ROSES AND RUIN

Chapter One:

~Feed me lies like strawberry coated in chocolate, and I'll gladly delight in the bliss ignorance provides.~

Present.

~Willow~

In the early stages of our relationship, everything between us was perfect. It was all rainbows and rubies; sweet gestures, romantic surprises. Wonderful dates. I was in the clouds and my joy felt like something out of a fictional novel.

After being through so much, I had no idea it was possible to feel so good again.

I owed it to Julie for many reasons; for saving me, quite literally, even though I don't remember how. And for helping the hospital locate my mother's cousin, and only alive relative, Aunt Emaline; who was financially stable and also in the medical field like my mother had been.

I had originally been on my way to Detroit, thinking Aunt Em still lived there, before the... accident. Turns out she'd moved away, right after my mother and I had left; and my mother had denied me any contact with her, for some reason. Perhaps she'd feared that the government might've given her custody of me, for being a better-suited guardian.

Anyway, Aunt Em had lost her phone on the commute to her new place, along with her old number. The only one I'd had. So in some crazy twist of fate, without Julie, I would've been stranded, with no way to contact my aunt if things had gone according to the original plan.

London; that's where Aunt Em lived and where I've been for close to two years now. My new home. But, Julie; she was like my second home. My everything.

We were celebrating our eighteenth-month anniversary at the time. Eighteen months without a real fight between us; not one serious argument. Sure, we bickered over silly things like the TV remote or the last slice of pizza, but never anything major. It was bound to happen, though, right? The first real fight. I just didn't know how soon it would come.

Our anniversary was something she always remembered, and she always planned the dates and the surprises. For someone who seemed so mature and aloof, she had an obsession with dates. She kept track of every little milestone; first kiss, first date, first dance, our first movie watched together. Even my first proper taste of alcohol on my 20th birthday, a little earlier this year.

I think it's safe to say I hated alcohol. It reminded me of my mother; not Aunt Em, who'd been more of a mother to me than my actual one had been for about eight years. My real mother, who didn't even bother to look for me... or did she? I never bothered to look for her. I had Aunt Emmaline and Julie.

Julie who was unexpectedly, but pleasantly quirky; she even saved the popcorn wrapper from the first movie date. Crazy, right? But sweet. If you woke her up in the middle of the night, she could probably rattle off the exact time and date of anything we did together. With those expressly bright baby-blue eyes that saw right through me, I couldn't help but think she loved me. Really loved me.

Or so it seemed.

Today, I wanted to do something special for her for a change. So, I planned a surprise dinner.

I had a spare key to her place from months ago when she'd forgotten something she couldn't pick up herself while on duty at work. Some important documents I'd had to retrieve for her myself. She'd never asked for the key back; maybe she trusted me that much; and I hadn't used it or visited since then. Or maybe she'd forgotten, the same way I hadn't remembered to give it back, though right now, I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to use it. She'd never once told me that I couldn't, and it was a surprise, after all.

She had lectures all morning today, then shifts at the shelter afterward for a few hours. At least, that's what she'd told me. She'd probably be dead tired by the end of the day, so I could run her a warm bubble bath or something.

I wanted to go all out; and if there was still time after, I'd decorate. Something cozy, nothing too elaborate. Maybe cook her favorite meal, then melt some chocolate with strawberries for dessert; her absolute favorite treat, though I was allergic. To strawberries.

I could also let her win a game of chess or two. Maybe. I always won, but I was prepared to lose for her benefit today. Just this time, even though I hated losing. I'd also rent a movie to recreate our first date, we could open a bottle of wine; non-alcoholic, and order pizza to go with it.

I could just imagine the look on her face when she walked in and saw everything.

I left the house at 1:30 pm to pick up all I needed; groceries, a bottle of non-alcoholic wine, a small cake, and... a gift, I decided, checking the time again on my watch that was a present I'd gotten from her for my birthday. It was a tough choice with so many display options, but I decided on a delicate silver necklace and matching bracelets. Time was ticking, but I wanted it to be perfect.

It was Friday today, which meant she'd be home by... eight, or thereabout. Her normal schedule changed sometimes; she might even get stuck in traffic. If she did, she most likely wouldn't get late passed eleven, but even then, I could wait. I was betting on her being late, not early. If she decided to turn up any moment soon... this whole surprise thing is screwed.

I couldn't help but wonder if this was what she'd gone through, all the times she'd planned stuff. But they always went smoothly. Either way, I made a mental note to appreciate her more than I already did; if that was even possible.

After what felt like forever, I returned to her place, arms full of bags and running way behind schedule. My heart sank when I reached for the key. The door was already unlocked.

Did I forget to lock it when I left? No, I was sure I had. I'm always careful.

Irrational panic hit me when I stepped inside the house to hear the faint sound of the shower running. My heart fell.

She was home.

I set the bags down and headed toward the kitchen, my heart hammering against my ribcage, trying to figure out how to salvage the evening. I could still make this work, right? Maybe she wouldn't mind. Maybe she'd think it was cute that I'd gone through all this trouble.

The clinking of bottles against the cold shelves echoed through the kitchen as I put the wine in the fridge, a chill creeping up my spine. The sound of running water stopped abruptly.

Then I heard it-footsteps behind me.

Without turning around, I smiled, pushing down the panic rising in my chest.

"Hey, babe," I said, as casually as I could manage. My voice felt too loud in the otherwise silent apartment. I waited for her usual sweet reply, her laugh, her warmth.

But the response was immediate, and it wasn't her voice. It was someone else's. The quality was rich; deep with more than a little hint of annoyance.

"Who the hell are you?" The person snapped.

My breath caught in my throat, my heart stuttering in my chest.

A man's voice.

Author's Nonsense:
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Love,
𝕷a̸͟͞d̸͟͞y̸͟͞𝕽𝖊𝖉༊𝕱𝖆𝖊.

ORG: 21/06/20
ED: 10/12/20
RE: 8/9/24