...The look on her face as she made her way to the window convinced me that maybe there was some truth in what I had just been told. To say she looked happy was an understatement...

...’Angel!’ my heart cried. ‘Angel, Angel, Angel!’ I opened the window and stood back to let him enter. He didn’t move...

...I didn’t need an invitation, but I didn’t want to assume that I was welcome either. All the signs were positive, but I had to be sure...

...I was puzzled. Why was he hesitating? He had an open invitation to my home.

A look of relief washed over him as he stepped through the window and then shut it behind him. He straightened up and looked me in the eye. Everything around me ceased to exist...

I was aware of a song playing in the background. Why was it that every time we met the music was so damn appropriate?..

‘Save me, I’ve fallen from my destiny,
You and I were meant to be, I’ve thrown it all away
Now you’re gone, it’s time for me to carry on,
But Baby I just can’t go on without you by my side’

He seemed distracted.

He came back with a shake of his head.

"Sorry."

"It’s good to see you."

"You too. I’m not keeping you from anything am I?"

He looked me up and down and at once I was conscious of the fact that I was hardly dressed for a cosy night in.

"I decided not to go."

"Oh" was all he said.

"Sit down. Can I get you anything?.."

...I sat on the edge of her bed.

"No I’m fine. Come and sit with me."

"What’s wrong Angel? Has something happened? Is it one of the guys? Is it Giles?"

"No. It’s me."

‘Lately, I’m not who I used to be
Someone’s come and taken me where I don’t wanna go
If I knew, exactly what I had to do
In order to be there for you when you were feeling low’

...I felt my hope fade at his words. So that was it. He’d come to tell me he’d found someone new. Of all the things I could have said, the words I heard myself utter were...

"Tell me," she said softly.

"I shouldn’t have left you."

"Sorry?" Her voice was confused. I guess she didn’t expect me to say that.

"I shouldn’t have left you. All the time I was trying to convince myself that walking away was the right thing, if not for me then certainly for you. That you were so sweet and pure and that you shouldn’t be tied to a monster like me..."

"You’re NOT a monster!"

He smiled at my annoyance.

"I’ve realised now that I was wrong. Call me selfish but I can’t see my ‘life’ without you by my side. I need you. I hope you still need me to."

She broke off for a moment.

"Has there been anyone else?"

I shook my head.

"Never. Riley?.."

..."Never came anywhere close," I breathed and resumed where I’d left off.

‘We can survive it, all the pain we feel inside
You relied on me and now I’ve let you down
Now I promise you forever I will be the best I can
Now I know we can revive it, all the love we left
Everytime I kiss I feel your lips and
Everytime I cry I see your smile and
Everytime I close your eyes I realise that
Everytime I hold your hand in mine
The sweetest thing my heart could ever find and
I have never felt this way since the day I gave your love away’