All's Fair In Love & War

Chapter 26

"Okay, so tell me." she said taking a seat at the island. She looked to the seat across from her and waited for me to sit too. I reached out my hand to pull the chair out and it was shaking. My stomach was in knots and I felt like I was going to throw up. I lowered my head and took a deep breath as I collected my thoughts.

"What's wrong, babe?" she asked taking my hands into hers. I looked back up into her eyes and felt a tug at my heart.

"Callie, I love you so much and I don't want you to ever for a second doubt that. You fed me, clothed me, and put a roof over my head when I couldn't do it for myself. You made me feel beautiful, you made me feel wanted, you made me feel smart, and you made me feel whole. Without you, I didn't know what that felt like... and that was the problem. When you depend on someone else for self-confidence and happiness the minute they leave those things do too. I hated you for leaving me because I hated myself when you weren't around. I was so wrapped up in everything that you were that I never figured out who I was and I couldn't love you the way you loved me, because I didn't love myself. You deserve so much better than me and so much better than what I've done to you. Callie I..." She pulled her hand away from mine and stood up from the island as a tear fell down her face.

"Just stop talking. Whatever you have to say I don't want to hear it."

"Callie please"

"JUST STOP FUCKING TALKING" she yelled punching a hole in the wall. I jumped as tears streamed down my face.

"WHY?! WHY!!" she screamed. "DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU? HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO US?! WHAT DID I DO WRONG? TELL ME WHAT I DID WRONG??"

I was crying so hard I couldn't even talk. I was watching the person I love self-destruct and I was the cause of it. I don't think anything could have been more painful than this.

"TELL ME!" she yelled again.

"You didn't do anything wrong, It was all me. I fucked up." I sobbed

"You don't love me. You never fucking loved me!"

"You know that's not true!"

"What is true? Because true to me is staying loyal to your girlfriend who was getting BEATEN AND RAPED EVERY FUCKING DAY JUST TO COME BACK TO YOU. YOU SELFISH BITCH." She said throwing the decorative vases and bowl of fruit that laid on the island.

I covered my mouth with both hands as I began to cry harder. When she said the word rape I felt like my heart had exploded inside me and my throat had closed up. She slumped to the floor and buried her head between her legs as she cried. I got up and walked over to her and crouched down too.

"Callie I'm so sorry. I'm so so so sorry. I can't even put it in words how remorseful I am. I didn't intend on hurting you and believe me when I say seeing you like this is killing me inside and out. I hate myself as much as I hate the fucking bastards who touched you. I am a selfish bitch and I don't deserve your love or your forgiveness. Please look at me...Please." She raised her head and stared into my eyes with such disgust and hatred.

"I'm truly am sorry." I choked placing my hand on the side of her face and wiping away her tears. She placed her hand on top of mine and closed her eyes.

"Who is she?" she asked. When she opened them her eyes were no longer filled with hate but with mourning. I stood up and walked over to the island again burying my face in my hands. Callie stood up too but remained in the spot where she had just gotten up from.

"Who is she?!" she asked again more harshly.

"You don't know...him." I said looking up at her.

"Him?!"

I didn't say anything.

"Do you love him? ... Answer me" her voice cracked.

"...Yes"

She nodded before pulling her shirt over her face to cry again. When she pulled the shirt back down her face was burning red and so were her eyes.

"So this is it, three years and you don't even want to try to fix it. It's just over."

"It's not that I don't want to Cal, it can't be fixed."

"WHY NOT?!" she yelled.

"Because... I'm pregnant."

When I was younger my mother told me the devil was beautiful. I didn't understand what she meant by that. To me the devil was a scary beast with sharp teeth, long black nails, red skin, red eyes, and skin that burnt to the touch. When I asked her why she believed that she said to me

"The devil needs to be beautiful so he can attract and entice you into doing things he wants you to do. If you do not fear him, you will be more willing to follow him. He will befriend you and then turn on you."

Although it made sense, I laughed her off.  But she was right. Today I met the devil and she was indeed beautiful. She was 5'9" with tan skin, perfect teeth, and long black hair. Her eyes were once a light brown but right now they were black and filled with hate and it wasn't her skin that hurt, it was her fists. I dropped to the floor and tried to push myself up. I reached one hand to my nose that was now gushing blood onto the lemon scented floor. I felt another strike across my face then fell back down and curled myself into the fetal position. I wrapped my arms around my stomach to block any blows from harming my baby. I screamed loudly as I felt repeated blows to my back, legs, and head. I couldn't tell whether they were from her fists or feet but each hit hurt more than the last.

"Callie! STOP! " I screamed but Callie was long gone. I don't know who this girl was. I turned my head to look at her hoping that she would find herself again. Her veins were popping out of her neck and her eyes were soulless. My mouth immediately filled with blood with a swift jab to my jaw. I started to cough as I cried and choked on the blood. I was convinced that I was going to die. Maybe if I stopped screaming she would stop hitting me I told myself. She was spewing hate from her mouth intensifying each hit. I could feel my eyes and lips starting to swell. I had never felt pain like this in my life. When was this going to be over? I started to feel myself drift into unconsciousness but I was fighting it as hard as I could because I was scared if I passed out she would have open shots to my stomach.

She pulled me up to my feet by my hair and wound her first back.

"Callie please stop, I'm begging you. PLEASE!!" I screamed tears and blood running down my face. She stared at me breathing heavily, slowly she lowered her first, let go of my hair, letting me drop to the floor. I groaned and moaned in pain as I lifted my head to look up at her. She stared at me on the floor still huffing and puffing. I couldn't hold my body up any longer and finally I just laid out on the floor. My eyes felt as heavy as my breathing.

"Send an ambulance to 639 North Sierra Bonita Avenue." Callie said in a monotone, unaffected voice. I heard the phone being tossed back on the counter. Her footsteps became more and more distant as everything around me started to fade to black.