Beyond Good and Evil

Chapter 20: Robert's Birthday

"God, I hate her so much!" Alicia stomped back and forth along the bathroom tiles, kicking the bathroom door.

"Alicia," Robert warned from the other side, "please don't kick down my door. We can talk about this."

He'd been attempting to calm her down for hours now. Ever since the scuffle between her and Elsa last night, she had been fuming mad. He'd practically seen the steam coming out her ears and nostrils. She was like an aggravated bull, ready to charge.

He leaned his weight against the wooden door, gazing idly at his iPhone. Someone had messaged him on Facebook, saying that he was an inspiration and had the best voice in the world, but he wasn't really paying attention. He had more urgent matters on his mind.

"Alicia!" He called, flicking his hair from his forehead. He was due for a haircut, he thought. "Open up, will you?"

There was a long pause. Robert sighed, about to reach for the knob, when the door swung open. Alicia stood side-on, folding her lean arms across her chest. She looked extraordinarily beautiful, with two parts of her hair curled on top of her head, her waves falling freely over her shoulders and back.

"What started the fight?" He asked, stopping a few feet from her, digging his thumbs into the pockets of his jeans. He was going to keep his distance, until she made a move.

She sighed, throwing her hand up into the air. "I don't know," she shook her head slowly, closing her eyes, exhaling a tense breath through her teeth. "I guess, I was worked up thinking about Tomi. I didn't mean what I said."

He glanced at the mirror, studying their reflections. All he saw was one average man, and one average girl, both suited together. They looked perfect as one, even though they were standing apart. He had never noticed, up until now. But he had felt the pull inside his heart - she was his everything, and he hated seeing her so distraught.

"Tomi will be alright," Robert said. "He's my man, so I know him better than you do." He paused, licking his dry lips. "I don't know if he'll ever forgive me, though. Maybe this is the end of our friendship. We've never actually fought before."

Alicia sighed, beginning a slow stride back and forth along the tiles, clutching her elbows. "You almost killed him Rob, and you hurt me, too," she looked up, meeting his patient gaze. "I don't know how I'm going to be able to trust you again."

The words stabbed him like a cooking knife, right through the heart, but she made a point. He didn't even trust himself around her, either in the dungeon or in the normal environment of this house. And to make things worse, he had battered his best friend to a pulp, and now he was in ICU.

"Do you maybe want to call it quits, then?" He murmured, leaning back against the white plaster wall beside the shower.

Alicia gave him a long and hard look, her eyes questioning and thoughtful. Her body posture was relaxed, which gave him relief. He was glad she wasn't tense. That was the last thing he wanted, alongside the painful memories that stole his sleep.

"Yes," she sighed, averting her gaze to the white tiled floor. "I'm sorry, Rob."

"Don't be," he croaked, desperately attempting to hold back his tears. He had expected this since day one, only when he had shown her to the dungeon. He had never anticipated her leaving him over something else entirely. "I'll get your things from Andreas' and then I'll drive you to the airport."

When she didn't reply, or move, he took this as his cue and exited the bathroom. He clenched and unclenched his fists by his sides, padding along the wooden floorboards that he had been down countless times. Only on this occasion, it carried a sense of sadness. This was the last time he would ever see Alicia - ever speak to her, maybe ever again.