More Than Air In My Lungs

An Onyx For His Love

13 weeks ago

"What about this one?"

"Too flashy."

"That one?"

"No gold."

"Gerard!" Lindsey huffed. "We've been here for like an hour. Just pick a damn ring already!"

"You don't understand." Gerard shook his head, his dark hair gently bobbing around his eyes. He was hunched over the counter and examining every single ring that glittered under the glass. "It has to be perfect, Linds."

Lindsey grit her teeth together and bit back the spiteful remarks growing on her tongue. Gerard was sickeningly head over heels for Mr. Oh-So-Perfect Frank. Apparently, he was perfect; therefore, everything concerning him had to be equally as spectacular, which meant every birthday party and every Christmas present, every Valentine's and every anniversary. And to top it all off, Frank just had to receive the perfect proposal.

'Gerard should be this frantic over marrying me.' Lindsey's mind reminded her. 'Frank doesn't deserve Gerard. Not like I do.'

When Gerard announced his plan of engagement to her and their friends, the woman seethed with anger and was tempted to track down Frank and crush his vocal pipes. It was mutiny that she had to watch the pair flaunt their affection around, but now she had to help the one she obsessed over to carry out the said proposal? The ferocity igniting inside her from the prospect left her nails burning with a desire to curl into the flesh of the man she hated more than anything. She wanted the light to slip from his eyes so that she might have Gerard for her own. Lindsey was well aware though that no harm could even grace Frank as long as Gerard was with him.

It was upon the realization that she had come to some time ago, that Lindsey knew she had to get them apart, which would be more than challenging, considering the depth of their affection for each other. She had decided her best option would be to lead Gerard on, and take the time to plan out the destruction of Frank and Gerard, and start Lindsey and Gerard. That had been weeks ago though, and now she was finally almost there, a mere few hours away from actually starting it. Lindsey had aligned all of her metaphorical ducks in their perfectly straight line and was ready for action.

As she started to drift further into her fantasies, Gerard's voice calling her name pulled Lindsey's attention, and she was forced back into reality.

"I found it. I found the perfect one," Gerard gushed, a lovely light shinning around his pupils. His smile was warm and full of love and joy. The sight made Lindsey's chest flutter. Despite her hatred for him, Lindsey appreciated Frank's ability to brighten Gerard's moods. She couldn't deny the way even his stupid laugh would make Gerard grin like a fool. The slightest amount of guilt poked at her gut. If the idea that would go into action tonight worked, then she would be ultimately taking away Gerard's primary source of happiness.

'But he's your happiness. How can you survive watching him marry someone else? Especially that dwarf little twink who can't even provide him with a child?' Just as the thought occurred, Lindsey knew the final part of her plan. It would require a great deal of patience, but she knew to have Gerard as her own would make the wait so worth it. 'He'll learn to love you even more than he ever did Frank. He won't have a choice.'

After Lindsey hadn't responded, Gerard had turned around to exchange some words with a well-suited man behind the counter and soon was holding up a silver ring with two onyx, one on each side of a decently sized Asscher cut diamond. It wasn't excessively fancy or too dull, somehow landing directly in-between. It was perfect for Frank, and that's what had Gerard nodding with a face-splitting grin over his features. "This is it. I'll take it."

                                   *****

"I'll take you home, but I have to use the ladies room first." Lindsey had informed Gerard before scurrying away. She had watched him fill out the paperwork and payment information for too long of a time, and then the pair had gotten lunch. It was now getting late into the afternoon, and they had a long way to drive. There weren't many trust-worthy ring shops in their corner of Jersey, so Lindsey had taken Gerard to New York for the day. Now though, he was eager to return home after being busy the past week. His engagement plan was to take Frank to the building where they had first confessed their feelings for each other. Lindsey and Gerard had cleaned up the place, and she helped him prepare his speech, all the while resisting the urge to gag at the bile building in her throat due to the bitterly sweet words Gerard wrote out for the pathetic boy he was after.

It should have been Frank running around with Gerard instead, helping him plan out an engagement to Lindsey. But no, her hair was too long and her chest too broad. She didn't have what Gerard wanted. Not yet, at least. The following night, when Gerard was supposed to be on one knee in front of another man, he would end up crying into her hair until she made her move.

Lindsey stepped just inside the women's bathroom and glanced under the stalls, relieved to see the room was empty. She then whipped her phone out and was dialing the emergency number, quickly preparing her voice to sound panicked.

"911 what is your emergency?" The voice questioned once the line had connected.

"Operator, send the police! I manage the Kay Jewellers store on Third, and I've been robbed! A man with medium length black hair asked to see a ring and then ran out! It's part of a priceless collection! Please!"

"I'll send a team that way, is there any other information you can tell us?"

Lindsey smirked as she spoke again, "check his house, his boyfriend might be in on it." She gave them the necessary information before hanging up abruptly. Lindsey left knowing all her dreams would soon come true. It was the same night, almost into the early morning of the next day that she received a call from a distraught Gerard. She welcomed him into her house with feigned sympathy, and through his tears, he didn't hear the evil words she muttered under her breath.

"You're about to be mine."