Love And Sweet Kisses

lσvє αnd hєαrtвrєαk

Coward!

That was the word that ran through Ella's mind as soon as her flight with her team took off for Australia. It was a word she'd become quite too familiar with since she'd snuck out two days ago on Abhi when he'd been asleep the morning after they'd made the hottest, most passionate, mind blowing love ever.

Before leaving, the quick, impersonal note she'd left him thanking him for a great night would no doubt serve as nothing short of a blow.

But this was for the best. Abhi had been in her erotic fantasies for the past year, and it had just been a matter of opportunity and the right words before her desire got unleashed. The right words had been that he would only step down from the volunteer work if the woman he wanted to be with decided she was also ready to step down and be with him, and she'd given herself to all the pent up lust against her better judgement.

Only to wake up the next morning with a nerve wrecking sense of panic and regret for what she'd done. And that was why she'd left so surreptitiously. It'd just felt so unfair that two days after they'd had such a night, she was having to leave, and she would've felt more guilty had she waited for him to wake up so they could talk about it.

She looked out through the window, gazing at the foggy clouds that whirled by, her heart squeezing with the love she felt for Abhishek. It hadn't been difficult realizing what she truly felt for him over the past months. Not when he'd never left her mind, demanding attention.

***~***

Ella frowned as she stared at the unknown number caller ID on her phone which was lying on her bed. They'd been in Australia for two months already, travelling from one deprived town or village to the other, and it'd been a long time since an unknown number had called her.

Deciding it could he any of her family members since she'd changed her number in Australia, she answered the call and waited for the other person to speak.

"Ella." Her breath caught in her throat when Abhi's gruff voice came through the phone, a shiver of delight streaked through her as her mind sent her back to their night together. "Don't you dare keep quite. I know you are there."

"Hello, Abhi. How did you get my..."

"Thank you for a great night? Thank you for a great night?" He said. From the incredulity and disappointment that boomed with his voice, Ella knew he'd been wanting to tell her this for quite a while. "What the heck do you consider what happened between us? A one night stand?"

"Abhi, I'm sorry." She owned him that much of an apology. "Calm down."

"How can I calm down? We make love, you tell me you love me, and the next day you're gone without even waking me up so we can talk about us."

His breaths, deep and heavy, came to her through the phone, his silence begging for an explanation. Ella swallowed. "I felt guilty, Abhi. I was going to leave in just two days and didn't want wanted to tie you down to me."

"That should've been my choice." He mused. "It was your sister in law who told me you were in Australia and gave me your number. If you'd told me that day, I would've made arrangements to catch up with you there."

"For what exactly?" She groaned, wishing he would understand her. "To be with a woman who would barely find any time to spend with you. Abhi, you've been working as a volunteer for five years now. Other people would've taken like a hundred breaks already. This is just your fourth. Your parents miss you. Your friends miss you. I can't have you skirting this vacation for my sake. You need to meet and spend time with them."

"But I miss you, and I want to be with you. That'll be vacation enough for me. You usually like Sundays as your off days. We could spend those together."