Just a Flicker of Hope

Chapter 1- The Heart Break

It was a week till Christmas, and Harry was overjoyed. He had always loved the holidays. This time of year always brought his family and friends closer, and he lived for that. He knew that this Christmas, however, was going to be a very special one.

Harry had been in a relationship with his girlfriend for a little over three years now. He was deeply in love with her and wanted to give her the world. Courtney was his absolute best friend and the love of his life. He couldn't picture his life without her.

Working very closely with a private jeweler, he had spent months designing the perfect engagement ring. He wanted to make sure every detail was perfect. He would accept nothing less, for his future bride.

Harry had never felt this way about someone before. He knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his live with her. He wanted to grow old together, and he wanted to watch their children and grandchildren grow and perspire.

It was Saturday, just before Christmas. Courtney believed that he was at the studio, finishing up on a new holiday jam. However, he was actually picking up the ring and buying a huge bouquet of roses.

He was now on the way home to pop the big question to his love. He was beyond nervous, but also giddy with excitement. He had a big goofy smile on his face the entire drive home.

He was way to excited to see her face that he paid no attention to the strange car in his driveway. Pulling in he quickly put his car into park and shut off the engine. Taking a deep breath, he looked at himself in the mirror.

'You can do this!' He said to himself. 'There's no backing out now!'

Taking one final breath, he opened the car door and made his way up the drive. There was a small path that led to his front door. Without Hesitation, he unlocked the front door and let himself in.

"Honey, I'm home!" He said with a smirk. He had always been a fan of romantic comedies and loved the way the man would greet his love upon coming home.

He was met with silence, which he found to be odd. Courtney would always come running up to greet him, when he'd come home. She had always made him feel extraordinary, by the way she would light up whenever he was around. He could never quite get over how someone like her would fall for someone like him.

He'd always been a bit on the insecure side. He struggled with no feeling good enough and would often dwell on it. He had never thought of himself as good-looking and there were a million things he wish he could change. Not many people knew of his insecurities, and throughout the years he tried his best to overcome them. With the help of his beloved Courtney, he was slowly moving past them.

Looking around, he looked for anything out of the ordinary. Setting his keys and phone on the kitchen counter, he quickly removed his jacket. Sliding the ring box into his jean pockets, he went in search of her.

He searched all throughout the first floor of the house, with no luck. He was halfway up the staircase, when he started hearing strange noises. Slowly he made his way up the final steps. The master bedroom was located at the end of the hallway.

For some reason, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He felt a strange chill go through his body. Just outside of his bedroom, he froze with his hand on the doorknob. He listened intently. His mood went from extremely happy and excited to overwhelming fury in a matter of seconds.

From the other side of the door he could hear Courtney's soft moans and cries of pleasure. He had known those sounds all to well. What made him see red, however, was the deeper more throaty moan and grunts he heard.

Bursting into the room, Harry was met with his greatest fear. Sprawled out on the bed, completely naked was Courtney. She was entangled with a man Harry had met on a few separate occasions.