Running From The Darkness

Part Two: Broken

12:23 am

"Mrs. Grey will see you now." She whispered into his ear then gently nibbled on his earlobe.

"Hmm, Mrs. Grey," he quickly turned over, and holding her by her wrist, pinning her down against the bed as he spoke into her lips, "gimme a kiss."

"Yes master." She did as he demanded. "That's not how the story goes by the way, the Grey is the dominant, just so you know, nothing like good ole patriarchy to spice things up in the bedroom."

He kissed her. "Shut up." He kissed her again.

She was turning over to her left side as he slid behind her, she took his hand into hers and kissed it, "I love you."
Suddenly his hand was gripping her breast as he softly kissed her shoulder, "I love you more."

• • •

7:45am

"Will you be picking me up after?" He was staring out of the window, the car seemed to be harvesting oil so much so that perhaps by the end of month the accumulation of oil may be worth more than the business made a year. "Lee," She nudged his shoulder. "Will you?"

"Will I what?" He held her face and began stroking her cheek with his thumb.

"Pick me up, will you pick me up after work is what I'm asking."

"I promised mom I'd help her pack tonight, I'm sorry."

"So, I have to take the bus is what you're telling me?"

"Ask your father, he doesn't have anything to do right? Just sit at home watching food network." He kissed her nose.

"Yeah, bu-"

"Right, you don't want to be around them." Wrinkles formed between her eyebrows whenever she was upset, "poor baby."

"Shut up." She moved his hand away from her forehead. "I'll find a way."

"I love you."

"I'll love you when you pick me up."

• • •

10:10 am

"If every caterpillar had fallen
I'd marvel at your branches
Strong bark,
Strong black, man,
I will tremble at your feet.
If you would have me.
I will tremble at your feet.
If you would take me
into your arms and call me "Queen",
Nala.

I'd befriend you at birth,
I'd grow beside you.
I'd laugh with you and pretend to never be hurt by your pain.
I'd be the strength you fight to have to protect me.
I'd protect you.
If you'd have me..."

3:20 pm

"Here's your cup, well, what's left of it."

"Thanks a lot Kris." She wasnt even looking at him, embarrassed by the shards of a broken teacup in a scoop in his hand.

"Are you okay? You seemed a little out of it today."

They stared at each other from the distance, it seemed like a conversation, he was asking how it was possible for someone to have been so nervous and shaky that they break their favourite coffee cup, leave the broken pieces on the floor and just walk away. She was pleading for him not to pry.

"I'm fine."

She wanted to tell him, right there, she wanted to break down, be vulnerable she wanted to say it was only one morning after the move and everything already seemed so different, there was no more car, no more mother rushing her to the washroom, a bestfriend turned lover literally over night. She wanted to scream that she was breaking into inedible bite-sized pieces, but instead she said, "thanks for asking, and, for the ashes of my coffee cup." Her teeth made an appearance in a smile she took all of her strength to muster.

"I don't believe you, but as long as you're smiling." He tapped his pen twice against her desk, shaking the water in the glass near is wrist slightly. "If you ever need someone to talk to, don't be too shy to talk to me."

She moved the glass away and sipped, slowly nodding yes. "Will do sir," She held the glass between her two palms now, observing her reflection in his eyes, "thanks again." She pointed at the shards of broken glass at his feet.

"Anytime." He glanced at her one last time. "Anytime."

If there was an appropriate time for her refer to him as chocolate, clench her fists in agony and sigh in frustration, now was that time. Instead she looked at her phone, waiting on a message from Leon, hoping for that little envelope icon to appear at the corner of her screen, it would be him saying he's parked outside telling her to hurry before he eats her cheesecake. That didn't happen. He sent no messages, he wasn't replying to her texts, He didn't call at 12 to remind her to eat lunch on time and not overwork herself. She hadn't heard from him since he dropped her off.

9:23 pm

The only light in the entire room was coming from her laptop, from the right wall you could see the lipstick stained coffee cup in her left hand. Everything seconds it shook slightly, she assumed it was because was right handed, holding things in her left hand just wasn't normal. From the front wall you could see the blond highlights in her hair, her oversized white tshirt seemed to reflect the changing colours colours on the screen as she repeatedly flipped from Microsoft Word to Facebook. Creating a fictional love story on one app and waiting for her love story to fall into place on the other.

She still hadn't heard from Lee all day. Just the thought of his absence made her feel empty. There was a hunger building inside of her, or maybe it was guilt, it was too soon. She could still feel him, the warmth of his breath on her lips, he was always so nervous to kiss her, his hand always trembled in hers, his tshirts always smelled like lavander, she held the neck of the tshirt to her nose, eyes shut as she inhaled him.

The lights switched colours on the walls; blue, red, blue. The sirens echoed throughout the house, but not louder than the knock on the door...