Before It's Too Late

Chapter 3

🎵That I'm waking the next day

Without you beside me🎶

🎶And who I hold on to today

Tomorrow might just be a memory🎵

AVERY WOKE UP, FEELING the cell phone in her hand. Her eyelids were feeling heavy and swollen. Seeing the pieces of broken glass on the floor started the waterworks. The time on her phone says 3 a.m. David hadn't come back since last night.

No text or even a missed call. Her chest heaved deep, followed by uncontrollable sobbing. Another first for her. The David she knew would never let the clock strike midnight without texting or calling her. The David she fell in love with would never leave her alone at night. He would never leave her side, especially when she wasn't feeling well, even with just a sign of a simple cold.

Three a.m. turned into 5 a.m. Two hours had passed with her comparing what the David she knew would do and what David was now doing. Then, before tears started falling again, Avery heard his car parking in the garage. The shattered glass on the floor came to mind.

"Shit!" She didn't have time to clean up. Immediately, she pulled the duvet towards her body and pretended to be asleep. David entered the room quietly. Since he didn't glance in her direction, he didn't see her watching him. When he went for the light switch, Avery closed her eyes.

"What the hell? Bloody shit!" David's voice echoed in the room.

He stepped on the floor where the pieces of broken glass were. Avery was lying deadly still, pretending to be sleeping deeply. 

David's face was scowling; he was clearly in pain as he removed a few pieces of glass from his foot. At that moment, Avery felt the fragments of broken glass stung on David's skin where the pieces of her broken heart were. Each piece tried to fight back against the person who caused her terrible pain.

"What the fuck happened here? Why was this broken?" David cursed and complained in a whisper. 

When Avery felt him slowly getting on his side of the bed, she prayed for restraint and strength. David must have believed that Avery was asleep. He must have been unaware she had been observing him all along. He'd cleaned the broken glass in fifteen minutes, sneaked in a shower, and placed his clothes in the washer.

She was so tempted to confront him and wanted so much to get answers. But she couldn't seem to find the courage. Her mind had been telling her to go for it, but her heart was too afraid, too weak. So, though David's body was next to hers, it was the first time in their more than a year of being together that Avery felt so alone.

She couldn't help but remember how and when their story started. She'd treasured their happy moments together over the last year, but now they were in danger of becoming just memories. She still couldn't believe she was in the same bed with someone she trusted her heart to be married to, who, in less than twenty-four hours, seemed like a stranger. She tried hard to sleep again by assuring herself that David was beside her. But was he really with her? A question she felt was worth millions. Finally, though her mind was fighting the urge to go into a deep slumber, her body gave in. 

***

"Ave, are you okay, babe? You've been pale and quiet since you blacked out last week."

"I'm good. I just easily get tired these days." Avery replied as the corner of her eyes crinkled. She couldn't understand how he could act so normally.

David scanned her expression. "Don't you think you need to go to the doctor?"

She shook her head. "Don't worry about me. I'll visit Shelly this week. I'm sure she can do a routine check-up on me if I can't get a schedule with my primary."

David nodded. "How's Shelly, by the way? How's their wedding prep going on?"

"I think she's having second thoughts." Avery watched as David slowly sipped his coffee. "I can't blame her. She caught Art cheating again."

David's eyes widened as he controlled the mug in his hand, and he almost spat out his coffee. She silently apologized to her friend. Avery couldn't think of any better answer to David's question. She didn't say it to jinx her best friend's wedding preparations. She only wanted to get David's reaction.

"What do you mean, babe? Did she confirm it?" He focused his eyes on her.

"We haven't talked about the details. I'll update you once I get the juicy part!"

"Don't you think Shelly wasn't fully trusting Art because of what he'd done before? She needs to move past it so they can move on, especially now that they are getting married soon. What do you think, babe?"

"Maybe. I hope it's just a misunderstanding. It's hard to break one's trust. Especially since Shelly forgave him before. But I don't know what I could have done if I was Shelly. I would never want to share you with another woman." Avery stared at David as she held her bread knife. "I might kill her, or I might kill you, babe."

"Um... Babe. We're talking about Shelly here. It isn't about us." The color drained from David's face as he watched Avery stab her pancake with all her might.

He gulped the glass of juice and a bottle of water in less than ten seconds. His Adam's apple bobbled up and down, wanting to pop out of his throat. Avery chewed her pancake without removing her glare from David.

"Did I get you there?" Avery crackled. "I was joking! I know you wouldn't even get a chance to think of doing such a thing. You wouldn't give me any reason to doubt you. All the more to kill someone!"

"Uh, ah, of course, babe," David answered as little sweats formed on his forehead.

"Speaking of..." Avery pointed to her phone. "Shelly is ringing me now. " She stood up. "Let me talk to her while you finish your breakfast. Then I'll wait for you in the car." She winked at David and walked toward the door.

David nodded, his face flustered. He looked like he was about to choke. He took a deep breath when Avery started walking. But her loud voice echoed.

"Shells! How are you? Are you going to kill someone this time? Who? I suggest you just cut Art's dick and balls into pieces!"

***