Ruined

The bell attached to the front door rang out for what seemed to be the hundredth time that night. Why people still chose to use the front door when majority of the store windows were busted out is still a mystery, up until a few moments ago when they were blocked off by caution tape.

When she looks to the door her blood runs cold as she is met with his frantic, piercing green eyes.

"Baby," he gasps rushing towards her, going to grab her face in his hands.

"No, Josh." She seethes, her ice cold hands grabbing his wrists in a vice grip before he can even touch her. Her grip didn't cause him any physical pain, but emotionally it cut deep.

"I'm so sorry," he desperately whispers, trying to grab for her again to try and comfort her.

"You promised you'd stop!" She screams, her voice cracking at the end as she shoves his hands to his sides, forbidding him to touch her.

"I know, I tried!" He desperately tries to explain.

"You," her father, the shop owner, hisses while gently pushing her sobbing mother out of his chest, brushing past the cop he was talking to to stride over to the young man and shove an accusing finger into his hard chest. "You did this!" Her father screams in Josh's face before shoving him away from his daughter.

"Settle down sir," the cop rushes over, pulling her father to the side. "Do you know this man?"

"Yes! He is a no good criminal! Him and his stupid gang are to blame for this!" He cries out, flailing his arms about.

He's not necessarily wrong. From an early age Josh got mixed in with the wrong crowd and found himself joining a gang, getting into criminal activities and deadly business deals.

"He's no good!" Her father carries on. "I warned her time and time again to stay away from him but she wouldn't listen and he wouldn't stay away!"

"I tried to get out! I told them I was done! I begged and pleaded for them to let me go, and I left, but they said no matter how hard you try you will always be haunted by the gang. No one ever truly makes it out," Josh's voice got quieter as he pleaded to her. "I tried my best to make it stop for you," he whispers, bowing his head in shame as tears started to form in his eyes.

"I can't do this anymore," she says, screwing her eyes shut willing the tears not to fall, as well as trying to block out the scene around her.

"What?" He snaps his head up to look at her, taking two long strides to stand toe to toe with her.

"I can't do this anymore," She repeats, opening her glassy eyes to look into his as her bottom lip begins to tremble. "I can't end up like her."

As soon as the words fall from her lips it feels as though a knife has been rammed into his chest with one quick twist, no mercy given.

"No," he pleads, falling to his knees in front of her, not caring about the shattered glass on the floor piercing through his skin. "I won't let that happen. It can't happen," he wills, throwing his arms around her waist and resting his now tear streaked face on her stomach.

"You're right, it won't happen again because we can't do this anymore." Her voice is almost monotone, as her body and her mind go numb.

"No, no, no, no." He holds her tighter, never wanting to let her go.

The red and blue lights of the cop cars outside reflect off the walls of the flower shop as well as her face as she stares with hatred at the graffitied gang logo on the now bare wall in front of her. All the shelving, and flowers perched on top of them, torn down and strewn across the floor. The whole shop was a mess, every flower, vase and piece of furniture torn to shreds.