‘I like being here with you too, you know,’ she whispered with her husky voice. Carmen hummed appreciatively and rested her head on Shane’s shoulder. Shane looked down at her face. Silently amazed by her love’s beauty she stroked Carmen’s arm. Carmen still had her eyes closed and Shane took the opportunity to take in each detail of Carmen’s face in that moment. The way her long eyelashes could almost touch her cheeks. How she softly sucked at her bottom lip in that adorably way. Shane ducked her head to smell Carmen’s hair. She loved the way Carmen smelled. It was so pure and so.. her. But this time it wasn’t really hers though. ‘Did you use my shampoo?’ Shane whispered, not wanting to disturb the peacefully moment. Carmen quickly opened her eyes.

‘Yeah! God.. I didn’t know.. I’m sorry, I just wanted to wash my hair and I didn’t have my own with me so..,’ Carmen rattled.

‘So you used mine’ Shane finished for her softly and she pressed Carmen closer to her. ‘It’s okay, really. It smells good. Better than it does on me. Why do you think I would mind?’

Carmen let out a shaky sigh and chuckled. ‘I don’t know, it’s just ..god.. I guess I should have asked first. I don’t know what expensive stuff professionals like you use,’ she answered.

 ‘It wasn’t expensive,’ Shane whispered and she pressed the cigarette between her lips. Carmen turned her head and Shane understood what she wanted. She carefully pressed the cigarette between Carmen lips and Carmen took a long drag. She rested her head against Shane’s shoulder again and they both watched the arrow of smoke she exhaled in the dark air of the night. Shane stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray next to them and when she was finished with that Carmen took Shane’s hand. She carefully stroke each finger and placed soft kisses to the back of her hand. Shane smiled at her and tipped her head down to kiss Carmen’s throat. Carmen let out a soft breath which felt hot against Shane’s hand. Shane placed a firmer kiss on Carmen’s cheek.

‘I wish I could stay,’ Carmen sighed. The words sounded too loud and too clear in this cloudy night. Shane stopped nuzzling Carmen’s cheek. ‘I thought you were,’ she said softly. Carmen could feel the disappointment surrounding Shane, the distant between them increase. ‘No, no, that wasn’t what I meant! Tonight, of course I’ll stay. And tomorrow, if you want,’ she chuckled self-consciously. Shane looked at her through some dark locks of hair. Carmen hesitated but then reached her hand up and tangled her fingers softly in Shane’s hair, moving the locks out of her face. ‘What I meant was.. I wish I didn’t have to leave next week,’ she said, her voice calming and more like a whisper this time. Shane nodded slowly in understanding and she winded her arms around Carmen’s waist. ‘I don’t want you to go either,’ she said, her words muffled in Carmen’s neck. She rested her chin on Carmen’s shoulder and looked up at the cloudy sky. The clouds were moving fast but the moon was hidden behind them, lighting up the clouds in an odd and mystifying way. Carmen sighed again and rocked the two of them back and forth for a few moments. When she stopped she placed her hand on Shane’s cheek and said: ‘I’m gonna miss you so much.’ Shane sighed and she could feel hot tears beginning to fill her eyes. She quickly blinked them away and placed a tender kiss on Carmen’s shoulder. ‘Fuck C, I’m gonna miss you too. So fucking much,’ she answered. ‘How long did you say it was?’ she asked but she could immediately feel the lump forming in her throat, like she didn’t really want to know the answer. She swallowed a few times which helped a bit, but she could still feel her own fears, dancing and haunting her in her stomach. She didn’t like the feeling. ‘Two weeks,’ Carmen said softly. ‘God, I wish I didn’t have to go!’ she spoke out angry all of sudden. Shane drifted one hand away from her waist up to her shoulder. She squeezed it gently. ‘You have to go Carmen. It’s your family,’ she spoke with a firm but reassuring voice.