Empty Promises ✔

A time to be free

I love rain. I love the smell of it. I love the power of it. The power to clean the world, clean it from the dirt and the ashes. But tonight I love it even more, for it cleaned me.

I've stopped crying an hour ago and now I'm standing in the window looking at the racing raindrops, awestruct from the fierce power of the lightning and shivering from the rumble of the lightning.

"The coldness nips at my numb cheeks and red nose, reminding me I'm alive and live will go on. I imagine that my heart looks like the cracks and turns of the lightning. He broke my heart. Again. But this time he won't be healing it, I won't allow it.

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. And I promise you now there won't be a third" I whispered to my reflection. I wrapped my gown around myself tighter and smiled as the thunder rumbled in agreement.

A knock on the door broke the silence and the Thunder faded away. I stood there contemplating whether I should open the door or not.

"Alice I know you know it's me. Just open the door and let me comfort you!" Iris called and I opened it slowly.

"I'm here" she said and wrapped me into her arms. I buried my head into her shoulders and my arms hung by my sides. She just cooed and rubbed up and down my back.

"Max won't allow me to go and castrate him. He hid all my knives and anything sharp or pointy" she said and a pathetic chuckle tried to make its presence.

"Are you okay. You're not crying" she grabbed me by my shoulders and held me away from her so she could look at me.

"I don't want to cry anymore. He's not worth it" I shrugged and we walked to the living room.

"I'm so sorry I should never have forced you to go out with him. I shouldn't have allowed you to fall for him again. But I was just so sure that he was the one for you" she mumbled.

"Its okay Iris. How am I going to learn if you keep protecting me from stuff like this? I need to hit my head a few times. But I've learnt my lesson now"

"Oh, Alice you're such a strong girl. How you manage to pick yourself up and hold you head up high, I'd never know" she pulled the blanket closer to us. I didn't even notice it.

"I'm leaving Ris" I said and she nodded.

"Okay, what does that mean?" she asked.

"It means I'm going to sell all my crap, use that money to buy a plane ticket, get on that said plane and leave. Far away. I'll obviously come back and visit a few times, but I don't want to live here anymore. I don't want to walk down the street and maybe run into him with his wife. And his kids and all that I don't want to" I said and she nodded.

"That's a good idea. You need a break. Just know I'll miss you a lot. Have you thought where you might want to go?"

"Yeah, I'm going to Greece. I've already checked my bank balance I've got enough money and extra for a ticket. And the money I get for selling these things I'll use for a place to stay there" I smiled.

"Okay, that sounds like a plan and while you sell you're things which may take some time we will spend every waking moment together. Got it" she said and I nodded smiling a bit brighter.

"So, what do you want to do now?" she asked as she got out her phone.

"We can watch a movie" I suggested.

"You know I think until you go I'll move back in. I'll just bring a few clothes, toiletries, blankets and stuff. Max will understand"

"Ris the would mean the world to me. I'm sorry that I have to leave you and all but I have to go"

"I understand. If Max did the same there would be no way I'd stay here, I'd leave to. And if I wasn't engaged to him I'd leave with you. But I can't force him to drop everything and go, you know?" She said and I nodded.

"I know, thanks for understanding Ris" we hugged each other for a long time and then we watched scary movies and we fell asleep on the couch together.

+++++

I smiled as Iris cracked an egg onto the sizzling frying pan. She was making explosion sounds as the egg fell into the pan.

"I love making eggs it's really amusing" she said after I laughed out loud. Iris was the type of person to draw faces onto the eggshells before cooking them. Each different some in peril, others screaming, crying, biting their nails, laughing and some even had blank expressions.

"I can see that" I nodded as I flipped the bacon.

"You look ridiculous in that get up" she shot back.

"Hey! Bacon cooking is a dangerous activity. This shit is serious" I joked and she snorted.

"So after breakfast I thought we'd start taking pictures of your stuff and putting it on a website so we can start selling it" she said and I dropped the fork.

"What?" I couldn't wipe the smile off my face.

"Yeah well you need to get away from this place it has to many nightmares" she gave me a sad smile and I hugged her close to me.

"You're absolutely the best. Thank you" I squeezed her.

"Pleasure but I'm suffocating darling and that isn't a pleasure" I let her go and she smiled.

"Sorry, you know last night I was think. I'd probably come back sometime, you know I've grown fond of America" I smiled.

"Yeah but like have you seen Greece? It's gorgeous and I'm not even talking about the men there! I'd never come back if I were you" she grinned, if you haven't noticed Iris is a bit of a flirty lady. In our college days she was a real lover, if you get what I mean. she didn't sleep around she was just very open of her compliments. She was in no way a slut.

"Yeah, yeah its a beautiful place" I nodded.

"Are you going to teach there?"

"No, I actually thought of doing something else. Something different this is a time for me to start new."

"A time to be free" Iris said and I hummed in agreement.