Wicked Schemes

Charlie never thought this would happen to them. They were perfect. That couple that everybody looked at as they walked won the street and wondered how two people could look so close … so in love. Maybe she shouldn't duel on the past even though she wanted too. Maybe everything happens for a reason. Maybe it does, but what was the reason? Charlie could think of no reason, she had been trying for three years. Maybe this was the only situation in which there was no reason.

That would be just her luck.

Brian would always be Charlie's number one. She thought of him as her hero, somebody who would always be around, be there for her when she needed him the most. He was, just not in the way that either of them wanted. The pain was worth it if she got to see his smile at the end of it all. It was worth slapping him across the face, if she was going to see him smile in anger afterwards. If she was going to hear his perfect laugh, it was worth it.

Everything meant something if they both got a reaction. Attention seekers? Insane?

They were insane.

There was no two ways about it.

They had always been daring towards each other, wanting to do stupid things with one another, not caring what other people thought of them. Nuts. Wackjobs. Maybe so, but at least they were kept on their toes. Maybe they both belonged in a mental hospital, straight jackets, soft walls, the lot. Maybe they should be locked up away from one another forever. That would do them both good.

They couldn't. They couldn't stay away from each other. They were each others drugs, cliché, but they were. Standing looking at each other crying and screaming, smiling about it. Smiling at the fact the love of their life was writhing in pain beneath them. Loving the fact that their partner was burning from the pain they had caused. Smiling at the other one, loving how much pain they had caused. Smiles. Loving the hurt and heart ache.

"Fuck you, Brian, you've been a snappy bastard all day just get out!" Charlie screamed in his face, her small fists clentched together.

"Me? You're the bitch who decided not to talk to me this morning and fuck off with that slut down the road!" He snapped back.

"Sarah is not a slut! Don't fucking bring her into this."

He got in her face, "She's a fucked up hoe, that's what she is."

Charlie bit her lip and within two seconds Brian had a cut in his forehead. She had lifted a mug and smashed it as hard as she could into his face, cutting her hand as she did so. Nothing mattered, the pure hatred and anger that filled her veins had taken over her.

"You fucking worthless bitch!" He screamed, his hand going down and grabbing a vase to throw at her. She saw it coming and moved out the way as he hand let it go, watching as it shattered across the room.

"Get the fuck out! Get out!"

"I hope you fucking choke." He spat before turning around to the door.

Charlie reached down, her fingers sticking into the shattered glass vase on the living room floor. Brian had smashed it right before storming out of the house a few hours ago, no doubt gone to get smashed as friends house and come home in an even worse mood than he went out in. Charlie had napped trying to get away from the pain, her head pounding and her throat sore from all the shouting.

She couldn't imagine her Saturday nights not being this way, she couldn't imagine Brian leaving. She loved him. She loved the horrible truth he'd spit at her about how she looked or how she acted, she loved that he would tell her exactly how he felt no matter what the time or the place. She fell for it too. She fell for everything, even when it wasn't the truth. He fed her them, and she took them.

This wasn't going to end. It was going to end until one of them cracks. They were both too strong willed too tell each other sorry, but both far too weak to leave each other. It was an endless cycle of pain, regret and love. One they would stuck in forever unless one of them finally chokes. Until one of them finally dies, this would repeat itself forever.

It ached for either of them to think about it, they both knew it though, they both knew that this would have to end one of them. Both of them prayed it would be themselves, they couldn't live without the other. They loved each other. They did, despite everything they loved each other with all their hearts. Charlie knew that Brian loved her, and Brian knew that Charlie loved him. They both just had a fucked up way of showing it.

They could love each other a little too much.

The door burst open. Charlie froze, listening to the door lock and Brian's uneven steps. He was drunk, he was beyond drunk. She looked up to see him standing in the door frame, one arm above his head resting against the wood. His eyes were narrowed but he had a satisfied smirk on his face, probably because he caught her picking up the mess he had caused.

She shook her head and him and placed the glass in the bin next to their flat screen TV. She crossed her arms and stared at the huge gash on her forehead, one that she had caused. Instant guilt filled her heart when she thought about what she had done to him last night. He had only tried to hug her and she pushed him as hard as she could into their coffee table, Brian somehow landed it in face first.

“I-I'm sorry, Brian.” She told him, walking over to him and placing her arm softly on his arm.

As soon as her hand touched him, he pushed her back with so much force that she almost lost her balance. She didn't though, she stayed strong on her feet shooting him the same confusing look that she shot him when he approached her last night. Charlie reached her arm out again and placed it in the same spot, opening her mouth trying to say sorry again.

“Don't fucking touch me!” Brian screamed, taking a step back and raising his hand.

Charlie held her breath and spun around on her heel. She was running. She ran from the living room right into the kitchen, Brian was hot on her heels, following her every move. She knew he would follow her, she knew exactly what he was doing. She closed her eyes and waited for the insult, knowing her come back already, one that would cut him deep, one that was probably true. He needed to hurt.

"Fucking bitch." He seethed, breathing it right down her neck.

"Alcoholic cunt" She spat back.

Charlie leant against the refrigerator when she saw Brian stop and place his elbows on the breakfast bar. They both stared at each other, their eyes burning holes into one another. Charlie wouldn't pull away, Brian refused to be the first to turn away. After two solid minutes of staring, Brian lifted himself up and walking towards her with his arms out. Charlie shook her head, shoving at his chest when he tried to wrap him large arms around her.

"I hate you."

"I hate you too."

It was that moment she saw the look in his eyes. The look that told her that he was here for her. No matter how many fights, no matter the pain they caused one another. They always had each other. He had hit her twice last night, she hit him three times... or was it four? They had both lost count. Did it matter? Not really, it would probably happen again. It would happen again, there was no doubt about it. They would hit each other again, with more force, with more hate. Probably later on, probably tomorrow morning.

"Sure." He smirked.

Brian bit the inside of his cheek. He was about to slap her again for pushing him away, but he just managed to stop himself. It was clear to him that they needed some sort of help. Counselling wasn't an option. He refused it. There wasn't really a reason why, maybe it was because he knew that Charlie wanted it and he didn't want to give into her that easily. It could have been that he didn't want anybody else knowing about their problems.

On the outside they looked normal, Brian even punched a glass bottle in a guys face at Johnny's bar last week for flirting with his wife. She was his and the thought of another man all over her made him sick to his stomach. There was no way in fuckin' hell anybody else is going to touch his property. He always hit people for talking to her. He almost punched his friend Matt before for hugging her, Jimmy had to literally grab his fist and pull it backwards to stop him from throwing a punch. Brian felt like she could fall for anyone. He felt like she was far too good for him and she would eventually give up on him. What he didn't know was that she felt exactly the same about him, the thoughts raced through her head daily.

But that's something he's never done, cheated on her, he couldn't. Nobody else mattered too him. Being a rockstar he had plently of offers, but no. He couldn't. No matter how many hits or fights, his wedding ring wouldn't come off.

Charlie had never cheated on him either. They were both too scared of the consequences. Brian couldn't think about watching Charlie walk away from him. She never would. He would rather her die than be with another man. He had told her that if she ever try and walk out on him, he would kill her. He would as well, kill her, he wouldn't leave a trace. He'd tie her to their huge, four post bed and burn the whole house down, laughing as it went up in flames. He'd probably kill himself after, he couldn't live without her after all. Maybe it would be better if they were both dead anyway, they could be together in heaven then.

He looked up to be met with a sad look. Charlie's face was soaking with silent tears, her chest panting in and out as quickly as a rabbits. Brian reached out and pulled her into his chest, ignoring the fact that she was punching him and clawing at his arms for him to let her go. He never did. He held her tightly until she finally went limp and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him back. Brian could feel her tears soaking into his shirt, a small spot on his chest getting warmer and warmer. He closed his eyes to stop his own tears from falling, inhaling deeply through his nose and placing his head on top of hers.

It was moments like these that he treasured. Moments when their love pushed through. That's what all of this was down too at the end of the day, love.

After a while of standing, Brian heard her sobs stop and her grip around his waist loosen. She'd fallen asleep against him. It was probably the only sleep she had gotten in twenty-four hours. Brian knew that Charlie couldn't sleep knowing that he was angry with her. She couldn't sleep when anyone was angry with her put especially not Brian. She had nightmares when she went to bed angry and when he went to bed angry. It wasn't just one thing, it was a lot of things. Everything piled on top and she couldn't take it.

She was too scared but she also hated the thought of waking up with him not there. Her mind just wouldn't let her. He knew it too, he worked it out long ago. Knowing that if he woke her she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep he carefully lifted her up into his arms bridal style and headed for their bedroom. He looked down at her face, tracing the hand print on her face with his eyes. The hand print he had gave her a couple of days ago, it still hadn't healed.

He pushed open the door with his foot, making sure his grip on her stayed tight. Their bedroom smelt of his cologne, he must have sprayed too much when he went out. Her head rocked back when Brian pulled back the duvet and placed her on her side of their bed, furtherest away from the door and closest to the window. Carefully he took her socks off, then unbuckled her belt and slid them down her purple legs.

He cringed and looked away from the destruction he had caused, throwing the heavy jeans on the floor with a soft thump. Walking around to his side of the bed he took everything except his boxers off and slid in next to her, reaching over and placing the duvet around her shoulder. Charlie yawned and turned herself over so that her back was facing him. Brian's tattooed hand came up and his index finger softly traced a gash on her back, it was still an open wound. After a while his eyes closed and he leaned forward so that his head was resting against the bottom of her neck.

“You're fucking stupid.” He whispered, letting himself go into a not-so-peaceful