The Hand of Destiny

ASHLEY’S POV

~

I threw the damaged doors open and rushed in, despite being scared of what I would find.

I was almost relieved to find Andy alive and seemingly unharmed but the look on the other man’s face drowned any relief I felt.

“Ashley?!” I heard Andy gasp. I looked at him, his eyes were ringed with pink and his cheeks tear stained.
His black jacket hung open revealing bruises starting to form on his side.

“Oh! This is your precious little Ashley, is it? He’s a guy! Even if he is rather feminine!”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Who the hell are you?” I growled roughly.

I knew his name already, but I wanted to know his connection to Andy; who was trying to shuffle slowly away from Craig.

“Me?” he laughed, “I’m Andy’s boyfriend, who are you?”

Anger sparked inside of me and Andy started shaking his head at me frantically and Craig spun on him.

Andy’s blue eyes widened in panic and he desperately blurted out “truth or dare!” to me before shutting his mouth tightly and moving back a step from Craig in fear.

Truth or dare? He is the guy Andy was telling me about! They’re not together! He’s the reason Andy didn’t want a relationship with me, because he was scared I was going to be like him! Well, I’ll show him just what happens when you mess with a Purdy, I’ll show him just what happens to anybody who hurts someone I love!

Obviously not caring about what sort of –if any- significance Andy’s words had, the blond haired boy just closed the gap and wrapped his arm around Andy’s neck, drawing him in close to kiss him.

Andy stood there motionless, his arms hanging in their restraints behind his back.

Andy’s frightened eyes linked with mine as Craig pushed his mouth forcefully against his, they conveyed pure misery.

Enraged, I ran forward and my hands connected with the blond boy’s chest causing his tattooed body to fall to the ground.

“Don’t you dare kiss him! You have no right!” I screamed, furious at him for having the audacity to kiss Andy against his will.

“Oh really? What, you jealous that you don’t? And I’ll have you know that I have every right! Andy and I were together for years, we were serious! He just got a little too touchy about the fact that I cared about him so much! It angered me that he pushed me away and then got cross at me when I was protective of him! He started to push me away so I had to close the gap myself! I thought it was just that he had things on his mind but no, he started to clearly not care about me. Do you know how much it hurt when he rejected me that night? We were together for over a year and he still didn’t trust me enough to sleep with me! ‘Why doesn’t he want to be with me anymore?’ I would ask myself, and all I could think of was there being someone else and I was right, wasn’t I Andy? I saw you with that boy the next day at the coffee shop, the one with the long black hair! Well you’re mine again now Andy and not even this little prick here can take you away from me!” he shrieked.

“Wait, what? No, Jinxx is not and never was my boyfriend! But that’s irrelevant though Craig, you were over obsessed with me and it scared me. You slapped me around and hurt me when you thought I was being unfaithful to you but I wasn’t, I was only scared of you hurting me again!” Andy yelled out, finally finding his voice.

“Well, what about the boy with the red fringe then Andy? I know you two were together! You lived together for fucks sake!” Craig replied, equally as loudly.

Actually though, Craig had some sort of point, well, not really but it did make me realise something. How come Andy said he was scared of being in another relationship in case it turned out like his and Craig’s yet he still got together with Kier? He obviously wasn’t worried about that happening with him so why did he take the precaution on me?

“Yes, but we got together well after our relationship ended, not while I was still with you!” Andy’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts in time for me to see Craig stalk forward and grab the edge of his jacket. He was only slightly shorter than Andy and looked more than a bit intimidating.

“So,” Craig replied, his voice dropping dramatically in volume and tone, “what you’re saying is that there are other people on this planet that you want to be with instead of me?”

Andy gulped and his eyes flashed towards me briefly before he stared directly at Craig again.

“Yes” he whispered but with strength and conviction behind it.

Craig took a deep breath, “well okay then, there’s only one thing I can do” in one swift movement he removed the gun from his pocket, flicked the safety off with his finger and aimed it directly at Andy. “The first bullet is going in you and the second is going in me. It’s obvious I can’t have you in this world, so the only way I can make you mine again is in another. Don’t worry baby, it won’t hurt. It’ll be quick and then when you wake up again we’ll be in the afterlife. Just don’t be expecting heaven though, we’re both going to hell; you for leaving me and me for doing this”.

Instinct took over and I rushed towards Andy, the man I loved. I desperately threw myself in front of him, trying to shield him the best I could. I heard a bang and Andy screaming, then the sound of police sirens nearby. ‘You’re too late…’ I felt like calling out as I fell to the cold ground. My vision faded quickly and I blacked out (possibly for ever) to the sound of crying and red and blue lights reflecting off the open apartment block door.