Glass Castles

February 14th 2014

February 14th, 2014

 

Troy knew something was wrong when he saw Emily weeping after they came out of the hospital room. Aris had a grave expression but he looked more put-together than his companion as they gingerly walked over to him and sat on either side of him.

“What are you doing?” he asked both of them and leaned back against his chair, “I need answers and I need them now.”

“That’s… that’s why we’re here. To give you all the answers you need to know before you see her awake.”

“She’s awake?”

“Yes, she’s awake”, Aris said, “But you need to hear us out first.”

“Whatever.”

“Aris and I have been together…. For three years now”, Emily said through a ragged voice, “And Ella found out at the day of the wedding.”

Troy clenched his fist, “And yet, Aris, you blackmailed her into not calling off the wedding.”

Aris’ eyes darkened, “I was confused, alright. I didn’t think it would become so bad.”

“Let me get this straight; you had a girlfriend and a bride, and you couldn’t chose one because it was difficult so you blackmailed your bride yet continued your affair with your girlfriend.”

Emily bit her lip, “I didn’t like it too...”

“Then why didn’t you do something goddammit? You sat there stuffing your face in this guy’s face while you knew he was getting married!” he looked at both of them, “What the hell did you guys want?”

“I…. I don’t know…”

Troy got up abruptly and walked into the room, and immediately Ella’s eyes fluttered open. She smiled a bit but winced and immediately Troy groaned.

“It’s all his fault.”

“Troy…” Ella croaked but Troy shook his head.

“It’s his fault and you know it. How did you find out about them?”

“I walked in on them”, she said, her voice barely a whisper. Troy groaned and started pacing around the room, “I hate every bloody fiber in his body.”

“Troy, calm down”, she said and gestured to the empty stool beside her, “can we not talk about them for a change?”

Troy heaved a huge sigh and sat down beside her on the bed, “yeah okay. Whatever you say.”

She gave him a weak smile, “how have things been? How long was I out?”

“Well you were out for three days straight. It’s kind of scary if you ask me. Are you feeling okay? God, I feel like an idiot for not asking you the moment I stepped in but they just told me and I was so mad at him, especially after all the nonsense he was giving you the few weeks before the marriage and…”

“Troy Daniel Montgomery, shut up.”

“But--”

“Shut up.”

Troy huffed, “It’s like I care more than you do. It’s your life for god’s sake.”

Ella sighed and caught his wrist, “you know I love you and nobody else. Why do you even care?”

“Because he hurt you and that’s not okay. And now he’s got a secret girlfriend who happens to be your freaking best friend. What is going to happen now? Your mom will be devastated and your dad, oh god he will throw the biggest fit in the history of fits and I don’t think anybody will be happy after that. Ella this is freaking messed up why did you stand in front of that car Goddammit?”

Ella rubbed circles on his wrist, even though he should have been the one to do it to her, “Hey, it’s going to be fine. Trust me. Everything will fall into place.”

Troy lay his head on the side of her bed and she stroked his hair gently. This was the exact opposite of what should have happened. He should have comforted her. She was the one in the hospital and not him. Just before he fell asleep, he heard her sweet voice once again.

“Hey Troy?”

“Hmm?”

“Happy Valentine’s day.”

He smiled and snuggled closer towards her pale, cold body, “I love you.”

And then he tumbled into the darkness.