Chapter 2 old wounds
1026 Words
Chapter 2 Old Wounds
I woke up, the walls were white, the drips hissing. And the ring is still on my finger. Then everything felt painfully fresh again, the loss, the betrayal, the silence.
My body ached with emptiness. I lost him, and hell yes, I lost her too. I lost everything.
How do you bury a future you never even lived?
Lara had been my Shadow, my sister, my friend. And my secret keeper. And somehow, she became my thief.
“Hi, Miss Adina”, the nurse's voice broke my thoughts. How are you feeling today?"
I forced a faint smile. “Fine.”
How could these words come out of my mouth? If anything, I was far from fine. I was shattered, ashamed, broken with little or no life left in me.
When can I be discharged? I asked, weakly
“The doctor said you can go home today,” my mother answered from the side of the bed.
“Hi mum” I muttered like each word weighed a thousand pounds.
It was raining outside, clouds were dark, thunderstorms, and lightning. Then I suddenly thought of him.
Jeremy.
His gray eyes had always lifted my mood, his laughter echoing like a melody only I understood.
Rainy nights were our thing. We would cuddle and just lay there like all we needed to survive was breath from each other's lungs.
We were made for each other, I knew we were… or maybe I didn't, I was wrong.
“Dinner is ready my love”, mum's warm voice called out from the kitchen then I suddenly snapped back to reality.
Her voice brought another memory, another woman's voice.
Then suddenly I remembered, her calm and exciting voice
“Adina come and eat something, or you'll get sick” Lara had said one evening.
“Lara I told you already I don't want to eat”.
“Girl you'd better stop obsessing over him and get your stomach filled. We’re going out for drinks tonight, whether you like it or not”.
It was another busy night in LA. Car horn bussing, city lights flickering, laughter spilling from every corner. Everyone is going about the weekend in an elated mood.
Everyone but me.
“I don't want to go outside”, I muttered, slumping into the couch. “If I see anyone kissing or hugging I might actually puke.
It was my fourth heartbreak, the fourth time I'd sworn off love and as always Lara had been there to scoop me off the floor.
She had been through all my breakups, all my crying,fits, late night calls. And still somehow Lara had managed to keep her relationship steady.
Or at least that's what I used to think.
After all she managed to keep mine too… right?.
I pushed the thought aside. “Fine”, I sighed. “Let's go, but only if you agree to play”.
“Play what”? Lara raised an eyebrow.
“Rock ,paper, scissors.
Her eyes rolled dramatically, “not again girl. You do this every time, like we are ten”.
I grinned. “Exactly”.
And then we proceeded, after 5 rounds she won.
There I was, my mouth wide open in anger, “You clearly cheated!”
“No I didn't,” Lara said laughing.
“We have to dress up, come and eat something.”
After dinner we got dressed, and headed out the night as usual.
Dinner blurred into laughter and small talk, and by the time we stepped into the night, the city came alive. Lara had booked us a table at one of the upscale spots, the kind of place where lightning was soft, atmosphere lovely and the men rich.
It was our ritual: dress up, flirt, and find someone generous enough to cover our bills. Lara, even with her steady boyfriend, played along. It was our secret.
But that night felt… different
I saw him before he saw me tall, dark skinned with slick black hair and eyes that pierce my soul. He wore a black tuxedo that fit him like sin and shoes that gleamed like polish obsidian.
My pulse quickened. For a moment it felt like the room had gone silent.
And then he was walking towards us.
“Hi, ladies”, he said, his voice smooth, confident.
“I'm Jeremy, but you can call me Jerry”.
He smiled “Are you too alone tonight?”.
I opened my mouth to answer but, of course, Lara beat me to it. “Yes we are!” She said laughing.
Later back at our apartment, Lara couldn't stop talking about him.
“You know you're in a relationship, right?” I reminded her.
“ Yes, I know”, she said dreamily, “but she wasn't joking.
“Girl you know his my type”, I said
She rolled her eyes, “your spec?”
She smirked. “ We've just been having fun with these guys, a little flirty, a little money and we move on . You know none of them are serious”.
“I know”, I said softly, “but this one feels… different. I really want him , Lara”.
For a moment, her expression changed, something unreadable flickered across her face.
Then she smiled and said, “Alright. Rock,paper, scissors.
I stared at her with shock. “You're serious?”
“Yes. If you win, he's yours. If not…” she shrugged. “You know the rules”.
Three rounds later, I won.
“Yes!” I shouted, jumping up from the couch.
Lara laughed. “It's fine. You can have him. He's not really my type anyway. I like them bigger”.
I burst out laughing. “Girl, you're lying. Your man isn't even that big!”.
We kept teasing each other until the laughter faded into silence. Then we fell asleep
But at night, I kept thinking about the game, Lara never lost a game unless she wanted to.
Did she lose on purpose…
- Writer
