Copyright © 2011 preciious-diamondz
Chapter 31
Marian woke up in the morning feeling slightly sick from the night before. She felt a little sore and tingly ‘down there’, but other than that, there was no harm done. She remembered the necklace she’d been clutching from the last night and panicked when it wasn’t in her hand. Worried she had lost it, Marian carefully felt around the sheets for it until her fingers brushed against the cold, heart-shaped metal.
“Thank you,” she whispered silently.
She turned to look at Lachlan sleeping peacefully, one arm around her as he slept. She carefully threw off his hold on her and grabbed a short dress on her way past as she rushed into the bathroom.
She reached the sink just in time to throw up.
She paused for a moment before looking at herself in the mirror.
“Ick,” she mumbled groggily, disgusted she had spent the night with Lachlan.
“A shower to get rid of his smell,” she added quietly, shutting the door behind her and beginning to strip off.
She stepped into the shower and turned on the faucet, letting the hot droplets of water hit her skin in the hope of cleansing her from his scent. She grabbed her scrubber and some soap and rubbed at her body, trying in vain to feel clean again.
She still felt used and dirty, no matter how hard she tried to scrub herself.
“UGH!” she yelled in annoyance.
Her skin was tinted pink from all the scrubbing and it was sore to touch.
Marian closed her eyes and tried to calm herself by taking slow deep breaths. She thought back to three years, just before Archer had left her.
It was a crisp autumn morning, absolutely lovely weather. Marian had worn the dress Archer had bought her and had spent ages doing herself up in the hope he’d change his mind and decide to stay with her.
She was immune to the fact it might be the last time she saw him...she’d always been a believer in fairytale endings.
He kissed her forehead and bid her farewell.
“I will miss you Marian,” said Archer.
“I will miss you too,” whispered Marian, burying her head into his chest. “Why do you have to go?” she asked for the millionth time since she found out he was leaving.
“You know I have no choice. I must go and fight for my country,” he said breaking out of the embrace and going to join his friends.
“Archer,” Marian called.
He turned away from his friends and looked back at her.
She drew in a shaky breath and said, “Everything is a choice Archer; no one can make you do anything.”
Without looking to see his reaction, she turned around and walked back to the car where her father sat patiently. She climbed into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut.
Her father turned to her and asked, “So everything’s okay, ready to go?”
Marian put on a fake smile and nodded. She looked back over to where Archer and the other boys were. Nothing would be okay ever again. She would most likely never see him again.
“Everything okay in there Marian?” asked Lachlan from outside the door, startling her out of her trance.
“Y-yes!” she called back, muttering her under breath how sorry she’d make him...some day.
YOU ARE READING
Something Worth Fighting For
ActionWhat would you fight for? Your best friends, the people in your town, perhaps your country, or maybe even a second chance at love?
