"Hey babe" he says softly "why don't you stay the night?"
I can see his gentle blue eyes twinkle in the fire light
Both of us huddled under blankets
To shelter us from the crisp California breeze
On a foggy spring night
Giving him a smirk, with subtle sadness in my eyes
The kind I hope my mascara hides
Teasing him I answer "I can't"
"That's girlfriend privileges"
He looks down at the fire
Poking it with a tree branch, he nods
Looking back up at me his bright blue eyes piercing mine
He asks compassionately, "who hurt you?"
I break eye contact, wanting to answer honestly
But fiddling with the gold rings on my hands as I do
Spinning one round and round on my finger
"Several people.
Too many people."
He leans closer to me
I can feel his warmth
Smell the sweet musk of his cologne
He gently holds my hands in his
I stop fiddling with my rings
He glides the gold band slowly off my pointer finger
And delicately places it on my ring finger
"One day, I will make sure
The memories of you and me are the only ones that linger"