Dominion Falls

Chapter Ten

Dinner was ready, so I put everything on the table, I looked at the time, it was close to six-thirty. I figured Steve was either working late or working on his farm. So, I made myself a plate and kept the food warm in case he walked in the door.

Halfway through I heard a car door, my stomach turned into butterflies, hoping that he still loved the idea of us being a couple, and still will after he reads the letter I found.

"Baby I'm home" I hear Steve say as he walks in the door, which made me smile. I got up and went to meet him in the hallway, I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him, "missed you" I whispered.

Steve stood there beaming, "oh how I have waited to hear those words come out of that sweet mouth of yours" he said as he kissed me, not just a simple kiss but a deep one that held a promise for later.

Steve followed me into the kitchen and sat down while I fixed his plate, I left the letter on the table open for him if he chose to read it. I wasn't going to hide anything from this man.

I turned around and saw Steve glancing at it. "I left it there for you to read if you want, I found it today tucked in Devon's pillow when I went to strip his sheets off the bed" I told him setting his plate in front of him.

Steve picked it up and read the letter, I sat there not being able to eat, I sipped my iced tea to give me something to do with my hands, I wasn't worried about the letter so much as Steve's reaction.

He put the letter down after I'm sure reading it for the hundredth time. "So, what did he leave you of his?" he asked.

"That part I'm not sure honestly, I haven't found anything, and I can't figure that part out" I told him.

"I hate to ask but was there ever a time the two of you have been intimate?" he asked looking dead into my eyes, "Never, that part I couldn't ever think of wanting him that way, it has always been you even when I wouldn't tell you" I told him.

"Has there ever been a time that something just wasn't right, but you couldn't figure it out?" he asked another question. I knew he was in cop mode, and this guy wasn't fun, he was all business.

"There was one morning I woke up in my nightgown but with no undies on, and the weird thing is I fell asleep on the porch swing, or so I thought, I thought I was just too tired to remember" I said feeling really small at this point.

We both sat there, I knew what he was thinking as I thought the same thing myself, even though I hoped I was wrong but seeing the look on Steve's face was telling me I wasn't wrong at all.

He took a deep breath, "was he gone the next morning?" thinking back, "yes, I woke up getting my bearings together, came downstairs made coffee, went to take a shower after I ate breakfast, I thought he was still asleep, so after my shower his door was still closed.

I went to let him know that breakfast was ready so we could get a jump on the day to finish the roof and get the rest of the barn done, but there was no answer, so I opened the door and found everything nice and tidy.

I didn't look in the drawers until later that day when I noticed everything was gone, and today is when I decided to wash and strip the room, that's when I found the letter" I told him.

I hope he didn't hate me; I was praying he wasn't going to blame me for any of this, but I know how things go some days, the most innocent person can be accused of things even when not true.

I took a deep breath and held it; I could see Steve had something he was going to say.

"Look, I trust and believe you when you say nothing went on with your knowledge, but do I believe that Devon had sex with you? Yes, with you participating in the act? No, I think he took advantage of the situation and left before I could kill him. 

 The end part of the note he wrote I left something for you to take root and to grow into something beautiful, I think he was trying to impregnate you, so you can carry his child, so he has something to come home to" Steve all but growled.

I sat there almost hyperventilating, I didn't want to think that I felt dirty, and now how could Steve look at me the same way, touch my body knowing I was assaulted without my knowledge.

I looked down on my lap, I knew what was coming next, "I need to go home and think about some things, I wasn't expecting this at all, and if by chance you are pregnant with another man's child, I don't know if I can be a part of that" he said standing up.

And there it was, the death blow. The one I so desperately tried to hide away from, the one that tore my insides out. I looked up at him with tears in my eyes, there was nothing I could say to this man.

Steve within a moment had become a stranger to me, his eyes were cold and disconnected. He saw the tears were flowing freely from my eyes, he never softened once.

"I will still check on you to make sure you are okay" he said. "Don't bother Steve, I can tell that even though I have done nothing wrong, and I was assaulted you no longer want anything to do with me, so please just go if you're going" I said as I sat there crying.

Steve looked at me for a moment and turned and walked out, I heard his car start up and drive away.

The next few days were a blur, mostly I just slept. I didn't work on the farm at all. At this moment in time, I wanted nothing more than to just hide away from it all. I couldn't eat anything; I really didn't want to.

The only time I got out of bed was to use the bathroom, other than that I stayed in bed. Crying from a broken heart was one of the worst pains someone can bear. I knew I was risking everything by giving him a chance with my heart.

And when something happens, even out of your control, what happens but he destroys my heart.

I realized during this time that I didn't have any friends, no one bothered to come by and check on me, Steve didn't even bother. I know he had to notice the farm was quiet, my mail was piling up I'm sure at the mailbox at the end of the driveway.

I knew I had to eat eventually, but what was the point? No-one cared about me, my parents were dead, maybe I was better off in the afterlife with them than here in this life.

I made my way downstairs, all the curtains were closed, and the house was stuffy, but I didn't care, it felt as how I felt honestly. I went to the fridge and pulled out the bread, seeing it was still good I popped it into the toaster and made myself some toast.

I poured myself some orange juice to help me somehow. I finished eating and drinking my juice, I left the plate and glass right on the table. I didn't care anymore about cleaning, "why bother" I said to the house.

I looked at the calendar, it has been one week since I've seen Steve. I sat there and cried for a bit longer and decided to crawl back into my safe space which was my bed.

When I stood up, I noticed a sharp pain went through my insides. I doubled over in pain and cried out. I needed to go lay down, it was probably my stomach after the food finally in it.

Until I looked down and noticed blood running down my legs, I walked half bent over stumbling to the stairs. I collapsed on the floor in front of the stairs.

"So, this is how I go, alone and bleeding" I whispered before I passed out.