The Trials of Loving Her

The last night in Esterron Chapter 31

After we got dressed, I held her hand as I led her out the room toward the stairs. I met Lucy on her way up, bringing along a brown bag filled with beers and plenty of snacks. She stood midway, almost frozen when she saw us both. We stopped where we were while she began turning back, running down the stairs.

   “I can’t believe you,” she argued.

   “Lucy, just wait!” I shouted while running down to meet her.

   “She abandoned you and now she’s here,” Lucy said looking back as she reached near the front door. “I want her to leave, Jace. She’s a hypocrite. Her words mean nothing.”

   “She’s not going anywhere,” I replied. “I know you’re angry, I understand. She’s my world; without her, nothing matters.”

   “How could you defend her?” Lucy asked me. “Not once did she come and query about your health. She went on living her life as if you didn’t exist.”

   “I forgave her,” I confessed. “There are things that happened in her life that no one knows about; horrible things.”

   “I don’t care,” Lucy said opening the door. “She doesn’t care about you, not really.”

   “Then why do I still carry the name Harrison?” Sera asked coming down the steps. “Why did I try to kill myself after spending just a year without him?”

   “I don’t believe you,” Lucy told her. 

   “It’s true,” I muttered. “She’s been through more hell than any one of us can fathom.”

   “I didn’t know,” Lucy spoke softly. “You never called or anything.”

   “The past doesn’t matter now,” said Helen as she came walking in with Frank beside her. “You’re both together and that’s what matters.”

   “I’m sorry,” Lucy told her.

   “Good thing you came back,” Frank added. “He’s been crying every day like a baby for you.”

   “I wouldn’t say like a baby,” I told her as she came wrapping her arms around me. “There weren’t even tears.”

   “There were tears,” the three of them replied at once. 

  She laughed as she heard them. She kissed me, then she stared at me while passing her hands through the side of my hair. “You wanna get me drunk and take advantage of me.”

   “Oh yeah,” I whispered.

   “I hope you like Guinness because it’s all I bought,” Lucy replied. 

   “I do actually, but Jace and I always drink Budweiser, it’s his favourite.”

   “No it’s not,” I confessed to her. “I only drank it because you did. I like my beer strong.”

   “Me too,” she confessed as well. “I only drank Budweiser because you did.”

   “Who told you it was my favourite?” I asked her.

   “Lucille from Nightingale,” she told me.

   “Of course she did. Lucille hates me, remember? She was messing with you.”

   “I guess she won because we drank a lot of it.”

  We both started laughing while the rest of them stood confused. We all sat together upstairs on the balcony, staring up at the stars as we got ourselves wasted. While everyone stared at something that was far from their reach, I needn’t look anywhere. My star was shining and she was right there beside me. Her light will never die for it will forever linger in my heart. Her touch seemed precious as diamonds, her smile like silver, her voice rare as gold, and her kiss like perfume. I spent the night listening to all the things she did on her own. She went bungee jumping a few years back and she jumped off an aeroplane twice. She went underwater diving and rode horses in her free time. She said she tried living her life without fear as I would’ve if I’d been around. She even visited Italy multiple times as the years went by. Florence was her favourite at first, but she grew to love all the other parts of the country. She even jokes about not remembering much due to all the wine she had consumed. I was so proud of her for living, despite of what had happened to us. Her happiness was all I ever cared about. Holding her now was a dream of my own, the only one that mattered. She got so drunk I had to take her up and carry her back to my room. I sat next to her as she knelt near the toilet, vomiting everything she had eaten earlier. I held her hair with one hand while rubbing her back gently with the other.

   “You wanna make out?” she joked, leaning in with a smile.

   “Stay away from me,” I said leaning backward. “You look so terrible and yet so sexy, all at the same time,” I added.

   “You must be more drunk than I am,” she said laughing.

   “Probably,” I whispered before lifting her up from off the cold, hard ground. I brushed her teeth and I changed her t-shirt which had puke stained upon it. I took her and laid her upon my bed. I laid right next to her, covering her with my arm. She opened her eyes, staring at me with a smile.

   “Thank you for taking care of me,” she whispered. “I don’t deserve you,” she then said while crying. “I’m gonna spend the rest of my life trying to be worthy of you.”

   “It’s okay,” I said wiping away her tears. I kissed her forehead, then her nose, then came her lips. “I’m gonna take care of you for as long as you let me. I promise.” She then stretched her hand towards my neck, she took off the chain I wore and from it, she took our two rings.

   “I’m your wife, no one else’s,” she told me while placing the ring back into her finger. She took my left hand and slowly she began slipping it back on. “Hiya husband,” she whispered. “I am never letting you go again.”

   “Are you sure you won’t get bored of me?” I asked her.

   “Are you crazy?” she asked. “Have you seen yourself in the mirror? I’ve hit the jackpot, baby.” She kissed me slowly upon the lips. When I began crying, she wiped it all away.