The ceremony is over in a blur. But, the handsome German is now the talk of the party.

Whispers and rumours swirled around the lavish estate about the tall stranger that crashed the wedding. Daniel politely introduced himself to everyone that wormed their way to us to discern who he was.

"Don't devour all the food or you won't have space for the actual meal." I say amusedly as Daniel takes his third serving of shellfish from a long table set in the property gardens.

"This isn't the meal?"

I shake my head a burst out with laughter at his comical expression.

"Are you telling me that this long table full of food is only the starters?"

I nod and bite my lip. I realise how life is so much brighter with him near me. "Clearly you have never attended an Italian wedding before." I giggle. "Have you not seen the performers when we were walking towards the estate? Or the over the top bouncing castle for the kids over there, or even the fact that we are standing outside this place with this long table while inside they are setting up the tables?"

Daniel looks inside and squints at the sight of servers running around setting the tables with silverware. "Remind me never to take you to a German wedding," he says deadpan.

I chuckle. "This is a bit over the top... even for Italians, to be honest."

"There you are!" my mom says while walking over to us. "How are you enjoying yourself so far, Daniel?"

"Food is delicious, and the company is even better." He says and steals a glance towards me.

"I'm glad to hear this." My mom says with a twinkle of mischief in her eyes. "Your cousin wants a couple of pictures with you and the other rugrats."

"Do I have to?" I say whiningly. I hate taking family photos particularly in this setting where I need to pretend I actually like any of these people. 

"Yes, you have to. I'll keep Daniel company. Now, go, go." My mother shushes me away as fast as possible.

I give my most apologetic look at Daniel, that seems amused with my interactions with my progenitor, and waves me goodbye cheerfully.

Forty minutes. The photoshoot takes forty minutes. An endless stream of poses. Crying and rebelliousness from the youngest of us that could not be bothered about the bride and groom's insistence in taking several pictures of all the cousins. I'm sure I look annoyed in every single picture taken and I couldn't care less. I feel hungry and secretly wish I had taken a bite of the diverse delicacies on that table. Daniel must be overflowing with food, while I'm secretly fading without it.

By the time we make our way back, all the other guests are already inside the dining hall. I find my table and see Daniel talking excitedly with my mother that it sitting next to him.

"You definitely make some time to explore some galleries in New York while you are there. You'll be surprised at the number of young artists that you can find in the most unexpected places." Mother says to Daniel before looking up at me. "Look who is back!" she greets me.

"I thought I had to send a search party." Daniel eyes me amusedly.

I slump in my seat and take a bread roll and take an angry bite from it. "I thought it would never end! Why you didn't come to rescue me?"

"Well, your mom..."

"Giovanna!" mother screams my aunt's name when she passes through our table. "Hai conosciuto Daniel? È seduto al nostro tavolo." (Have you met Daniel? He is sitting at our table.)

I snort with laughter, and Daniel gives me a quizzical look. My aunt smiles politely before moving on swiftly.

"You did it again!" I retort without being able to contain my laughter.

My mother just shrugs in response. In fact, mom remarked at least twice during dinner service about Daniel occupying the last dinner place available to several family members and, of course, my dear aunt. I chuckle every single time her cheeks turned red, with the counter-argument of the merits of getting handsome strangers to sit at her daughter's wedding.

Meanwhile, Daniel and I laughed and conversed as if I had just seen him yesterday. He spoke about New York with my mother, and every time the conversation steered towards art, his eyes lifted and his voice spoke with an unseen clarity.

Eventually, the soft tones of a piano being played on stage cuts through the noise across the room with the newlywed couple twirling around the dancefloor. Soon, others join. I lean my head on my folded arms, embracing the chair, smiling.

"Shall we?"

I look up at Daniel, who takes my hand and softly pulls me up. We walk across the dance floor full with warm bodies that steal glances at our slow catwalk towards the dancefloor.

Daniel spins me around and embraces me in a dance. Our bodies connect through a veil of thin distance and his eyes don't waver from mine.

"Are they looking?" he whispers.

"Incessantly" I respond.

He smiles and takes me across the floor, moving rhythmically his feet with mine in sync to a love ballad.

"I'm glad they are looking. You are the most beautiful woman here."

"Well, I hope the bride doesn't hear you saying that..."

He laughs. "To me you are."

Our eyes meet once again. My heart halts. I catch my breath. His lips approach slowly to mine. His gaze unwavering from my eyes.

"Can I?" he asks hesitantly.

"Yes, you..."

His lips cut my reply. Abruptly, passionately, and unwaveringly, I'm once again in his arms. We lose ourselves in the shared kiss that breaks when the music ends. I open my eyes and Daniel caresses my face tenderly.

"Do you want to get out of here?" I ask.

"Won't your family wonder where we are?"

I look around the room. I know my... our absence will be noted. But, I also know that I have some measly hours left with him here. It will hurt when he's gone. But regret can only hurt more.

"I don't care."

I pull him and we beeline towards the exit, leaving everyone else behind us. We make our way to the hotel and with every step, the pent up desire only grows. The tangled sheets the next morning reveal the wild, passionate night shared.

Laying in bed with Daniel, I twirl my hand on his hair as if we were still laying in the apartment back in Meerbusch.

"Some habits still stand, I see," he says with a smile on his face.

I lean towards him and plant a kiss on his nose before laying my head on his chest. He kisses the top of my head and we both allow ourselves to melt into one another.

"Thank you for coming," I finally whisper.

He plays with my hair by combing it using his fingers and allowing it to rest on his bare chest. "My pleasure, Kleiner. I loved spending time with you. Loved meeting your mom, too."

"She also liked you. I could tell. And you both really bonded when talking about art."

He hums softly in response.

"Did you guys talk about your paintings?"

"No," he responds flatly.

I stay silent, knowing I touched a nerve.

"Hey." He lifts my chin so my eyes meet his. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

He frowns. "I know when you're lying, Nat. Is it because of the art thing?"

"No. Yes. I guess." I get up and cross my legs. "I just don't get why you can't just talk to her. She works in a gallery."

Daniel gets up and sits on the bed. "I talked to her about it. I talked about her work and what galleries I should visit in New York..."

"But not about your paintings. About your art."

"I don't have art. Bitte fangen Sie nicht wieder an." (Please don't start this.) He glares at me. "I don't want to fight, so don't start a fight."

I get up and pull the white sheets to cover my body. "I'm not starting anything." And make my way to the bathroom.

Daniel leaps across the bed and stops me. "You are. Please, don't do this. I came here..." he stops himself.

"Why are you here?"

"To see you. To be with you. But, I didn't come here to re-do our fight again. So, please don't."

I shake my head. I realise that as much as I miss him. The thorn in this relationship is still very much there, poking its way through both our hearts.

"I miss you too. So much."

Daniel embraces me. "So, please, can we just be for the time we have left? With no talk of art or anything else? I just need to lose myself in you."

We stay still until his phone rings. He releases me and reaches for his phone.

"I need to take this."

He answers the call and I go to the bathroom, giving him privacy to take his call. I get dressed and wash my face to remove any traces of the make-up that still lingers on my face. I pull up my hair and look at myself in the mirror before returning to the room.

When I open the door, I hear Daniel's hushed tone.

"I haven't asked her yet."

I get out of the room, and Daniel looks up at me.

He clears his throat. "I'll speak to you later."

I frown. He's speaking in English. Who is he speaking to?

"Ask me what?"

Daniel rubs his face and looks down.

"Who was on the phone?"

He looks at the device in his hand. "Emily and Gunther."

"What do they want?" I ask.

"They wanted to know if I had asked you..." he stops mid-way through his sentence and avoids looking at me.

"Ask me what?" I insist.

Daniel gets up and paces. "I miss you like crazy."

My heart melts. "I miss you too. So much."

Daniel pulls his hair and strides across the room before capturing my lips in a long kiss. "I love you, Natalie." he whispers.

"I love you too." I realise that this is the first time we say it out loud despite texting it to each other twice before our break-up. Our break-up... "Daniel..."

"Come with me."

I glance at him, surprised.

"Come with me to New York, please."

My mouth opens wide. "Is that what you came here to ask me?"

Daniel nods. "I needed to try one last time. Please come with me to New York."

"Daniel..." I shake my head, on the verge of tearing up.

"You can work in the company with me. I'll get everything sorted with Markus..."

"Daniel!" I shout.

Daniel stands still. He knows my answer. 

"I got an offer of work from a publisher."

"To write?"

"To work as a manuscript reviewer."

"I see..." He lowers his head. "There are publishers in New York."

I look down. For someone that didn't want to fight, he's doing a terrible job at it.

"There are companies in London, and art galleries..." I can't resist the dig.

Daniel's eyes turn cold. "Seriously? After I asked you to let it go?"

"You didn't let New York go. In fact, you came all the way here to not let it go!" I raise my voice, frustrated.

Daniel walks away from me and walks over to the window. "I came here because I'm miserable without you and I know you're miserable without me."

"I have to follow my dream. We had this conversation."

He looks down at the floor. "I never asked anyone else to move in with me before... " He looks up at me. "That's what I'm asking here. For us to start a life together in New York."

My heart clutches. Starting a life with Daniel seems perfect if it wasn't for the nagging reality.

"We can't start a life together when we don't see eye to eye on how we lead our life together."

He shakes his head. "That's not true. We see many things in the same way. You know this."

"But we don't see a huge one in the same way. What will happen if I move to New York? Work with you and be miserable for the rest of my days, or try my dream there while you resent me for not contributing enough?"

"I wouldn't resent you."

"But, you will. You think these dreams are foolish. Right now you are blinded by emotion. But, in a couple of years you will start resenting me for not doing the same as you."

Daniel stands still. My words left to linger.

"I need to pursue my dream. You need to pursue your career." I reiterate. "That's what tore us apart in the first place. Nothing has changed."

Daniel's face turns stoic. "Then I don't think I can continue doing this." He gestures to us. "I can't be keeping this with you. It's not fair on us."

"What do you mean?" My face falters.

"It's too much. We should treat this as it is. A break-up. Pretending that we are friends when we are not is not reasonable. We were together and now we are not."

His words cut through my like glass and before I know it, Daniel collects his clothes from the floor and makes his way to the entrance.

"I need to move on from you." He holds my face softly and caresses my cheek. "Goodbye, Natalie."