Laura
The events at the airport replayed in my mind like a film on an endless loop. The kiss. God, the kiss. It wasn’t just the way David kissed me, as if his whole world depended on it—it was the way I responded. For a fleeting moment, I forgot everything. The heartbreak, the resentment, the years of feeling like an afterthought. I wanted to hold onto him, to let myself drown in the passion of that kiss, to believe we could somehow go back to the start.
But reality came crashing down. That kiss wasn’t a beginning; it was an ending. I knew what we wanted in life didn’t align, and no amount of chemistry could change that. David might feel attachment, fondness, even peace with me, but I’d never be his first choice. And I was done being second best.
As we landed and settled into the hotel
