The Love Affair

Chapter Twenty One

Darkness was itching into every crevice of the room, each shadow menacing, forcing the bile at the back of my throat. I was feeling dizzy and nauseous as I struggled to hold myself up. The palms of my hands were noticeably growing redder as I dug my nails hard into the skin. I needed to get out of here. I felt like the entire room was closing in on me.

Swiftly, I quickly left the room grabbing my car keys and house keys from the fruit bowl off the side board table sat adjacent to the front door. Then I left. Slamming the door and locking it hastily before I swept off and towards my car that roared to life as soon as I got in.

I had no idea where I planned to go. I just needed to drive. I needed fresh air. My fingers nimbly went for the buttons on the side of the door, feeling a little relief as air embraced my face. It made some difference as I turned off into some junction.

Tears soon came to force, and I couldn't stop. It was like a floodgate had been released. All of this guilt was just tormenting me, and I knew that even if I travelled to the ends of the earth, I could never find resolution. I knew that even if I was to confess to Nick, the foundations of our relationship would be rocked to the point of destruction. So, it just seemed pointless. And it was my fault. I couldn't even completely blame Shane. I allowed this to continue. And I was allowing myself to lie those who I cared about most. Seeing Angie's face as she sighed with relief had only opened the raw wound further. Your friend is a sly snake. Run Angie.

I turned down a junction, pushing down a little more on the accelerator spiking in some speed ahead.

"Nick, I've cheated on you—with Shane," I would say, desperately hoping that he would let it slide. That I wouldn't be punished.

"I-I can't believe you, Rose. You've broke my heart. We had everything. We were going to have a family and now you've destroyed it. How could you!" I can hear him yelling, his face furious and his eyes unable to look at me. Unable to look at the monster he'd devoted his life to, who he thought was unconditionally faithful.

I then heard a piercing scream at the end of the car bonnet and before that a sudden thud, as I soon realised, I had collided with something in the middle of the road.

I jumped out the car, pushing my hair from my face as I hysterically muttered, "No, no."

People began leaving their houses, gathering like a crowd in the circus to spectate the entertainment. I kneeled down to the person, their face turned towards the floor. I could hear whispering, calls of people shouting someone call 999 as I knelt beside my innocent victim.

"Sir, sir," I frantically begged, nudging gently at their shoulder.

There was no movement.

I had killed someone, hadn't I? I was a murderer.

Then there was a spur of movement, their head turned to face me and in the pits of my stomach I felt complete utter dread. Nick.

"Nick, oh my god! Nick!" I screamed, my hands rushing with fear to cup his face.

His face was gushing with blood from the nasty cut on his left cheek. He wasn't even blinking, he was just staring at me like a zombie, not at all concerned that he was wounded. It was like he was dead. It was like he couldn't me as he continued to just stare straight ahead, looking at me but not searching for me.

"Nick! Talk to me!" I begged.

"You killed me, Rose."

I woke up screaming, sweat cascading heavily down my forehead and nesting on my collarbone. The environment around me resembled by room, the old dainty picture of sunflowers above the dresser and the wedding photo sat on top of it. I was in our bedroom. The bloody scene was absent and replaced with what I hoped was reality.