Cain stepped
through the crowd, “What is he doing
here?”
I shrugged,
“I don’t know. It isn’t like I just invited him.”
“I can speak
for myself, thank you,” Klaus butted in. I looked between them, sensing the
rising tension. “I am here because I am allowed to be. And because I told
Claire that I would come back some day.”
My heart
melted but Klaus’ comment seemed to anger Cain even further, “Seriously,
Claire? Were you just wasting time with me while you waited for him to come back
for you? God, I can’t believe I was this stupid. I made myself look like an
idiot and for what- for you to just cast me aside like I’m nothing?”
I shot up,
feeling slightly woozy but steadying myself, “Are you fucking kidding me? I
waited for you. I gave you so many chances. I made myself look like an asshole
because I still loved you even after
you treated me like shit and lied to me and let me slip away more than twice. So
don’t you DARE try to tell me I
played with you and made you look dumb. You deserve it after everything you’ve
put me through.”
Like so many
other important times, he just stood there in his stoic silence. His lip quivered
slightly and he took a deep breath- letting it exhale slowly. His gaze met mine
and I could see all the hurt and the pain and the regret that had lay hidden
beneath them. I wondered if he could only show these things to me- wondered if
anybody else standing around us could see in him the things I had seen. I
averted my eyes, not wanting to get caught up in all the emotion that had slowly
begun to suffocate me.
Klaus reached around my waist to
steady me and I pressed into him- his frame strong and defined. Cain seemed to
flinch inward as if someone had struck him, and I knew then how much it really
hurt. How much he regretted the decision to let me go. And as he turned away
and parted the crowd all the way to the door I could barely suppress the urge
to chase after him. My heart screamed and pounded against the inside of my
chest, but my head just kept trying to quiet my heart like a mother would a
frightened child- trying to reason with it by soft humming and slow strokes of
thumb against cheek. But none of this was evident to the people outside my
mind. My eyes glazed over and my body numb, it felt like I could feel nothing
and everything all at once.
I looked at Klaus, his lips moving
but no sound met my ears. My gaze was blank and he returned with a worried
face. Tammy and Rhoslyn moved closer, one of them grabbing my arm and shaking
me slightly. The sound slowly filtered back- first the music, then the voices,
and finally the gentle humming vibration of the room. He looked at them, “Best
be getting her home, ladies. It seems as if she has had enough excitement for
tonight.”
All three of them walked me to the
car and I climbed into the back seat. Klaus leaned down as his hand rested on
the door, “Goodnight, My Dear. I shall see you tomorrow, yes? I’ll come by to
make sure you’re getting along just fine. Try to get some rest.”
He bent down and kissed my forehead
before shutting the car door. On the ride home I couldn’t help but allow all my
feelings to gather and tangle themselves inside me. My heart thudded gently and
my breath eventually became slower and deeper, slipping me into an inescapable
sleep. I couldn’t help but think during my last few moments about what these
two men wanted from me. Cain wanted my forgiveness and my love and Klaus had
yet to ask for something. But I wasn’t sure I had anything left to give.
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