Unlasting

Rachael

Driving as fast as I was in the middle of the night was the stupidest thing I had ever done in my twenty one years of existence but this was something I had to do for love. I never thought a day would come where looking ridiculous in my pajamas as I drove almost twelve miles as fast as my car could go would be the least important thing in any situation. But here I was, driving at top speed to get to my bestie who had called me on a pay phone, crying. She tried explaining what was wrong but with the crying and the snorting, I could only hear her in fractions and I wasn't sure what she was saying, although I heard Adrian's name and if it turns out that bastard had hurt her, somebody was going to lose a vital part of his body.

"Brie? My God, what happened?" I ran towards her, folding her in my embrace as I noticed how cold her body was and the absence of a thick coat. She looked like she had run out of her mothers house leaving some of her belongings there. Her makeup was smeared and her eyes didn't carry the glow it had been carrying for the past few months. That was a glow even I couldn't create in all the years I had known her and now it was gone and I didn't know if it would ever come back.

"C'mon, get up Brie. Let's get you home."

The minute we entered the house she rushed to her bedroom, I followed behind only to get the door slammed in my face. As I stood there too confused to do anything and deliberating on how best to approach her, a knock came, guessing who it was I immediately opened up, but when I saw Adrian looking pale and frightened like he was afraid he'd lost something, made the yelling I had prepared to do seize in my throat. For a split second I felt sympathetic towards him until I remembered seeing Brie sitting in the cold and looking all helpless.

"What the hell happened Adrian?" I yelled.

"Let me see her, please Rachael. I need to explain myself, please." He looked anxious, fidgeting with every word. His body movements made me feel even more sorry for him and I found myself talking more softly in my angry state.

"I don't think that's a good idea. You hurt her Adrian and this was the one thing I begged you not to do. She's known nothing but pain all her life, I thought she finding you was a good thing, but I guess I was wrong."

"I could never hurt her on purpose. Things just happened beyond my control. I wanted to tell her, I just didn't know how. I wasn't supposed to..."

He stumbled with words and I couldn't put together what he was trying to say. He was breathing very hard with every word that came out of his mouth and my heart reached out to him, but I couldn't do anything, my hands were tied. I knew Brie and she wouldn't want to see him now because if she did she would regret it and blame herself for whatever wrong outcome she may cause.

"I love her Rach," his hands ravaged his hair as he bit his lower lips, "I really do. I haven't told her yet but I can't lose her before letting her know how much she means to me." He pleaded desperately with his eyes.

"I'll see what I can do. Just... wait out here while I talk to her."

"Thank you, Rach."

I agreed to do this but it was only for Brie's sake and not for his. I saw how happy she was with Adrian and I just want her to keep feeling that way. I know Adrian is a good man and whatever he may have done, I believe he had a good reason for it, nonetheless, he hurt her and that is unforgivable . Then again, how could I judge when I know nothing of what had transpired between them.

"Brie, he's here." She ignored me.

"He won't leave until you talk to him."

"Tell him to go away Rach, please," she's crying and talking. "I don't want to talk to him. He lied to me."

"I know sweetheart, but don't you want to know why he lied?"

"He may have good reason Brie and he's here, begging to see you. Doesn't that count for something? I don't know what happened and I'm not in any position to tell you what to do but if I were you I would hear him out. Not because he deserves it, but because you do."

I waited for a response from her, after about five minutes of nothing, I left.

"I'm sorry Adrian, she doesn't want to talk to you. You should go and come back another day." His shoulders dropped like he just heard someone had died.

"Let me go in and talk to her, please"

"I don't think that's a good idea, she is..."

"Let him come in, Rach. It's fine" Brie cuts in.

I stepped away from the door as Adrian followed Brie into her room.