Their Tale

Damage control

Reaching the room door, I rush in, dropping all that was in my hands. Rushing around for Celeste, I hear her, so I follow the sounds of heavy sobs. What I see is the sight of a woman as strong as any could come broken as she holds her knees to her chest on the bed.

Rushing towards her, I find myself next to her, bringing her into my hold. Her body shakes in a sound of destruction, and the death of the heart leaves her. She cries, lord she cries her heart, soul and belief into my arms. My only job is to hold her to let her know that she is not alone. She is safe in my arms.

How do we move on from this, where do we start, where do we go, how do we rebuild? The questions rush around my head as I rock the girl I love in my arms. It is about an hour into it all when she finally falls asleep in my arms. Silence lets me know this, so I move strategically to make sure that she does not shake away too much until she is laid on the bed.

Her body curled closer into the bed, not just into the bed but where Angel had been sleeping. A heavy sigh leaves her lungs, bringing herself closer to him, because the reality of it all is that she loves him. I love him. The him he showed us though.

Exhausted at the day, I leave the room, leaving my shoes in the room on the way to the kitchen. I go to the cupboard take out a glass and pour a glass of water into it, to take a long sip until the glass is empty. Silent tears fall down my face as I lean against the counter with the last of my strength.

A soft knock on the door stops me on the way to the couch. He would either be idiotic or simply cruel if he came back here.

Walking to the door, I look in the eye hole when I see familiar dirty blond hair and crystal blue eyes dressed as always in a designer business suit, "He is not here." My words were sharp and dismissive simply at his association with the man who broke my heart hours ago. Running his hand through his dirty blond hair the man, charming in character speaks "I know." Finding it useless to continue the conversation through the door, I open it and stand in front.

It was clear that Angel had spoken to him about what had happened at the house, us meeting the Nader. Yet I can't help but ask a question that I am sure I didn't want the answer to but needed. With my hands folded over my chest, I ask, "Did you know about the Nader's?" Heavy hesitation stopped any response, but that was all I needed as an answer.

Quick in retribution he responds, "Yes, but you must understand it was not my place to tell either you or Celeste." The excuse sickens me because as I looked at Andrew, I saw a friend who showed how much he cared as he supported Angel and us through the last few months, "No, but you should have told him that it was wrong to keep this from us."

He stands tall, but as a friend, I knew he was torn during all of this as well, "Evita, it was not my place. I am his brother, not his superior or dominant. I am sorry you found out the way you did though." I knew he was right; he was not above Angel in our relationship, and he couldn't demand or call for any action that was not out of guidance as a brother.

Slipping my hair behind my ear, I release an exhausted sigh from the day, "Why are you here?" Taking out a binding of paper, he hands it to me, "I'm just here to help you find a place out of the hotel." A laugh, unhonoured comes from my lips, "So what, money is the root to his fuck ups."

Andrew's demeanour does not change at my crude words "You know love or hate he is going to look out for you both." With a raised eyebrow, I chuckle with a lack of humour, "What is this, damage control? It wouldn't have been necessary had he told the truth in the beginning." In a rush, I close the door, but a hand quickly stops it from its official closing.

"Evita, I know he fucked up but that doesn't mean he doesn't love both you and Celeste. We both know you won't find an apartment the size of the living room behind this door without selling your soul and a little more."

Looking at the papers in hand, I am silenced by the reality of his words. He is right. A decent apartment around here would be impossible to find without months of wait and money we don't have right now.

Letting the door open wider, I consider his words, "So what is this, we accept the help and he weighs it over our heads until we speak to him?" Andrew takes a quick chance to respond "No, that's why he sent me. I have an apartment, more like a condo. You guys can move in, for good if you must, no strings attached." That is impossible, no person goes on to give their entire apartment like that "There is nothing as no strings attached, what's the catch here?"

I know I didn't say anything funny, but he starts to smile lightly, "Why must you always be so head strong and pessimistic? There really are no strings attached, the only thing I could possibly ask from you is consider speaking to him when you are ready." My arms hold me tighter at the thought of simply seeing him, but speaking to him, I don't even know I could from across a street.

It's clear that Andrew loves him like a brother, one that would go to any length to protect him, but we were the ones who seemed to need that protection, "He asked us for honesty, truth and our souls, and he couldn't even tell us that he had parents well and alive. He forgot to be our partner, trying to control so much." Wiping the lone tear, that falls through the barriers of my eyes, I look up, "The only way I would ever speak to him is with Celeste by my side, other than that and we both know that that is a long shot. I have nothing to say to him."

Sadness fills the man who came here charming and confident, now left with pain and shame for the actions of his friend, "I understand, just know that regardless of how this goes the apartment is yours. The papers you are holding are a lease agreement to say it's yours and Celeste's. I will be back in a few days for it if you both choose sign."

Opening the paper, I read his words, an agreement to the movement of name and ownership of the apartment, "I will speak to Celeste about it. Thank you though." He shrugs in a motion of welcome when he starts to walk back. Just as I am about to close the door, I stop at the sound of his words, "No mater how much control and power we present, there are strings you could not imagine pulling us."

With nothing left to say, I close the door. I look down at the paper in my hands. My fingers run through my hair as I look up in disbelief of how what was supposed to be where we built our new starts, could possibly be where it ends.

The feeling of my body being moved slightly, my head rising and falling on a warm lap brings me closer to her body. The moment I open my eyes, I realise it is nighttime by the dark sky and lights. Celeste's hand brushes my hair slowly and lovingly, which has me moving closer to her. The blanket she had probably laid over me when she found me here gave me more warmth "I read the agreement, what do you think about it?"

Her voice is so detached, it's like she has no more in her, "It's realistic, I'm not working right now and you can't support us both and keep working on your art." A breath of defeat leaves her, while her actions continue, "We should take it. I can't stay here any longer." I knew what she truly meant by that. The room feels cold, empty and unforgiving. No longer is it a safe haven, but a place of new death. Yet this time the death falls deep in us and you can't clean that up.

"If it feels wrong accepting, I can always go back to dancing, make sure we can get our own place." Lifting my body by her hands, Celeste shakes her head "Never. You will never have to go back to that as long as I am by your side. We will take the apartment, and from there we find our way forward." Impossible to hold them in, I bring myself into her arms, tears back in force of recognition, "I don't know what to do right now. I just feel this pain and hollowness. Celeste, he lied, fuck, he lied and I can't help but wish I found reason to not accept you both at the dinner, but then I remember that you would have found this out alone.

Shushing me, Celeste's arms create a place of security, "It's okay, we are going to figure this out together, move forward together and find our way through this." The ripple that one wave does to an entire ocean can mean the change of everything, and the ripple that was this secret meant the change of breath itself.

"Andrew, said that he would be here in a few days to take the papers if he signs them." Giving them one last look, she nods "We can sign them." I envelop her hand with mine, laying my head on her shoulder as the silence takes over. I take the blanket and drape it on her, bringing him in when I hear her speak "Evita, I've lived with him for years. I don't know how to do this alone."

I lift her hand to my lips, a kiss blessing it before letting it fall back down to my lap "You are not alone. I'll never let you be alone."