The guys arrived bright and early in the morning. It was the day before the party, crunch time. We immediately went to the studio to rehearse.

Six hours later I was exhausted. It had been worth it. The song sounded great. We goofed around for a while afterward, just letting off steam. It was great to spend time with them even though the focal point of the day was her. They were like brothers to me. They knew of my love for her but didn’t know the whole story. They never would.

That night, while sitting on the couch, I felt her presence. I looked up and smiled. It was halfhearted though. This would be our last night together. My things were packed. I was leaving the day after the party.

She sat next to me and pulled me close. I wrapped my arms around her as she lay back. Her hands found my hair as I gently rubbed her stomach. This was the way it should be, always. Us, on the couch, admiring each other. Comforting each other as we talked of jobs and strange coworkers. Or something equally nonsensical.

I sighed and she brought her fingertips to my chin. She gently brought me into a kiss. I pushed all thoughts of him to the back of my mind. I needed to enjoy the last of our time together.

I hadn’t told her I was moving. The time never seemed right. But as our kiss got more needy, I knew I had to. I owed her that. I slowly backed out of the kiss and took a moment to look into her eyes. The eyes that had captivated me since the first time I saw them. I pushed a strand of loose hair behind her ear; she smiled.

"I’m leaving."

She looked at me, confused.

"I’m losing you."

I closed my eyes. The tears were threatening to fall.

"I’m right here."

I looked up at her. She too was holding back her tears.

"For an hour. Maybe two. But then what? It’s all become too much to handle. I don’t think I can do it anymore."

She reached over and wiped away a stray tear with her thumb. Her fingers traced my face and we met for another kiss. We stood as our tongues met and made our way to the stairs. I scooped her into my arms and carried her to my room.