You Were Always Mine

Shattered Glass

“Mummy! Mummy!”

With trembling hands, Alison reached for her daughter in the storm.

Everywhere was dark, it was too dark to see anything and there was no help coming this way for miles and miles to come.

She knew that.

Little Vivian knew that.

God, her little daughter, trapped under the wreckage of the car accident.

“Don’t cry sweetheart okay? Can you see my hand?” She asked, tears already trickling down her chin.

She wasn't going to make it.

She knew she wasn't going to make it, not with the blood spilling on the asphalt, not when her leg was already jammed against the door.

But she needed her daughter out, she needed her daughter safe.

“Vivian, I…I need you to reach for my hand okay? I'm going to get you out.”

Little Vivian broke down in tears, it was all too dark. She could barely even see her mother's face.

“I'm so scared. Mummy, I'm scared.”

“I know sweetheart. I'm scared too but please ... .please angel reach for my hand. Wave them around if you can. Please…”

Little Vivian waved her hand around in the dark until she finally felt her mother's moist hands clamp tight around her.

It all happened so fast. One minute she was in the car and the next, Little Vivian was on the asphalt just as thunder started to rumble mercilessly.

“Mummy! Mummy! Mummy please open your eyes!” She had cried, banging hard at the glass window where she could see her mother laying unnervingly still.

Little Vivian with bruises on her legs and a terrible head injury, had walked down the empty road, looking around helplessly.

“Help! Please help my mummy! My..Mummy is in here.”

There was no one in sight and just as her grief was starting to take over her, thunder had struck a nearby tree into two, making the young girl clamp her hands over her ears as she screamed in horror.

Vivian turned restlessly in her sleep, face beading with sweat as she fisted her sheets.

It was happening again, she was losing her mother all over again.

Why can't she..why can't she just do something?! Help her!

God damn it, get a f*****g rock and f*****g help her!

***

The thunder rumbled again as Oscar turned off his tablet, calling it a day.

He’d been trying to finish up with work and the next plan was to crash right after.

His eyes caught the first streak of rain against the windows.

The sound of the thunder soon followed, the light illuminating the entire room in an instant.

Oscar tensed on hearing a scream. He sat up on the couch, hands gripping the arm rest as he tried to listen again.

Was that a scream? Did he hear that right? Should he be concerned?

Thunder echoed through the entire property again as though trying to jog his failing memory.

He leaned back, not sure he’d heard the scream the first time. And who would be up by this time of the night?

Most of the staff were probably in bed by now and…

His entire body tensed as the memory forced itself back into his mind, crawling out of the dark closet he'd locked them in.

Vivian was terrified of thunder.

Oscar almost jumped out of his couch, the tablet falling to the ground noisily but he didn't seem to have heard it.

He made his way to the door in barely five seconds and just as his hands held the door knob, he stopped.

What was he doing?

This shouldn't be his problem anymore.

Back then, he would comfort her and make her feel better by distracting her during thunderstorms.

But now, he had no such obligations towards her.

Not anymore.

Yet, he pulled the door open and stepped out into the hallway.

Before that stubborn part of him whispered all the reasons why she didn't deserve his concern, he took three steps towards her room only for the door to yank open.

Vivian bolted out, hair flying wild across her face, feet bare and eyes wide in horror.

She was breathing fast and hard, barely able to walk properly.

He could tell she was dazed, horrified.

Oscar covered the distance between them, grabbing her by the shoulders and holding her still.

“Hey, hey, hey..” he called quietly.

He didn't want to spook her anymore than she already was.

Her entire body trembled in his grip as she glanced up to meet his gaze.

His heart broke at the sight; her eyes were barely properly opened but they watered with tears.

He didn't need to be told what had happened.

“You okay?” He asked, searching her face with wide eyes, wishing, for some reason, he could take away all her pain.

“I..” She stammered. “I…my mum…I..”

He pulled her close before she could collapse to the ground.

His grip around her tightened protectively, his own breath now coming out harsh and shallow.

“What am I going to do?” She sobbed. “My mum. She’s…she's…”

His grip only seemed to tighten around her, his hands patting her hair slowly as he tried to calm her down.

“You're safe..” he muttered against her head. “You're safe Vivian. I'm here..”

He held on to her, her tears wetting his bare chest.

Bloody hell, he didn't even bother to get a top on or something.

“It's okay..” he whispered again, his hands patting her gently.

Oscar sighed, shutting his eyes as every tensed muscle in his body seemed to relax.

He lifted her off her feet, carrying her into her bedroom where he laid her down gently.

He watched her face, watching her creased brows ease up slightly.

He exhaled, she was okay. That’s all that matters.

Oscar turned to leave only to feel a jerk, pulling him back to her; she had laced her fingers through his.

He glanced back at her as she muttered in her sleep.

“Don’t leave me…Please..”

He should have left, walked away and pretended he hadn't even witnessed this and yet.

Yet again, he found himself laying next to her in bed.

The thunder cracked again and her grip seemed to tighten unconsciously, forcing him to pull her even closer to his body.

God, she’s making it increasingly difficult to hate her.

How could he hate her when she’s like this during every thunderstorm? How could he hate her when she still blames herself for what happened to her mother?

She snuggled even closer, shoulder slightly trembling.

"Hey. It's just noise. I'm here." His voice came out rougher than he intended.

Her eyes opened slightly and he pulled her against his chest without thinking.

Her body fit against his the way it always had.

He stroked her back in slow circles while the storm raged outside, murmuring words that didn't make sense even to him, every time the thunder boomed.

He knew it was going to be a long night; thunderstorms in the side of the city usually last a long time.

He knew he had work tomorrow, had several meetings to attend and it was best if he went to bed early.

But none of that seemed to matter right now. At least, right now, he can’t seem to remember any of those things.

Her fingers found their way on his chest, resting against his skin.

His muscles tensed under her touch, sucking in a breath as he felt an old feeling he'd swore he had buried.

He glanced down at her, meeting those eyes that had charmed him all these years, just staring up at him.

His gaze flickered down to her lips and then her eyes.

He looked away, refusing to let the urge win.

But when she leaned her head closer to his chest, he knew he was fighting a lost war.

“f**k it.”

He tilted her chin up and their mouths met in a kiss that started out careful and quickly deepened.

Their lips parting, tongues sliding against each other and tasting years of history, years of yearning neither could deny.

It was the kind of kiss that remembered every secret they’d shared, every late-night confessions, every stolen kiss in the hallway…

His hand cupped the back of her head, holding her there as the kiss lingered.

The storm outside was almost gone now but none of that mattered to him.

His hands traced the outline of her sides, allowing himself, just this once, to feel everything he’d promised not to.

He pulled away slowly, breathing hard as her eyes fluttered close in sleep.

He kept his forehead against hers for a moment longer than he would have wanted to.

“What am I doing?” He muttered, eyes staring down at the one woman he could never get over.