WEEK 38: But remember, just for tonight

Prompted by: Tiara Giles

The crazy author says: Yeah, I couldn’t bring myself to kill off this storyline quite yet. The struggle is real…

Today was the day.

She did the same thing every year. Visited all the same places. Went through all the same motions.

Every single year.

Trust me, I would know. I’ve been her shadow for the past three.

Today was the day she hated me.

And the day I hated myself.

This morning I woke up fighting temptation. Longing to exact revenge. Yearning to press a gun to my temple. Itching to pull the fucking trigger.

It wasn’t cowardice.

It was this ironic hunger for justice. Constantly gnawing at my gut. Twisting my insides into complete and utter shit.

Because I deserved to die for what I did.

It had been a split-second decision. Reactionary. Impulsive. Reckless. I’d been consumed by jealousy. Blinded by rage. Fixated on retrieving what had been stolen from my possession. Hellbent on reclaiming what was rightfully mine…

Her.

I just wanted to get her back.

And I fucked up.

Took one misstep. Made one phone call. Gave one order.

Four years ago.

She wasn’t supposed to be in that Bentley. She wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near that goddamn Bentley.

It was the biggest mistake of my life.

And it cost me everything. Everything I loved. Everything I didn’t even know I loved yet. I destroyed it all in the blink of an eye.

So, yeah, I wanted nothing more than to blow my own brains out.

But I always suppressed the urge. I couldn’t pay with my blood. There wasn’t enough to square the debt. And besides, I didn’t hold the authority to end my worthless existence. Not anymore. It was no longer mine to end.

It was hers. I belonged to her.

Now and forever.

I would guard her with my life. Protect her with my dying breath.

My only rule?

Keep your distance.

Stay hidden in the shadows. Don’t ever let her see me. Watch over her from afar.

That’s what I’d sworn to do. Nothing more. Nothing less. And never once had I broken that promise. Never once had I dishonored that vow.

Today was no exception.

I kept my distance the entire time.

When she kneeled by the tiny headstone and cried her heart out?

I cried right along with her and kept my distance.

When she swayed to the music and had one too many drinks?

I slipped the bartender a few extra bills and kept my distance.

When she smiled at some drunken loser and laughed at his lame-ass jokes?

I grit my teeth and kept my fucking distance.

But when that dumb piece of shit wouldn’t take no for an answer?

It was instinct.

I shot across the room and tore him off of her, slamming the scumbag down onto the bar. My fingertips dug into his jugular as I reached for my holster. Nothing could prevent me from killing him…

“Slim.”

Except her.

“Stop it.”

I obeyed without question because she owned me like a fucking dog.

As the lucky bastard slunk away, tail tucked neatly between his legs, she commanded, “Look at me.”

And I obeyed without question because she still owned me like a man too.

“Three years…”

The raw pain in her molten honey gaze nearly brought me to my knees.

Yet, even as her fist connected, slicing through my lip, I didn’t break eye contact. I wouldn’t. Not when I was finally staring into the sun. After an eternity spent in darkness. She could continue hitting me until her knuckles bled. I didn’t care. It didn’t matter. I refused to blink.

She didn’t strike again, though. Instead, she grabbed me by the collar and jerked me close.

So close I could feel her whisper, “One last time.”

So damn close.

“But remember, just for tonight.”