Open Wounds | Captain Swan

42. You Walked Away

[Just a tip: maybe grab some tissues?]

WRITER'S POV

She felt numb, tired and unbearably sad. She wanted to curse herself, her hope and everything else that had led them to this point, because she knew with a cold and crushing certainty that this could easily tear them apart.

She didn't move, curled up in ball she lay on the bed weeping silently, staring into the space in front of her for what seemed like forever. It all felt unreal; if she didn't move, didn't speak, didn't think, the nightmare would stay a bad dream. She'd wake up next to Killian and kiss him sweetly until his dreamy eyes fluttered open.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she heard four pair of paws trot inside the chamber. She felt her stomach grumble loudly, thinking it must've been hours since he had rudely and chicken-heartedly walked out on her, although she found herself with a lack of appetite.

She felt the bed sag next to her, the bedsprings creaking under the weight and for a fraction of a second she thought Killian had changed her mind and had returned to her, that he would slide his arms around her waist and pull her close to his body. She got her hopes up, and got them crushed again when she heard something snuffle next to her.

She rolled over and looked at the dog next to her. Her fur had been washed recently, she could clearly smell the shampoo it radiated and her eyes beamed with excitement as she happily wagged her fluffy tail. Of course she was joyful, she had no idea what was happening.

She tried to pad the emptiness in her heart by seeking comfort in the creature in front of her. So, she hugged her tight, buried her face into the white, mixed with a few hints of grey fur and imagined, just for a moment, that by wishing hard enough, she could make right again.

It wasn't the same. Yes, Dragon's skin was covered with a soft coat, making it nearly impossible to resist the urge to hide your face in it, but it didn't measure up, it wasn't enough. She needed more; she needed Killian.

She couldn't feel the difference between hot and cold anymore. She would shiver when a cold breeze entered their room and roamed around her body, just like sweat would stick to her skin when she threw the covers on, but she was incapable of sensing any difference.

Her nose was tucked into her neck, one eye closed as it was concealed by the long hairs as she gazed out of the window with the other, desperately searching for any form of distraction. She saw serval buildings pop up as the mist wandered away from them, the dim light of the setting sun shining upon the scenery. Seeing the world move on like nothing had happened brought some peace to her uneasy heart, just enough for her to drift off.

<<<<

His seatbelt practically crushed his torso, preventing him from flying through the front window when he slammed the breaks. He drove the truck into the muddy verge of the road, hoping no one would bump into the back of the vehicle because of his emergency stop.

For a fraction of a second he forgot why he had suddenly felt the urge to stop the car, panting as he slowly loosened his grip on the steering wheel. He had left her, that's why. He could remember it clearly now, every inch of her hurt facial expression, the way she had pronounced each letter, and how the lump in her throat had audibly grown whilst doing so.

He turned around and sped home as fast as he could without risking losing his driving license. The highway that led to his home was abandoned, surrounded by a thick forest that looked kind of scary in the darkness of the night as the white winds shrieked through the leafless trees. It slowly started to snow, tons of snowflakes piling up on the ground below the wheels of his truck. By the time he pulled up at their home a small layer of ice had formed itself on the surface of the earth.