"I know. I want you to be happy, and if those kind of freakish good looks made you happy, so be it," he said.

"Michael said he just wasn't the one. And maybe he was right. I left fesse, and I left him because I could leave him. I love him, but I was able to go."

Alex nodded as if he understood.

Nightktscape

"I never forgot this night," she said.

"Me either," he replied. "Come on."

Alex led her to the side of the gym. On the way she noticed that everyone else had disappeared. Now it was just the two of them, alone in the gym. He stopped in front of the punch bowl and poured two cups, giving her one. "It's funny the things you miss," he said as he raised his glass.

Isabel touched hers to his. "To old friends," she said.

"To the future," he replied pointedly. Alex took a long sip, finishing the punch in one gulp.

"Isabel, you know you have to move on," he said. But as he spoke he was looking at her intently, "I mean really move on," he said. He paused for a moment and said, "It's getting late."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"It means I have to move on too," he explained, "but I can't if you keep me here."

"I have tried. I don't know how to," she said. She was lying and afraid that he could see the lie on her face. Keeping him to herself was selfish, but she couldn't let go. She couldn't give him up yet.

"Okay," he said gently, "just try, okay?"

Isabel nodded, and then he leaned down and kissed her softly, and sweetly. "It's getting late," he said.

Then Alex disappeared. The room went dark, and Isabel was alone.

Then there were voices. They were talking, calling her to them.

"How about the deli?" someone said.

Isabel opened her eyes. She was in the van. They were parked on the street in a town somewhere.

"Deli food sounds good to me," she said quickly.