Sarah Smiles

All he could see was the grey plaster floor, refusing to look at her. His mouth was dry and there was no way a sound was going to emerge from his voice box, not that he had anything to say. His mind hand gone blank.

He wasn’t focused on her, but he could feel her presence. She was kneeling beside him, staring at him with a soft worried look. He felt his whole body turn frigid when she placed a hand on his cheek.

“Gabe. The keys are in my bag, go in and we’ll be there soon.”

Gabe. She was with Gabe. Her gaping eyes watched him as he finally looked back up to her with his red eyes and tearstained cheeks.

She was with Gabe, in the same outfit she had worn the night before, but her shirt was replaced by one of Gabe’s loud coloured ones. Brendon suddenly begun to feel sick. Had she spent the night with him? If she did, did they have sex or did he merely console her after he had punched her in the face with his spiteful words. He prayed for the latter.

Her face came uncomfortably but pleasantly close to his. Her cheek touched his own. “What are you doing here?” The tone was hushed, like she was telling him a secret. “Brendon?” The hand that was once resting on his face was now tangled in his hair.

“Gabe.” Brendon’s voice croaked. “What were you doing with Gabe?” That made her pull away. Her face tinged with red, staring at him with a bemused look.

“He, he just brung me home.” She paused to swallow the bile in her throat, along with the truth that was threatening to spill out of her mouth. “I, I just spent the night there because I was in such a state yesterday.” Well, she wasn’t really lying. She just didn’t tell him the full story. Plus was it really necessary for him to know the full details?

“Did you sleep with him?”

Apparently it was. If it was possible her face reddened more, it did. A nervous laugh left her lips. “Talk about being blunt.”

“Did you?” His eyes were pleading her to say no. The answer was obvious though. He knew her too well, trying to be funny when she didn’t want to tell him something. Then the way her eyes trailed away from his own, when she bit her lip. He just knew. He felt like he had taken another blow to the stomach. He just wanted to get away from her. It wasn’t her fault, it was his. He was too late.

With all his strength, he managed to slowly press himself off the floor. “I, I just came to tell you.” He drew in a deep breath. “Sarah, she lied. She lied about the pregnancy. We’re over.” She was still knelt on the floor, looking up at him. Shock. “And, I’m sorry. Sorry for putting you through everything, sorry for not putting you first. Sorry for acting like such a douche last night. Sorry for not being with you when I knew how much I love you.”

“Don’t go.” Her voice quivered. She had started to cry.

“I- you can’t keep Gabe waiting.” He turned her back to her. “I was too late. You’ve got someone amazing; don’t make the same mistake I did.”

Brendon took a step forward but found himself taking two back when he felt a tug on his wrist. She was standing now, gripping his wrist for dear life. “Gabe, Gabe’s just my friend!”

“I know you well enough to know that you don’t just sleep with anyone.”

Now it was her turn for her mouth to go dry. She did it again, looked at him with innocent eyes that then ripped away from him and bit her lip. Hiding something. He was technically right with that one. She didn’t sleep with just anyone…

“Only people that reminded me of you.”

His jaw clenched. “W-what’s that supposed to mean.” He knew what it meant.

“When you just fucked me and left. I, I missed you. I went crazy in my own mind.” Humiliated, she felt humiliated telling him this. Admitting that for a while, she acted like a whore. Bedding any man who remotely looked like him. Heck as long as they had dark hair, she was on him. “Just, don’t judge me when I tell you. Please… because I-“

“Stop talking.” She didn’t.

“I love you. I don’t know what I’d do if you labelled me as slut- I acted like one but-“ A hand slammed on her mouth. She was expecting to see a look of disgust, anger…anything. But all she saw was the merciful look in Brendon’s dark eyes.

“I don’t want to know. It’s not like we were together, you did what you did.” His hand slowly slid of her lips. “I don’t condone what you did-“

He voice cut him off. “No please, don’t…I’m so sorry!”

“Shut up and let me finish.” His frustration was beginning to get the better of him. If her voice cut him off one more time…

“Just hear me out first!”

Sarah squealed when she felt two hands gripping her shoulders and thrusting her against the solid wall. “I said shut up.” His hands loosened on her arms but still remained there. He looked away from her surprised orbs. “I don’t condone what you did. But I could, never ever think of you as a slut. You are the most amazing, beautiful woman I’ve ever had in my life.” Looking back at her, he sighed. “The only reason it does upset me is because the prospect of any other man touching the woman that should be mine is sickening. Sarah. I want you to be mine, just mine.”

He didn’t realise how close his face was too hers until he felt his lips brush against hers. “You shouldn’t be the one whose sorry, I should.” He would have given her a passionate kiss right there and then if it wasn’t for the dry cough that interrupted them. Both their heads whipped over to the source of the sound.

A little old woman, with a face smacked up with make-up, fancy jewels that enclosed her neck and most of her fingers, and her body enclosed with a fur coat. She looked lost, far too glamorous to be wondering in a grotty apartment building.

Sarah was quick to push Brendon of her, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear and in a flustered manner spoke “Oh, hello Mrs Castel.”

She gave the couple a cheeky grin. “You know honey, if you’re planning on doing something indecent. Your apartment is only, literally, a step away.” She turned to Brendon. “And you boy, couldn’t think of something more romantic than having your way with her in a filthy hallway?”

Embarrassment flooded over the both of them. “Oh, oh no Mrs Castel…we weren’t…”

“Mhmm, save it sugar. Who is this young man though sweetheart?”

No, she couldn’t tell her. Mrs Castel lived in the apartment next door to Sarah; she was almost like a grandmother to Sarah herself. They were very close. She knew everything, everything Brendon did to her Sarah had told her. And if Mrs Castel was to ever see him, as Mrs Castel said herself “he would be getting a big old whooping.” …Her handbag was rather large today, Brendon wouldn’t be able to make it out alive.

But then Brendon interjected. “I’m Brendon mam.”

Mrs Castel paused. Ignoring the hand that Brendon had outstretched in front of her. Her eyes squinted as she glared at the boy. “You, you’re the boy who broke her heart!” Her arm holding her bag swung up. Brendon confused, just stood there.

“No! No, Mrs Castel!” Sarah quickly grabbed the woman’s arm. “It’s fine. He apologised.”

“Just apologised?” She snatched her arm out of Sarah’s tight hold. “He just said sorry, and that’s it. Honey, he broke your heart! He needs to get down on his knees and beg for your forgiveness. He needs to plead, kiss your feet! You can’t just accept an ‘I’m sorry.’”

“That’s, that’s really not necessary Mrs Castel.”

She turned back to Brendon. “Don’t listen to her boy, she’s too soft.” There was a silent pause. “Go on then, on your knees!”

Brendon awkwardly lowered himself in front of Sarah, every movement the old lady made caused him to flinch. But the old woman was right; Sarah deserved much more than a verbal sorry. In fact begging may not even be enough.

Sarah’s cheeks grew a soft pink. “Brendon, get up. You don’t have too…”

“I’m sorry.” His hands clasping Sarah’s own together in front of him, looking up at Sarah’s bashful face. “I am so sorry for breaking your heart, for leaving you. I am sorry for all the times I made you cry. I’m sorry for being a fool and not taking the love that you gave to me. Please, Sarah please. Forgive me…I’m begging.”

“Brendon…” She pulled her hands from his and tugged on his shoulders. “You already know the answer, common, get up.”

“Say it. Tell me you forgive me.”

She let out a sigh. “Brendon. I forgive you.”

Brendon quickly shot up, embracing the girl in his arms and crashing his lips firmly onto hers.

Mrs Castel put her key in the lock of her door. Smiling at the loved up couple. “That’s it sugar, that’s how you do it.”