Wounds That Won't Heal

Christine bolted from the room as Ray had commented about old habits dying hard. As it wasn’t bad enough to walk in on your boyfriend feeling up another man but then to hear something to show it wasn’t the first time. She heard him calling her name and she ran blindly to escape from the man the she loved. The man who had just mere moments before shattered her heart within her body. Her vision obscured by tears she didn’t see the figure in her path until it was too late to avoid hitting them. As she struck they grunted and she felt herself ricochet backwards and fell. She heard Ray running towards her and she tried to scramble to her feet and run again. She felt a hand grip her waist and she screamed as she struggled, “let me go!”

Ray turned the corner to see his girlfriend twist in Bob’s arms and fling her arms around him as if he would protect her. In all honesty Bob just looked deeply confused and unsure of what to do. Ray motioned for Bob to hold to sobbing girl which Bob did with a degree of uncertainty. Ray did not step forward as he spoke, “Chrissie, you were not meant to see that and that was the first time…”

Christine snorted a laugh, “yeah like I imagine you sick enough to arrange for me to see you wanking off your band mate!” she felt Bob stiffen in reaction but she didn’t see the wave of understanding cross his face. She spun suddenly to meet Ray’s eyes, her own burning in anger, “don’t give me the first time bull shit; I heard the bit about old habits!”

“I was going to say it was the first time in a long time which it was,” He sighed, “we were together but we split when I met you and he met Alicia and I swear nothing happened from then until tonight. We… we just… well… lost control I guess.”

Christine turned again and buried her face in Bob’s chest, “oh, lost control?” she began to cry again, her body shaking in Bob’s gentle hold, “Ray, I love you so much that I never thought it would end. I can’t get past this though so I guess this is it. End of the road.”

Ray reached out to touch her back and Bob saw that Ray was crying to, “I love you too and always will; please know that,” his hand fell away and there was a moment of silence, “I wish I knew what to say to you right now but I just…,” his voice trailed away.

Christine sniffed, “there are none babe I just... I just hope you two will be as happy as you looked just then,” her sobbing grew harder at this time and then she whispered her final words to her love, “goodbye Ray,” as she heard his footsteps retreating she slid to the floor in tears and Bob moved with her as he let his hold increase in strength,

What none of them had seen was Alicia standing in a doorway looking increasingly horrified as what she was hearing had its full impact. They were talking about her Mikey; the guy she had arranged to marry that very night. She went a way that wouldn’t take her past Bob and Christine to make her way to Ray’s room. She looked in and saw the two hugging but then Ray had just lost his girl and they were friends, right? She burst into the room which startled both men. Her gaze fixed to Mikey as she cried out, “tell me it’s not true?”