "No one asked you this time.
" "Please." What did she care?
"Jeez! Could she just be on time for once... we have that table reserved..." Krzysiu impatiently shifted from foot to foot.
"He'll probably be here soon..." Ola heard the phone ring. "See, it's probably her!" she read with some surprise and amazement at the message on the screen. Everyone was silent, and she just nodded.
"So what, he'll probably come..." Krzyś was furious as usual.
"Yes, but..." she looked pointedly at Natalia. "...she called from Łukasz's phone..." A quiet murmur of surprise ran through the crowd. "He'll come to us..."
The entire way in his car, he prayed he could hold on. He couldn't touch her, because then he'd definitely not be able to stop himself. He wasn't sure if he felt only physical attraction to her or something more, but he knew it was stronger than any other he'd ever felt. Stronger even than when they met, when they were together... Because now he didn't have to imagine what it was like with her in bed. He knew it. He knew he'd never felt better. And he was afraid he never would. Why didn't she want to talk to him? He understood it in a way, but on the other hand, he couldn't believe she didn't feel the same way about him. Already.
They sat down in a pub near the Market Square so she wouldn't have to walk too much later. For some reason, she hesitated just before the entrance.
"What would you like to drink?" he asked friendly once they were seated by the window.
"Nothing. Thank you." She smiled at the surprised waitress.
"I'll have a coffee." He didn't take his eyes off her companion as he spoke.
"Now tell me what you want."
"Aren't you going to tell me how your final exams went? And where are you studying anyway?" Silence. She looked at her hands, playing with her phone. He looked at them too for a moment; her burgundy nails had a way of attracting attention. She closed her eyes painfully, then looked at him.
"You're joking, I hope so.
" "I'd like to know..." he began hesitantly.
"Get to the point, you have 20 minutes left." If that's how he puts it.
"I'm supposed to marry Justyna tomorrow. Seriously." She didn't want him to see any emotion on her face. Especially pain. "Yesterday she told me... that if it weren't for you, this would never have happened.
" "Great," she replied, feeling a certain relief, though the sadness and regret were stronger.
"God, Little One! Why did you do that?!" She closed her eyes. She recalled the events of a year and a half ago. Every minute, every second... everything.
"Hi Justyna, this is... Justyna.
" "I don't have your number, can you remind me how we know each other...?
" "We don't know each other personally. I'm... your ex, Łukasz's ex." For a moment, she was afraid she'd hang up, but surprisingly, she didn't.
"I don't understand...
" "We broke up recently. I wanted to talk. About you.
" "I don't think there's anything to talk about.
I have to go." "It's very important to me. For you too, if you want to get back together with him." It was impossible to refuse. "
We'll meet at a restaurant near the market square." She sat by the window, nervously glancing at her watch. Justyna was already 10 minutes late. Although that should have been more important to her. Perhaps she was afraid of some aggression, resentment, deception? At that moment, she entered the pub. Exactly as in the photo. They had never met in person. And, as could be deduced from the phone conversation, the first Justyna didn't know about the second.
They exchanged cordialities, or rather, formalities. They ordered tea. Silence fell.
"I was afraid you wouldn't come.
" "I was afraid to come. I don't know what you mean.
" "You should fight for him," she began, feeling as if she were burying the coffin of her love for him. "Łukasz still loves you. You let him down. You hurt him, but you know that well. He suffered. And he still suffers. Rebuild his trust, at least try. It won't be easy, pleasant, or quickly effective, but I think it's worth it.
" "Why didn't I know about you?"
"It wasn't my decision," she answered truthfully. They looked each other straight in the eye the entire time. Even though she wanted to murder that mean, cold-hearted bitch who was so… who was responsible for all this…
"I don't know if I can trust you. I don't know why I would.
" "You have no reason not to. I have no interest in this, and what common sense would you have? I spent the last three months with him. A really long time, a lot of different situations. I know what I'm saying.
" "So you didn't care about him. Because I don't understand why you're doing all this. Why are you here? Why did you want to meet?" Justyna pushed her cup aside and leaned over the table. "Since you've been together for three months, I can't understand your behavior… Especially since I wouldn't be able to do something like that for him after four years…
" "You see, I just want him to be happy…"
"Little one, do you hear what you're saying? For me to be happy with her? You know what she did to me, you know that…
" "But you're getting married tomorrow." "
I don't know. I don't know now," he said quietly, as if to himself. "But... you know perfectly well that I'd be happier with you." She laughed, throwing her head back. Her shock of chestnut-brown hair carried the scent of citrus around the room.
"Of course! But YOU haven't spoken to me for the last year. YOU haven't wanted to come see what's going on.
" "Because I was afraid you didn't want to see me. I was afraid...
" "Were you afraid?! Don't be ridiculous!" She leaned over the table. "I didn't want to see you when I asked you to come because my mom is in the hospital? Don't be ridiculous!" She leaned over the table. "I didn't want to see you when I asked you to come because my mom is in the hospital? Forget about that...
" "I was afraid that I wasn't there for you anymore. Or that everything would come back, that I'd fall in love with you again and hurt you again..." He reached out to cover her hand, but before he could, she pulled back. She didn't reply. She stared silently at the table. "Little one, I was supposed to marry Justyna tomorrow." Last night she told me about your meeting. She wanted to be fair. She wanted to be sure it didn't matter. She gave me your new address, your phone number. And she let me come here.
"Maybe she trusts you..."
Justyna sat crying on the bed, clutching her fiancé's sweatshirt.
"Why did I do it, Anka! Can you explain?! What if he leaves me now?!
"You mean he wasn't worth all of this. And you... you just wanted to be a little like her, right?"
"What will I do if he doesn't come back...? What will I do if... And how did she predict this?! How did she know, knew perfectly well, that this would happen?" Her eyes widened with rage. "Sneaky viper...
" "I don't think so. She would have told him herself. Justyna, look at me... he won't leave you to be alone. He could leave you just for her. And she won't come back to him."
"How do you know...?!" Two large tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Because she would fight for him. And she would be the one preparing for tomorrow's wedding. With him.
" "You know very well that this relationship is based on a lie. I know that whatever I do, she will have to forgive me, because I have forgiven her. I will never feel for her what I feel for you, Little One. She will also never feel for me the way you do... I wouldn't betray anyone, not even her. I could just leave her. I could come back to you..." He looked expectantly into the woman's steely, cold eyes. But she had no intention of speaking. "You have someone, right? A girl like you deserves someone better. Someone truly good. But maybe...
" "If I say 'okay,' you'll call off the wedding. And if I say 'no way—never in my life'?"
"I'll go back there and stand at the altar tomorrow," he answered truthfully.
"So... never in my life, Łukasz. I wouldn't come back to you for anything. For any money. For any words." She stood up, gathering her things. Choking back tears. Of course she would come back. All he had to do was stand up and stop her. But she knew perfectly well that wouldn't happen. She knew him too well.
She crossed the crowded street, heading toward the bar where her friends were sitting. What had she done… she'd waited for this day for a year and a half. Every day. She'd hoped it would happen. And now, completely unhesitatingly, she'd simply given up. For the sake of some other girl who would be a happy bride tomorrow? Or maybe for him… maybe she didn't believe he'd be happier with her…? No. This time, she did it only for herself. He himself said she deserved someone truly good. But did he really mean the one who's been falling asleep cuddled up to you for a year? Or the one you miss every night, feeling his breath on your neck?
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