After the End

Chapter 14 - The Eye of the Storm

      The rain had completely soaked through his clothes, and his hair was so wet it that it fell and covered his eyes. He had five heavy suitcases surrounding him which were also soaked through, and he was so pale he looked like he was going to be sick.

She slapped him. Hard.

Tom turned slowly to her so that their eyes met again, the rain falling loudly behind him as thunder roared above them.

"I deserve that," he said quietly, not even bringing a hand to the stinging skin of his cheek.

She stepped back as he walked into the dark house with a suitcase in each hand, the light from the upstairs hall hitting him like another smack in the face, and he squinted as he looked around the quiet home.

Bobby licked his cold, wet hand, excited that his master had finally returned, and Allegra watched as Tom dragged the last three suitcases through the front door. She folded her arms, frowning angrily at him as her eyes burnt imaginary holes through his wet luggage.

He stood up straight again, looking down at her as he towered above her. He was so wet and cold that she could feel the chill coming off of him as if he had just stepped out of a fridge. But he said nothing; he just looked at her, hope shining in his eyes.

"I..." she began with a scoff, lost for words. "I don't even know what to say to you."

He stepped closer to her, his hands cautiously moving to touch her elbows before she shoved him back.

"Let me explain –"

"I'm tired of explanations, Tom," she said firmly, stepping back to increase the distance between them, a desperate attempt to try and stop herself from throwing up. "There is absolutely no explanation that you could possibly give me right now that would justify why you have been blanking me for nearly two months."

And just as quickly as it had risen, the fire inside her erupted, breaking all of her emotions and shattering them into an impossible masterpiece of coloured glass.

"If you just listen –"

"No!" she yelled, pulling back as he stepped forwards again, and then she started laughing, the humour getting lost in each escape. "I'm done."

Tom frowned, but not with confusion, with sorrow.

"Allegra –"

He stepped forwards again. Allegra stepped back.

"No," she laughed, her hands outstretched in front of her to warn him to stay back. "I'm leaving."

She turned sharply on her heel, running up the stairs and into the bedroom.

Tom followed her, speaking as he moved, desperate for some answers.

"Allegra why are there police outside our house?" he asked her as he entered the bedroom. His wet clothes dripped onto the golden beige carpet, but it was as if he didn't care. It seemed as though he'd completely forgotten how wet and cold he was.

"Your house," Allegra corrected. She heaved an empty suitcase onto the bed and began stuffing it with various underwear garments and clothes, makeup and perfumes. "And to answer your question, you'd know why if you answered your phone."

He crossed the room to the other side of the bed, so that her back was no longer to him, and he watched her loading her suitcase uncaringly, unable to understand why she wouldn't let him explain himself.

"Allegra, please –" he begged.

"No, Tom! I am done. I am so done," she screamed, snatching one of her favourite pyjama tops from his cold hands and shoving into her suitcase carelessly.

"What are you doing?"

"I told you, I'm leaving!" she reminded him angrily. "I'm leaving this house. I'm..." she paused, tears stinging her eyes as she forced herself not to look up at him. "I'm leaving you, Tom."

"What? No! Please, listen –"

"No!" she roared, her hands pushing the air at her sides as tears stained her cheeks. "No, no, no, no, no. Oh, and by the way, Taylor visited me."

He watched her resume her packing and became more and more concerned the more they talked.

"Are you ok?" he asked, which was replied to with a scoff. "Is that why there are police here?" he walked around the bed, stopping at her side to try and offer her and hug, but she shoved him away again.

"No..." she hissed. "No. I'm fine, thanks to Taylor."

Although she was not looking at him, she knew that another frown would have appeared on his face, demanding more information.

"Yeah, she saved my life actually," she laughed. "Oh, that reminds me, you're going to want to fix the window in your study room. Oh, and the window in the living room. And probably sooner rather than later because, well, as I'm sure you know," she paused to look him up and down, allowing genuine laughter to spill from her chapped lips, "it's raining outside." She zipped up her suitcase and dropped it heavily onto the floor, hoping that it would at least mark the carpet a little bit.

"Allegra –"

"Goodbye, Tom," she grinned, turning to him finally.

For the final time, their blue eyes locked, melting into an abyss of blue tones that had not been discovered, and Allegra felt a feeling she had never felt before.

Pure rage.

"I'll send someone round to get my stuff."

He watched her drag the suitcase out of the bedroom as another flash of lightning filled the room, and he was glued to the spot the entire time. He was never one to force her to do anything she didn't want to do, and if this was something she was sure about right now, he would let her go. Not because he didn't love her, but because he loved her more than he ever thought was humanly possible. He only hoped, begged, that one day, she would hear what he had to say.

She dragged the suitcase heavily down the stairs, and tears threatened his strength as the sound of thunder drowned out the slamming of the front door.