A Meadow Of Wild Flowers

Prologue

Grace was effortless in the eyes of Meadow. She didn't even have to think about it anymore. She'd fought for years to be a beautiful creature in every sense of the word, but it seemed as though all of her efforts were being slaughtered at the hands of the young man before her with a thoughtfully hateful gaze and a sweet face.

He was so painfully deceptive the same way he was heartbreakingly beautiful. Evers was a sight to behold with his short blonde hair and dark brown eyes set into a wonderfully sculpted face. Evers' tactics of manipulation were as effortless as Meadow's grace and kindness: it was like second nature.

Of course, Meadow was somewhat aware of Evers' manipulative tendencies, but she often brushed it off and left it to be ignored. It was always a faint whisper of a warning in the back of her mind that she often ignored. But now that she faced him openly without his facade, she found the whispers turned into screams of warning and urged her away. "What the fuck do you mean Meadow?" He challenged aggressively, spiking her anxiety. She wanted nothing more than to walk away and be able to ignore the situation. Pretend like she never said it. "I just need a day or two to regroup, I need some alone time to myself is all, that's all I ask. Please," she begged, backing away slowly.

Evers simply laughed, throwing his head back. He looked so beautiful doing literally anything, it wasn't fair. Especially when his soul mirrored a starless sky. "Meadow, we are together. There's no 'alone time' anymore. If people love each other, they do everything together. Unless you don't love me."

This felt wrong. His eyes were malevolent.

"I do love you, but Evers, alone time is essential for us to understand ourselves to better reveal our deepest truths to each other," Meadow countered in a weak voice. Evers punched the door frame. "No! We are in a relationship Meadow. We do everything together. We have discussed this countless times. How many times do I have to fucking tell you?! I'm sick of your shit. You're lucky I even bother with you."

If I push any harder, he might become violent, Meadow through to herself nervously. Best to stop now before he loses it. Better to comply and avoid injury rather than to resist and end up with possible bruises.

"You're right. I'm sorry, Evers," Meadow apologized softly. "And don't bring it up with me again. I'm tired of having this fight with you," he bit out harshly before sighing and releasing all of the tension from his body miraculously. It was confusing to Meadow how he could just let it all leave him instantaneously with the will of a single sigh. "I just want us to have a healthy relationship is all, I swear it. I don't like fighting with you, baby. We have so much potential together. We shouldn't waste it on alone time or being apart."

This felt anything but healthy. If this was such a healthy relationship, why did Meadow feel sick to her stomach and desperate to agree in order to avoid anymore arguments?

Meadow took a deep breath to steady herself, "Okay. Well, what do you suggest we do?" Evers smiled approvingly. "That's more like it babe. Well, it's getting close to eleven. I believe it's time to get ready for bed. We can watch a movie and fall asleep to it."

"Snuggles, too?" Meadow asked, wringing her fingers nervously. She was riddled with anxiety for fear of saying the wrong thing. Evers chuckled softly, and for a moment Meadow saw the young man she'd originally fallen in love with. It put her at ease a bit. "Of course, I would expect anything less from my cuddle baby."

The pet names weren't cute anymore: it took everything within Meadow to hold back an intense cringe. "Now go wash up," Evers ordered softly but Meadow could hear the beginning of a harsh tone beneath it. Without another word, Meadow dashed to the bathroom in their shared room and closed the door, locking it. Surely, Evers would have enough sense to leave her be in the bathroom.

Meadow brushed her long golden brown hair and brushed her teeth thoroughly before washing her face. She grabbed the pajamas off the rack in the corner that Evers had laid out for her and dressed herself. It was comfortable clothing - a skimpy soft Tshirt and short shorts - but uncomfortable in the amount of coverage. She didn't want to be exposed, and Evers was the last person she wanted to be exposed to at the moment.

When Meadow emerged from the bathroom, Evers was already laid in bed and waiting for her. Meadow hesitated, but made her way over to the bed. She pulled back the covers on her side and laid next to Evers before pulling them over her and scooting into his side.

Usually, even if Evers was horrible to her, she would find comfort in his arms. Tonight, however, she found that nothing could calm the sickness of sadness drowning the shattered pieces of her heart.

It wasn't long before Evers was snoring and Meadow began a nightly routine of crying herself to sleep.

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882 words.