Revenge

Make-Up

WARNING MATURE CONTENT AHEAD. YOU HAVE BEEN FOREWARNED.

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Chapter 11

            I sat on my bed, mentally preparing myself for what I was about to do. It was the day after the receipt note, and I had finally decided enough was enough. Raleigh had to be gone for good, since he had gotten me into all this. I had finally decided to get my things.

            The words E had told me started to echo in my head. He was the one who had told me to go get my stuff and end it once and for all. Of course, I was becoming disinterested in E, but he was right.

            I dressed quickly and got into my car. I made sure to try to leave at a time after Raleigh left, hoping and praying he would not be there. The situation was already enough and facing him would be worse. I tried to imagine what he looked like, wondering if he still looked and sounded the same. As I pulled out of the driveway, I felt my heart start to beat fast.

            Riding to the apartment seemed to take forever and it was stressful. Half of my brain started to imagine scenarios of what would happen if he was there, the other imagined how easy it would be without him. Raleigh being there was a lot scarier than him not being there. What if Raleigh tried to kill me as soon as I walked into the house? After a few minutes, I arrived at the apartment.

            I cursed myself when I spotted Raleigh’s black Xterra parked in the lot. It felt like it was mocking me, laughing at me as I stepped out of my car and up to the door. At the door, I started to fumble with my keys. My hands were shaking horribly and I could feel tension building in my chest. This was going to be worse than I thought. After taking a deep breath, I entered the apartment.

            Upon entering, I was hit with the smell of alcohol, causing me to cover my nose. “Goddamn,” I said. Jack Daniel’s bottles were littered across the apartment, which was weird because Raleigh was not that heavy of a drinker. In fact, he wasn’t really a drinker at all. I spotted a full bottle of it, with an unfinished glass full of it. I shook my head; it was like a tornado had come through the apartment. Stuff was smashed, glasses were broken, but surprisingly, all the pictures of us together were unharmed. Even in such bad condition, the apartment still felt like home. I could hear soft music playing as I continued to trek through the apartment. Walking into the bedroom, I spotted Raleigh lying in the bed, shirtless. He looked awful, his eyes were swollen and contained bags. Raleigh looked like he’d been crying for days. I turned my head away, trying to fight back tears. I knew it would be harder if he was here. Making my way out of the bedroom, I went into the kitchen to grab a trash bag. I guess my movement woke him up, because when I entered the bedroom he spoke.

            “I know you’re here,” Raleigh sighed, not opening his eyes, as I reentered the bedroom, carrying the bag. His face softened the way it always did whenever he picked up my scent, making me feel even worse. I quickly made my way over to the dresser and started to put my perfumes into the bag. “You’re here to get your stuff I guess.” Raleigh rose from the bed, walking behind me and into the bathroom. He was wearing nothing but boxers; it was like he had no will to live. I went over to the closet and grabbed my shoes, tossing them into the bag. Grabbing a box from the closet, I packed the rest of my clothing. I heard the music playing and tuned into some of the lyrics.

            “Did I drive you away? I know what you’ll say. You say oh, sing one we know. But I promise you this; I’ll always look out for you. That’s what I’ll do,” the singer sung. The lyrics were making me sad, making it even harder to fight tears. “I say oh.”