Status: Finished :)
I Didn't Know I Could Break Your Heart
Timing Is Everything
"That... was probably a mistake," Marrietta whispered as she looked around at the wreckage. Glass from a broken bottle of cologne was littered across the golden covers which had been thrown from the bed. The sheets, and the comforter's stuffing, spanned the length of the room. It was the scene of a disaster.
She leaned over the side of the bed and snatched her t-shirt from the ground. As she went to pull it over her head, she noticed a large tear down the front. She fingered it carefully and sighed.
Rudy merely watched her, almost curiously. The mess in the room did not seem to bother him in the least. He had probably seen much worse.
"I know that," he replied quietly.
Pausing, Marrietta glanced towards him. She opened her mouth, stopped and then began again, "Why wouldn't you have told me that before it happened then?"
He shrugged, "You didn't want to hear it." He reached over and grabbed his boxers from where they lay on top of the sheets. His hands were shaking as he added, "It was a bad idea eight years ago too. You didn't want to hear it then either."
She could sense the pain in his voice. All of his movements were careful, calculated. He was trying so hard not to break in front of her. He had probably never broke in front of anybody. Pushing aside her hesitation, she grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Rudy murmured gently. He pushed her back as if he believed she was as delicate as a butterfly. "I may be young... but seven times in a row is kind of my limit. And, also, I usually stop when the girl figures out it was a mistake."
"No," She whispered, placing her lips against his, but not kissing him just yet. Her lips tingled as she spoke, "I just need you to know, that you mean a lot to me, Rudy. You're not a rebound. You're worth too much to be a rebound."
He pressed his lips into hers and pushed her back into the pillows. She could feel his smile against her lips. It was a real smile; not the doped up smile she was used to seeing him with.
***
"Maybe eight is my limit then," Rudy commented mildly. Marrietta smiled, so he added, "What? Eight is pretty amazing for a sixteen year old, let alone a twenty-six year old."
Marrietta shook her head, trying not to laugh. He looked so innocent lying there in the ruined covers. No one would ever guess what a troubled and terrible soul he was. He nudged her lightly under the covers.
"Seriously, what's with the smile?"
"That time..." She shrugged, "It wasn't a mistake."
The innocence in his eyes was gone without warning. Licking his lips, he swore. His eyes were becoming darker, somehow pushing out the sunlight that was streaming in through the windows. His head hanging down onto his chest, he whispered, "I am a horrendous person."
"Rudy-"
He moved away from her touch so fast he fell off the mattress. Tears stained his gorgeous brown eyes as he looked at her. Opening his mouth, he hesitated, and then murmured, "Do you know why I broke up with you?"
Marrietta shook her head.
"I broke up with you because Tyler had a full-on mental breakdown when he saw you on TV in our freshman year of college and tried to kill himself. After he told me he was still in love with you... I couldn't keep treating you like shit knowing he was what you were running away from." Rudy explained calmly.
"I don't see how-"
"He's my best friend, Mary!" Rudy exploded, jumping to his feet, "He's one hundred percent, head-over-heels, in love with you, you're in love with him and I'm trying to steal you from him because I've never felt anything before and feelings for you are apparently so damned strong that they make people want to kill themselves that I thought maybe, just maybe... they might be able to break through the haze."
She reached out cautiously, as if he were a bird that would fly away, and touched his arm. Rudy shivered and placed his hand over hers. Leaning forward to kiss his forehead, she whispered, "I'm not his. So you can't possibly steal me."
"Whatever you say," he murmured, "Whatever you say."
She leaned over the side of the bed and snatched her t-shirt from the ground. As she went to pull it over her head, she noticed a large tear down the front. She fingered it carefully and sighed.
Rudy merely watched her, almost curiously. The mess in the room did not seem to bother him in the least. He had probably seen much worse.
"I know that," he replied quietly.
Pausing, Marrietta glanced towards him. She opened her mouth, stopped and then began again, "Why wouldn't you have told me that before it happened then?"
He shrugged, "You didn't want to hear it." He reached over and grabbed his boxers from where they lay on top of the sheets. His hands were shaking as he added, "It was a bad idea eight years ago too. You didn't want to hear it then either."
She could sense the pain in his voice. All of his movements were careful, calculated. He was trying so hard not to break in front of her. He had probably never broke in front of anybody. Pushing aside her hesitation, she grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Rudy murmured gently. He pushed her back as if he believed she was as delicate as a butterfly. "I may be young... but seven times in a row is kind of my limit. And, also, I usually stop when the girl figures out it was a mistake."
"No," She whispered, placing her lips against his, but not kissing him just yet. Her lips tingled as she spoke, "I just need you to know, that you mean a lot to me, Rudy. You're not a rebound. You're worth too much to be a rebound."
He pressed his lips into hers and pushed her back into the pillows. She could feel his smile against her lips. It was a real smile; not the doped up smile she was used to seeing him with.
***
"Maybe eight is my limit then," Rudy commented mildly. Marrietta smiled, so he added, "What? Eight is pretty amazing for a sixteen year old, let alone a twenty-six year old."
Marrietta shook her head, trying not to laugh. He looked so innocent lying there in the ruined covers. No one would ever guess what a troubled and terrible soul he was. He nudged her lightly under the covers.
"Seriously, what's with the smile?"
"That time..." She shrugged, "It wasn't a mistake."
The innocence in his eyes was gone without warning. Licking his lips, he swore. His eyes were becoming darker, somehow pushing out the sunlight that was streaming in through the windows. His head hanging down onto his chest, he whispered, "I am a horrendous person."
"Rudy-"
He moved away from her touch so fast he fell off the mattress. Tears stained his gorgeous brown eyes as he looked at her. Opening his mouth, he hesitated, and then murmured, "Do you know why I broke up with you?"
Marrietta shook her head.
"I broke up with you because Tyler had a full-on mental breakdown when he saw you on TV in our freshman year of college and tried to kill himself. After he told me he was still in love with you... I couldn't keep treating you like shit knowing he was what you were running away from." Rudy explained calmly.
"I don't see how-"
"He's my best friend, Mary!" Rudy exploded, jumping to his feet, "He's one hundred percent, head-over-heels, in love with you, you're in love with him and I'm trying to steal you from him because I've never felt anything before and feelings for you are apparently so damned strong that they make people want to kill themselves that I thought maybe, just maybe... they might be able to break through the haze."
She reached out cautiously, as if he were a bird that would fly away, and touched his arm. Rudy shivered and placed his hand over hers. Leaning forward to kiss his forehead, she whispered, "I'm not his. So you can't possibly steal me."
"Whatever you say," he murmured, "Whatever you say."