Xavier's POV

Rather that the romantic stroll home after a dinner I'd had planned I'd opted to order us a taxi for the short journey home. It had taken only 5 minutes in the cab due to us being less than a mile from the apartment block during which time we barely spoke a word to each other. I'd paid for the untouched wine, bundled myself and Ari into the cab and we were now standing in the elevator. 

Ari was silent, she'd stopped sobbing and was now clutching onto my arm, this being the one thing keeping me together, the contact between us relieving any anxieties that this was all over before it had even started.

Once we had reached out floor Ari fumbled around her bag with her left hand, searching for her key.  I noted that this task  would have been far easier if she would have released my arm. A smile came to my face as I realised this must mean that she craved the contact between us as much as I did. She eventually located the key and unlocked the door but did not move to enter. Turning towards her I pried my arm free from her clutches and took both of her delicate hands into my own. Just wanting to look at her for a moment.

Without much thought I began to lean down towards her whilst simultaneously moving my hands from hers, trailing my fingertips along her exposed arms, finally finding her face.

I cupped her slender jaw and pulled her closer to me.The electricity coursed between us,  tethering us together until finally our lips met.

They crashed together. Moving in perfect synchronicity against each other. I pulled he closer to me, moving my arms from her jaw to circle around her back until every inch of our bodies were woven together like a delicate tapestry. She started to tug me into the apartment and I obliged by matching each small step she made. Pulling me tthe couch into the centre of the room she broke the kiss for just a moment  as we settled onto the couch. She climbed into my lap and deepened the kiss.

A crash of thunder brought us back into reality, falling away from each other as a flash of lightening caused the dark room to be illuminated for just a second, the light passing through the large windows lining the wall.

We were both breathless, she was still in my lap, I felt on fire. Tears suddenly began to spill from her eyes, they fell like crystals from the sky. She jumped up out of my lap and tore the locket from her throat, throwing it to the ground

"GET OUT!" she screamed. The tears began to fall faster, she fell to the floor and gripped the rug, her knuckles turning white as she clenched it with all of her strength.

I was frozen for a moment, unable to move with shock.

"Get out." Not a yell this time but a whisper. 

I forced myself to stand and backed out of the room towards the door.  Every fibre of my being wanted to reach out and touch her, to soothe her but it was clear that I was the root of her pain.  

Before leaving the apartment I managed to force out a breathless, I'm sorry, though I was certain she didn't hear it and pulled the door shut softly behind me leaving her alone.