Sara’s POV
It was getting late. We had been drinking, talking, laughing and unknowingly, the night had slipped away. There hadn’t been a minute that Matt hadn’t been next to me, except when he was getting drinks. Like he was now.

He leaned against the bar and shot the waitress a dimpled smile when he ordered. I felt the green monster inside of me rear its ugly head. I pushed it back down, it had no right at all to be here. As of tomorrow, he would not be mine anymore, if he ever was…. Mine.

“So bestie, when are we going to see each other again? I mean, I can come over to your place someday and you would be more than welcome to visit me sometimes too, I mean… I have plenty of guestrooms and I’m sure you and Lacey will come along just great” Johnny was babbling on my left and I averted my eyes from Matt coming back to the table, to turn and answer him. “We’ll make some plans once we got back, okay?” Johnny nodded with a grin and I tried to force a smile, but it was hard. I knew that I probably would never see Johnny again, just like I would never see the others anymore.

I was kinda bummed, these guys were pretty nice and I think we could have had some nice friendships, but that was out of the question now. No teary goodbyes were needed. Zack, Arin and Johnny would fly back a day later, seeing that was the only time they could get a flight.We would leave for the airport tomorrow morning and that would be it.

I looked around the table, Zack didn’t join us in the end, didn’t see him around either, so I guess he succeeded his quest. Arin and Matt were talking quietly, enjoying their beers. I looked over at Amy, Brian was playing with her hair, but Amy wasn’t really there. My eyes caught hers and told me everything I needed to know. She was letting Arin’s remark from before getting to her and she was closing off completely. Maybe it was for the best, her taking some distance. Maybe, just maybe the goodbye tomorrow wouldn’t be as bad for her. Slim chance though.

I noticed Brian looking curiously at her and saw him sigh.
“Drinks for everyone?” Brian pushed his chair back and stood up. Arin got up too and let his shoulders hang down “Let me help you”
The two of them disappeared to the bar, like they had been all night. Every time Brian went to get drinks, he took Arin with him and their conversation seemed irritated, every single time.

“Do you want to head back to the room? I’m kinda done with these assholes” Matt whispered in my ear and smirked. He put his hand on my knee and let it wander up higher and higher. There was no misunderstanding on what he meant and the biggest part of me wanted so bad. Last night, last chance, but there was a very loud smaller part of me that told me not to get in any deeper, it was time to get ready for departure.

“Let me go get some shots to close off the night and then I’m coming, okay?” The dirty look on Matt’s face made me realize which words I used and I smiled back at him. Oh boy….

I made my way over to the bar, but stopped death in my tracks when I heard Arin and Brian talk.
“I just don’t fucking understand how you could have said that! Look what you did!”
“I’ve told you I’m sorry a thousand times, what more do you want to hear from me, Brian? I didn’t know, okay?”
“You didn’t know?! Like… You think it’s normal to tell the girl I’m with now about everything I did before? You really think that was the best decision? You are even more stupid than I thought!”

That arrogant tone of his was pissing me off and I was about to step in.
“Shut up. You are not allowed to call me stupid over your own stupid decisions. Screw yourself, Haner.” I heard a nothing and then Arin again “And you know what! I told you before. You lying about all of this is not cool, if you would have just told me you liked her, I would never have made a joke like that”
“I. DON’T. LIKE. HER! She is just a fling, something for this holiday, noting more, I told you!”
“Really? You wanna tell me what that act of puberty is showing on her neck then?” Ha! Thanks Arin for asking that question, I was dying to get an answer to that too, but only silence was the reply “Fine…. You want to be like that, be like that, but quit being an ass and deal with it.”

I stood there, listening for what more to come, but nothing came,... only Brian, bumping into me when he came round the corner, his face to thunder, drinks in hand…. And now over my dress.
“Hey! Watch it!”
“Yeah, thanks for ruining my dress asshole!”

We both stormed back to the table and Matt quickly got up when he saw my face and my dress.
“We’re leaving for our room... clearly, goodnight” Matt grabbed my hand and dragged me to the elevator.
“What happened?”
“Your asshole best friend happened, happy I don’t have to see him again after tomorrow. What a jerk!”

As soon as the elevator doors opened I stormed to our room and took my dress off as soon as I entered, walking right to the bathroom.
“I’m taking a shower!” I closed the door right in Matt’s face and locked the door.

Staying away was best, this was done the minute we came back to the hotel. I needed a shower to get the brave Sara face on.

“Sara… open the door… I can use a shower too” Matt’s voice was like honey and he was definitely sweet talking me into letting him in for god knows what. I put my hair up in a bun on the top of my head and started the shower.
“Sara.. come on…. I promise you I can make that shower so much better” My hand was on the doorknob, ready to turn it and let him in.

“Oh fuck it” I opened the door, making Matt almost fall in, he was only wearing his boxers and as soon as he regained his posture, the most sexy smile ever.
“See you smartened up” He pushed me back into the shower and kissed me, his hands roaming over my back.

I giggled “Matt, you are still wearing your boxers”
“Oh stupid me, but maybe I should leave it on, postpone the fun a little” another kiss, another grab.
He put the soap in his hands and washed me with it, every now and then he put kisses on my skin. He was caressing me with so much attention and care, it seemed like he was trying to remember me, like I was trying to remember how his touches felt like. But I had to smile at the same time, he looked ridiculous in those wet boxers.

“Come on, let’s get to bed” he turned down the water and dragged me out, putting me in a big towel “I’m so ready to get out of these boxers”

I let go of his hand “You go, I will collect my stuff first okay? Will be right there.”
“Okay, don’t take too long” He pecked my lips and got out of the bathroom. I closed the door behind him and took a deep breath.

I carefully brushed my hair while I looked at myself in the mirror. Did this holiday fix my heartbreak? I hadn’t really thought about Marc anymore. I put on some crème and studied my face. Did I change? Did he change me? Besides the tan? I chuckled and got my toothbrush out of the cup, where it was standing next to Matt’s. When I would get on that plane tomorrow I wouldn’t be part of two anymore. I would be alone.

I put everything in my bag and grabbed the door with determination. Better enjoy my last night with that yummy man that was waiting in my bed.

“Well, Sanders, show me what…” My voice got stuck in my throat at the sight before me. There he was. Sleeping like a baby, content smile on his face. Maybe for the best… It would have unnecessarily confused things.

I slipped into one of Matt’s shirts and got into bed, wriggling myself under his arm as I nestled against his chest, trying my best to remember that feeling, right now.

Brian’s POV
This last night had not at all been what I wanted. I was laying on my back, staring at the ceiling, like I had been all night. The light was seeping through the windows, it was lighting up Amy’s hair. She was still asleep, a frown on her forehead… Not in my arms like I would have wanted, but on the edge of the bed, far from me…. Too far from me.

The conversations I had with Arin yesterday were still ringing through my head. That asshole letting slip that I was the one getting laid the most had killed me. I had seen Amy change, she tried to keep up the appearance of the day, but I noticed. From that moment on, our amazing last day had ended and we had started our goodbyes, taking distance, getting out of the married couple mood, we started building up our walls again. Both of us.

I sighed and slung my legs out of the bed, careful not to wake Amy. I don’t know if I was ready to end all of this, whatever this was, but time was up. Maybe a good shower would clear my head, bring me back in the into the Brian I was before Amy, the Brian I had lost two weeks ago.

The hot water of the shower was burning on my skin and I closed my eyes. What was I doing? I didn’t even know who I was anymore. Was I really going back to my old self when I would get back home? To the Gates’ ways that I had gotten so accustomed to the last few months? How could I? Because even though I didn’t want to admit to any of it, being with Amy had triggered something inside of me. And I wasn’t sure I would be able to let go of it.

My ponders were broken by two small hands on my chest, I didn’t even hear her come in and she startled me a little “Hey.. Good morning…”
“Hey” I put my arms around her and pulled her closer to my body, enjoying this moment of closeness. In the distance I heard a phone, but dismissed it quickly. Amy didn’t.
“Oh, I think that’s my phone” she removed herself from my embrace and wanted to get out of the stall.
“Don’t. Let it go” I whispered as I tried to pull her close again, but she wouldn’t let me.
“It could be my parents; I can’t leave it, they will only call again.” She apologized as she wrapped her wet body in one of the huge white towels and disappeared from the bathroom.

I let my head fall back and the drops of water met my face, my hands made their way over my face and through my hair and I let out a sigh. I didn’t want to think about it, but only a few hours together with Amy and then we had to say goodbye.

This shower was far from what it was when Amy was still in here with me and I had a feeling she wouldn’t come back anymore. I turned the water off and wrapped a towel around my waist. My hand was already on the doorknob, when I heard Amy laugh slightly. A smile came over my face, that sound was so cute, I was happy her parents were able to cheer her up a little, this would be hard enough as it is.

“But you know… I wouldn’t want you to treat it differently now it’s about me, James”
JAMES?! Was she calling with her boss…. AGAIN? That guy sure didn’t have any boundaries! He knew she was on a holiday and how many times had he called her this holiday? 50 times?! Asshole. I opened the door a little, intending to break that little talk and take the attention to me again, these few hours were still mine!

“No… I know… but there is no use of making a big deal out of this. I mean…” she had her back to me and I could see the little droplets coming out of her wet hair. I was this close in just grabbing her, but then she said the few words that had me stop dead in my tracks.

“Let’s keep this all under wraps… Promise me, James, this is just like any other divorce you handled, don’t treat me differently, okay?”

I stepped back into the bathroom and closed the door quietly. I backed up against the wall and let my head hang down. She was talking to her boss about our divorce? What about “you can handle it, I won’t give you a hard time”? Now she ‘hired’ a lawyer herself? I thought she would just accept the papers I would let my lawyer draw up, I thought she would just let it be.

Guess I was wrong.

I felt annoyance building up inside of me and it quickly went downhill to downright anger. Fuck it! She wanted it like this, she could get it like this. No more Mr. Haner for her. I was done. If she wanted to divorce me as soon as I turned my back, it was fine by me! I was done with it anyway.

“Brian?” The door of the bathroom opened and I quickly regained my posture, avoiding looking at her. I moved to the mirror and grabbed my comb. The minute I looked up in the mirror to take care of my hair, I felt all the anger leaving my body again. Damnit!

Those big beautiful eyes were looking at me in question, a frown giving her just a cute little wrinkle on her forehead.
“Is everything okay? Or did you just take a long shower?” She walked up to me and I felt her lean into my back, putting a kiss right under where my Haner tattoo was, her arms snaking around my waist. I was happy she already gave me an out, because those torn up feelings inside of me made it hard to think straight.
“Yeah… took a long shower… yeah” I mumbled while I was debating myself on turning around and take her one last time or give in to that nagging feeling inside of me. And with pushing away the nagging for the whole of this holiday… it now won.

“Amy, I really need to get ready. I still have to pack my bag and we need to have breakfast. I think the cab will get us in a little over an hour right?” I caught her eyes in the mirror. I saw the hurt pass by for just a split second, but then she gave me a small nod and let go of me, turning around to head back into the room.

I gripped the edge of the sink as I watched her drop the towel through the mirror. She put herself in her old underwear again and saw her grab a jeans and shirt. Not the clothes I bought for her. She was pulling everything out to create the distance between us huh?

Get yourself together Haner, this was about to happen. What did you expect? To keep acting married until you put her on the plane and waved her off?
You are stupid Haner, definitely stupid.

“Are you almost done there? I would like to do my hair and makeup too” Amy’s voice was soft and unsure as she entered the room again. She was eyeing me constantly, but never looking at me directly.
“Yeah, just give me a minute to brush my teeth” Amy just stood there, staring at her hands, ever few seconds opening her mouth to say something, but closing again.

“It’s all yours” I motioned over to the sink after I swiped all my stuff off the counter and into my arms. Amy stood there silent, not giving me any notice if she had heard me or not. I guess me leaving the bathroom should be hint enough.

I walked into our room, that enormous room, that room that obviously was build for couples in love. Love quotes on the wall, roses on the table, bottle of champagne in the cooler. It was ridiculous when you come to think of it.

I quickly stepped into some clothes and collected everything else that belonged to me and threw it into my bag. I would look at that again when I got home. I looked over to the bed, it was still disheveled, but Amy’s clothes lay on top of it, folded in one neat pile. How could I have thought for even a minute that we could fit together? We were as different as the sun and the moon. And no matter how many times Arin would say that opposites attract and all that shit… It was stupid to think this could ever work.

It had been fun… and now it was over… No problem at all… It just had been a long one night stand…That’s all… I was happy to go back to my life… Finally.

A short knock on our door sounded, and I pulled it open annoyed. There it was, the truth of goodbye in the bodies of Matt and Sara.

“Are you guys ready to leave?” Matt´s voice sounded cheerful, but his eyes didn´t join in. Sara however was smiling widely, after shooting me an angry glare.. So she did hear me huh?

Matt shrugged his shoulders as Sara slipped passed me, right into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

“Yeah.. Definitely ready to go back home” I groaned “Definitely”

Notes

Happy late thanksgiving to all our celebrating friends who at this moment are probably just as stuffed as the animals they ate earlier ;-)

The last night of the holiday... Next week the real life starts again... Better brace yourselves :P