‘Twas a day like any other. With his head resting in his hands he put out the fourth cigarette he had smoked without stopping. He threw the file on the coffee table. It was an old table, which they would have replaced, probably with a plastic or round-cornered one. The reason was now gone.
He took the little box out of his pocket and threw it over the file.
“It was for you” he said dryly.
The girl looked startled at the little box, which had opened upon hitting the hard surface of the file. Still, this startled look was half-fake. She was expecting more words from him; but nothing. Just silence.
“I thought you were here for me” she said mumbling. “I thought this was what we promised each other.”
He was not looking at her at all. He had set his eyes on the bedroom door. It was half-opened. The girl was watching him bewildered. She was still waiting for an answer.
“The last month of my life was a nightmare” she followed. “You don’t even know what I’ve been through. You don’t even know how I…”
“Do you like life,” he interrupted her, “simply living?”
She was more confused than ever.
“Tell me” he continued calmly.
“Yes.”
“Then why have you destroyed two lives, if you like it so much?”
His voice was as calm as half an hour ago, when the discussion had started. She hoped for a different reaction from him. She hoped he would understand. Why did he not understand?
He was still looking at the door. He stood up and walked towards it. She was watching him closely. After he closed it for good he returned to his previous place. He sat down and lit another cigarette.
“Those cigarettes will kill you” she said hesitatingly.
In that moment he looked at her. She was pale. She had cried. He did not take his eyes off of her for ten seconds. Then, he continued his smoking ritual.
“I doubt it” he said with his cigarette still between his teeth.
He could read the pain in her expression. But what could he do? He wanted to know. Nothing; there was nothing he could do.
“I wish you would’ve told me. I wish I’d known.”
His voice sounded uneasy for the first time. He crushed the unfinished cigarette in the ashtray. He stood up, and then sat down next to her. The girl’s heart was beating exceedingly. She was scared.
“I wish you would’ve told me.”
He slowly embraced and hugged her.
“I’m sorry” she said sighing.
Tears started on her cheek. But he did not wipe them.
“It was your choice. Yet, I wish you would’ve told me.”
His voice was calm once more. He stood up and left her in tears. He headed towards the door. It was not the bedroom door.
“I wish you would’ve told me.”
He left the door open. Outside he lit another cigarette. He took his phone out of his pocket and dialed.
“Hello? Yeah… yes, the one from yesterday… I want to cancel… Yeah… no, something came up… No, no… Thank you.”
He hung up and sat on a bench. He leaned back and looked at the sky. It was serene.