Chapter 1

He was sitting crosslegged on the bed. She was opposite in the cane chair. The only light in the room coming from a candle on the floor, almost burnt down into the metal bottle cap that was holding it. The flame cast a shadow on the left side of her face. She drew deeply on her Marlboro; the circle of light a pinpoint in the semi-darkness. He ground his cigarette stub into the ashtray, sighed, and got up to put a Neil Young disc on to play. He knew she liked it. 'I wish this could last forever,' he thought to himself. 'Good things don't last,' the cynical side of him countered.

They'd got back together a few months previously. A mutual agreement that it wouldn't get serious. Just to have some fun together. It was a lot easier to say it.... He was falling in love with her again. He tried to stop himself, knowing the feeling wasn't reciprocated. How could he not love her? She was just so.... so.... He tried to keep it all in perspective; after all they were having a good time. 'I'll handle it when it comes to an end,' he'd thought.

He loved her more than he could say, more than words could ever express. Her thoughts focused on the fact it was good, really good to be with him, but she didn't want to get tied down just yet. He wanted security. She was like a bird; ready to take flight at any time and find other things to interest her. She was still relatively young and had many more things to aim for and do before settling down. He could wait. He'd told her that but it had hardly made any difference.