Cheater
Pieces Come Together
She laid in bed, staring at her hand, where, between her fingers, she flipped the engagement ring over for hours on end. It was the first time she had touched it since she took it off two weeks ago. She had thrown a blanket over the spot on the floor where it laid until the early that morning, when she woke up from a deep nightmare about something she couldn't quit remember. It had been dark and consuming. She crawled out of bed without thought, wandering over to the ring and picking it up like it would shatter in her hands at the slightest misstep.
She returned to bed with it and hadn't moved since. Finally she allowed herself to slip it back onto her ring finger on her left hand. She immediately starting crying. Tears had been flowing from her blue eyes for only a few minutes when there was a sharp knock at her door. She assumed it was another visit from her sister, or best friend, who had been stopping by occasionally to offer their support.
With a thick blanket wrapped around her, she shuffled from her bed to the door and opened it without thinking. Patrice stood in the door, his face looking positively overjoyed with hope and happiness.
She went to slam the door shut, but he blocked it with his strong hand. "Wait, please."
She looked at him angrily. "You have five words."
"I can't live without you."
The words made her want to cry more. She felt the same way. But she also felt: "I can't live with you after what you did."
The blanket slid off her shoulder. She grabbed it with her hand, exposing the ring on her finger. His eyes lit up.
"Baby," he whispered.
She shook her head. "No. Don't."
He moved closer anyway, until she was enveloped in his arms.
"No," she said with a muffled voice into his chest.
He rocked her back and forth, holding on tight, for his life.
"I hate you," she croaked, not moving from the cozy safeness of his strong arms wrapped around her.
"So do I," he said. He sounded lost; more sad than she ever thought someone like him could feel. It sounded like she felt. She identified with him. Maybe...just maybe.
She shook her head into his broad, muscular chest.
He told her over and over again how much he loved her, not letting go. She nodded, and didn't try to move, either.
She returned to bed with it and hadn't moved since. Finally she allowed herself to slip it back onto her ring finger on her left hand. She immediately starting crying. Tears had been flowing from her blue eyes for only a few minutes when there was a sharp knock at her door. She assumed it was another visit from her sister, or best friend, who had been stopping by occasionally to offer their support.
With a thick blanket wrapped around her, she shuffled from her bed to the door and opened it without thinking. Patrice stood in the door, his face looking positively overjoyed with hope and happiness.
She went to slam the door shut, but he blocked it with his strong hand. "Wait, please."
She looked at him angrily. "You have five words."
"I can't live without you."
The words made her want to cry more. She felt the same way. But she also felt: "I can't live with you after what you did."
The blanket slid off her shoulder. She grabbed it with her hand, exposing the ring on her finger. His eyes lit up.
"Baby," he whispered.
She shook her head. "No. Don't."
He moved closer anyway, until she was enveloped in his arms.
"No," she said with a muffled voice into his chest.
He rocked her back and forth, holding on tight, for his life.
"I hate you," she croaked, not moving from the cozy safeness of his strong arms wrapped around her.
"So do I," he said. He sounded lost; more sad than she ever thought someone like him could feel. It sounded like she felt. She identified with him. Maybe...just maybe.
She shook her head into his broad, muscular chest.
He told her over and over again how much he loved her, not letting go. She nodded, and didn't try to move, either.