When I awoke the next morning I did not expect for you to be gone.

The first thing I realised was the lack of body heat before my eyes peeled open with curiosity. When I saw that you weren't beside me or anywhere in the room I tried not to feel disappointed or let my sadness get the best of me. When it came to you, Bradley, all I could do was hope for the best even when you always delivered the worst.

I told myself that you probably left because you had work to get to. You were reckless about a lot of things but work was what you prioritised. It was what brought your income in after all.

Then I remembered that today was Saturday and you wouldn't have allowed yourself to get that drunk if it wasn't a Friday night.

I didn't believe you had left so I got up from the couch, wincing when it felt like something hit my head. I massaged my temples with my fingers once I was upright before I made my way to the kitchen, the first place I figured you would be. When you weren't there I checked the bathroom and when you weren't there either I checked my bedroom. You'd never had reason to check into the guest bedroom but of course I couldn't abandon hope. I peeled open the guest bedroom door slowly and I didn't realise I'd been holding my breath until I felt the air knock out of me when you were nowhere in sight.

I couldn't describe the pang that hit me. It was almost like a car drove straight at me out of nowhere and the oxygen was wiped from my lungs.

There was no reason you had to leave so why weren't here?

I scrambled back to the living room to get my hands on my phone. Once I got a hold of it I opened our messages, my fingers quickly swiping through the keyboard as I wrote a message. My finger hovered over the send button. I pressed my lips together as I analysed the message I had written out. Did it look like I sounded angry? Would you think I was desperate?

I sighed heavily before I decided to erase the entire message I had written out in a furious, panicky state. I rewrote the message, more calmly, and asked if you'd like to have dinner and a few drinks after. It was an ordinary question—we'd done this plentiful times before. Expect everything was different. 

You kissed me last night.

You made love to me last night.

Everything changed last night.

I shouldn't have been hanging over a text but I was. I anxiously waited for it, wondering what was talking you so long to reply. You were a fast responder, to anything, because you claimed that if you didn't reply in the instant you saw a message or an email or a missed call, you'd forget and probably never get around to answering it.

What if you saw my message but didn't know how to reply it? What if last night was awkward for you instead of joyful? What if you regretted what happened between us?

In the back of my mind I thought it was bound to happen. You and I were perfect for each other. Other people didn't think it but I did. You were perfect for me. I knew it and that was enough for me. I didn't need anyone else's validation.

It was not just your handsomeness that made me feel so attached to you. Granted it was your striking looks that did gain my attention, it was not the reason I fell in love with you. The more we spent time together the more you made me laugh. You understood me. You cared for me. You were everything I ever wanted and yet you were always so far away from my reach. You couldn't see what was standing right in front of your eyes.

I could love you like no other woman could. Why were you so blind?

It was after noon rolled by when my phone vibrated in the back pocket of my jean shorts. My body buzzed with the vibration and for a second my heart stopped. My phone had vibrated twice today but it hadn't been a message from you. 

I fished my phone out of my back pocket. I swallowed hard when I saw that the message was from you finally. 

You were coming over for dinner and drinks. You even apologised for the late reply. Hearing an apology—well seeing it since it was a text—was strange to say the least. 

You were Bradley Irons, the unapologetic man.

I had never second guessed my cooking before. I always thought I served you good food but after getting your text I couldn't settle my mind on a dish I should make. You had never disliked anything I cooked so why was I overthinking something as simple as a dish? The food would not matter at the end of the day since we had more pressing matters to talk about. But I'd read somewhere that food influences a person's mood and if I had to hold that statement true then I wanted to make a dinner that you absolutely enjoyed, something that made you feel extremely content.

Or perhaps it was just my screwed up perception.

When you arrived that evening I was applying some lipstick over my lips and adding the finishing touches to my makeup. My makeup had always been light but tonight was different. Tonight I had a reason to dress up. Tonight I had high hopes. Tonight I wanted to look beautiful when you asked me to be your girlfriend or if I wanted to go out on a date.

I had put on a brave smile before I grasped the handle and opened the door.

There you stood by the door. Your long hair was tied into a bun and your hands were tucked into the front pockets of your jeans. When you heard the door open your gaze lifted to mine and for five whole seconds neither of us said a word, the silence felt like it was stretching on longer than it actually was.

"Hey," you finally said, your deep voice was low and your tone was nervous. It uplifted my own nervousness. I wasn't in the boat alone, we were both in it. Perhaps I was overthinking last night. Perhaps you didn't panic when you awoke next to me this morning. There had to be a plausible explanation as to why you ghosted me this morning. There just had to be.

"Hi," I breathed in reply as I stepped back and allowed you to enter after I let go of the handle to the front door.

You stepped into my flat, each second ringing with clarity in my mind. You briefly looked away from me to close the door behind you, your feet still planted on the welcome mat that I had placed inside the house at the front door.

Just as you looked at me, I took in a courageous breath and closed the distance between us. Your eyes widened at my action but I did wish to take you by surprise and was glad to see what looked to be surprise shining in those enticing eyes I'd forever be fond of. I laid my hands on your chest, searching for a frantic heartbeat. Was your heart beating nervously as mine was? Did it feel like your heart was tattooing it's pace onto your ribcage as it felt for me?

"Curry," you whispered, your voice scratchy. Your hands came up to cup my elbows and immediately my naked skin tinged by your delicate touch.

Being in your presence made me throw all the doubts I had been tossing around in my head right out of the window. Your touch itself was enough to light me up and cause a heat wave to roll through me, kissing every inch of my skin with a wild warmth.

"No," I shook my head, my lips stretching into a small smile as I pressed my body up against yours. I could feel your chest against mine—the rise and fall of each breath you took. "It's okay, Bradley. Actually...it's perfect." 

You looked conflicted but this barely fazed my dazed state. "Kareena," you said, your voice sharp. Your voice leaked with desperation and I understood. I was only ever Kareena, not Curry, to you when situations were serious and this was an intensely serious situation.  I understood why you sounded the way you did, why your hands held my elbows with force as if to push me away. You were not sure you could hold yourself back, that you'd give into the desire just like last night. I understood, Bradley. 

Or at least I thought I understood.

"Shh sweetheart," I whispered. Smiling for the both of us I finished closing the distance between our bodies, pressing mine flush against yours as I brought my lips up to your irresistible ones.

This time it was I who ruined everything.  

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a/n: i'm getting excited to delve deeper into this short story and slowly expose Kareena's character to y'all. i appreciate all the responses/comments/support i've received so far and you lovelies are honestly motivating! 

priyanka chopra is who i imagine kareena to be but you're free to imagine her as whoever you wish.

thank you for reading! don't forget to drop your thoughts in the comment section and vote if you enjoyed the chapter. 

until next time, xo.