Pack yourself a toothbrush, dear

chapter fourteen

The recognition was uncanny, it sent shivers down my spine. I felt like it was Eleanor standing in front of me, just with lighter hair and few wrinkles here and there.  She seemed to be as amused to see me as I was to see her. 

Amused would be the wrong word to use here, she was gushing in fury to unleash her wrath. I could feel the slap before her hand even touched my face, it was a slap of anguish and disappointment wafting through her unforgiving eyes. 

I've opened a can of worms, and now, I'll just have to lie in it.

Suddenly, I wished I had taken Harry's offer of not opening the door. I've always been a wise-arse, and look, where it lead me today, straight to my death. I braced myself for a hard slap, the physical aspect of it, this time. 

"You bloody scoundrel" She sneered instead, voice as shrill as I had remembered, lunging forward and grabbing me roughly by the collar of my shirt "I never thought I'd see your face again, especially, after you left my daughter behind at the alter that is."

Of course, As If I was waiting for you to wash my feet and bow down to me.

"Ma'am, I-" I choked suddenly, grabbing on to my collar as well, trying to loosen her death grip because I was actually, literally choking. A sudden wave of anxiety rushed over me and my body went plaint. I couldn't think or say anything because my mind literally went on a shutdown mode. It was blank as a bloody canvas. 

"How dare you, Louis? How dare you do this to us after all I've done for you and your family? This is how your repay me ?" She screamed at my face, shoving me hard "Why would you do that Louis? You are a guttural rat, that is just who you are !" 

I tried to speak but my heart was literally in my mouth, such was my fear for this two legged monster in human form. It felt heavy and lagged in my mouth, I could hardly breathe. 

"Or was it a who? Are you having an affair? Who's apartment is this?" She forcefully stepped further into the apartment and started pushing me around, shoving me into the furniture. I let myself be pushed into the wall beside the bean bags. They're called Artie and Bean, by the way. 

Artie and Bean stared lifelessly at me as the hard wall pounded against my back and almost made me feel like my backbone had shattered on the impact. I felt sorry for Artie and Bean, and then I felt sorry for their owner, who should be fighting over ice cream and not over a deranged woman and her prey.

"What's taking so much time, Lou?" Harry's musical voice floated from the corridor as he lazily strolled into the room, biting into a baby carrot stick. Every footstep of his pounded in my ear like warning bells. Janet would hurt him if she saw him. No-

"Harry, don't come in here-" I tried to warn him. Hot tears ran down my face. Not my Harry. Not my precious, precious Harry. He doesn't deserve to be talked down and humiliated and pushed around. Harry's face stepped in from the corner and my heart was drowned in overwhelming sorrow, he was downright divine. The innocence bounced off, no, it radiated off his face. My pure, beautiful Harry. 

Harry's eyes bulged out like two tennis balls when he saw me crying against the wall, shielding myself  with my arms like a coward. Also, my lip may have been bleeding a bit. "What the fuck- Who is she?" He dropped the packet of carrots at his feet and rushed to get her hands off me "Get off !"

He managed to get Janet Calder off me by yanking away her steel-like grip. She responded by throwing Harry's precious yellow vase across the room; It has lilies in them that I bought him yesterday as a corny one month anniversary joke. The white flowers sprawled across the floor, like the life had been squeezed out of them. It brought tears to my eyes, to have something so special ruined, just like that.