She Makes Me - A Brian May Fan Fiction

Chapter 43: Bed Rot and Starvation

[A/N: Hi, everyone! Thanks for reading my first ever book. Yippie! I can't believe I was able to even reach this point. I thought I would never be able to finish this, lmao. Congrats to both of us for reaching the finale, I suppose?

Anyway, could you please answer the question by the end of this chapter? Thanks!

With lots of love,

brianmayism xx]

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[Author]

Simone continued to walk, desperate to escape the suffocating atmosphere of betrayal and heartache.

Here she was again—her default response to overwhelming anxiety was to flee. Avoidance had always been her coping mechanism. But in doing so, she only perpetuated the cycle of unresolved issues. She hadn't changed at all, had she?

Yet, it was difficult to solely blame her. The night had promised to be perfect until she stumbled upon her best friend having sex with her boyfriend. The memory of his words, his longing for more, haunted her. She replayed his plea for Kate's touch as he asked her why she stopped, feeling a pang of inadequacy gnaw at her.

The questions ravaged her like a scourge, eating away at her fragile sense of self-worth with each torturous query left unanswered. What lacking quality within herself had fallen so dreadfully short in his eyes? What aspect had proven so profoundly inadequate that it invited such abhorrent betrayal?

She sat on the backyard bench by the calm pool, needing a break to clear her scattered thoughts. Two upsetting choices battled in her mind: to go home right away, or stay the night somewhere else to avoid seeing Brian and Kate, the people who betrayed her. Yet, the second option seemed unlikely and only gave her false hope.

The main thing stopping her from heading home was the danger of the midnight darkness. Going out alone at that hour could expose her to serious risks. But a bitter thought kept nagging at her – what's the worse that could happen to someone who had already experienced such a deep betrayal? After enduring such heart-wrenching pain, could any random danger in the night be worse than what she was already feeling?

The sound of Freddie's footsteps on the paving stones signaled his approach as he made his way to her. Without a word, he sat down on the bench next to her, a comforting presence in the chaos of her mind. "What happened, dear?" he asked softly, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I'm simply cursed when it comes to relationships and friendship, am I not?" she replied, her hollow gaze transfixed upon the waters of the pool stretching out before them. "I just caught Kate with Brian, moments ago," she continued, her voice flat and empty, reflecting the desolation in her eyes.

"Those awful slags," Freddie sighed, his anger barely concealed. "I'm so sorry."

"It's so frustrating because..." she started, then paused, "I can't figure out exactly why this hurts so much. Is it because my boyfriend betrayed me? Because it was one of my best friends? Or is it the idea that it's somehow my fault, that something about me pushed him away?"

"It's not your fault, Simone," Freddie sighed heavily, reaching out to enfold her hand within his own in a tender gesture. "They are the ones who made the grave mistake through exceedingly cruel choices. Not you, dear girl. This ugliness stemmed not from any lacking on your part, anything you did or failed to do." His voice took on an impassioned cadence as he implored, "You cannot continue indulging this toxic pattern of self-deprecation for transgressions in which you played no part. Their callous sins are not your burden to bear."