It seemed almost a matter of principle that she would be standing in that exact place at the exact moment. She had been there before and she had the eerie feeling that she would be there again. Hands stuffed deep into her leather pockets for warmth, cheeks and nose red from the winds bitter chill, standing by herself before that damned statue; waiting.

He had promised he would be there, "A promise is a promise."

A bitter smile warped her beautiful lips, that were painted a silver burgundy, "Yeah, a promise is a promise." She had been waiting for an hour just one more woman standing before the altar. She berated herself for showing up and doubly so for waiting so long.

She couldn’t bring herself to leave though. Hazel green eyes searched the crowd desperately for any sign of his black hair or midnight blue eyes. It had been so long since she had seen them, such a horribly long time. Time that now weighed heavily on her.

She sighed sadly, "That’s it, Gavin, even I have limits to how long I’ll wait for you." With a shake of her blonde hair she turned sadly to run right into a tall muscular man.

"Leaving so soon, honey?" a low voice that belonged to a black-haired blue-eyed man laughed down at her.

"Gavin!" She cried her face brightening. She threw her arms around his neck, sighing as she felt his hands slide up to hold her around the waist.

"I missed you," he whispered into her hear, he held her gingerly, his arms resting softly on her hips, as though she were a dream or that she would break apart.

"I know the feeling," she beamed at him, her grin stretched across her face, transforming her whole appearance. "You should have called more often, maybe once a year?"

"You could have done the exact same thing, and you know it!"

"Well, I lost your number awhile ago."

"Makes me feel special. You’ve changed," one hand came up to brush a stray strand of hair from her forehead.

"Well, what did you expect? That I stay the same after so long?"

"No, you’ve grown though. You aren’t a teenager anymore."

"The last time you saw me I was nineteen, three years have now elapsed."

"Your smart-ass commentary hasn’t changed in the least."

"Yes, it has! It’s gotten much better." She smiles and then her smile falls like pulled clay and she looks down at her black work boots, "Gavin…" She looks at him through her long black lashes, "Why are we here?"

"I missed you." He says it likes it’s the most obvious thing in the world and he can’t believe that she would assume anything else.

"Heard that and the feelings mutual, and all, but why are we here, at this place?"

"Because this is where we said good-bye for the last time."

"And you made me wait an hour for you then too."

"You should have learned your lesson, kitten."

"Well, I always knew I was a slow learner. You still haven’t answered my question."

"I lost your number too," the look he gives her seems full of words that can’t be said because they haven’t even been invented yet, "I’ve been trying to find it for a while now." She looks at her hands, not able to stand the weight of his eyes; eyes that aren’t really sky-blue anymore but more like a sea just before a storm hits. "Why did I leave, kitten? Why did we meet here and say ‘good-bye’?"

"You had a job offer, and you were twenty-two and you needed a start in the world so you had to take it."

"No."

"Then why?" Her eyes turned to slits as she watched him shift from foot to foot.

"When stuff started developing between us what did we say?"

"That we didn’t want to get serious."

"I was and neither of us was ready for that and that job was the perfect opportunity to get away. I didn’t know any other way."

"So you ran away."

"No, I needed to get away."

"You. Ran. Away." She repeats more surely, "Sorry, Angel, love, I only wanted to be friends, but then after telling you to stop fearing love, I started! Ain’t it funny?" With a roll of her eyes and an exasperated throwing up of arms she turned to walk away.

"Wait!" he grabbed her arm, "Please, Angel, hear me out," his eyes filled as he silently begged her.

"Fine, but please make it quick."

"I made a mistake."

"No shit, Sherlock!"

"Stop that! I’m not trying to do this. I thought it was for the best."

"The best? How interesting. Are you trying to drive me insane?"

"No."

"It doesn’t matter. I’m going now."

"Please, don’t."

"Gavin, it’s over. You tried and failed. I moved on a while ago. You left me and I guess that it’s for the best."

"I’m sorry, kitten."

She lets out a choked laugh, one that sounded too close to hysterics, "O.K. Apology accepted, I guess."

"You aren’t making this easy."

"I’m not supposed to make this easy. I have to go. Call me sometime."

"All right."

She turned without a good-bye, this time. Leaving him behind. She had to fight the tears.

He had looked, at the beginning, like he was afraid to break her. She never would have come if she knew that he had a reason to fear it. But she knows that’s a lie, she would have come anyway; she always comes.

The play goes on, repeats itself and tears her apart

She will be here again, and the bad thing is…she knows it.