Forbidden Fruit

Strangers and Running

     Opening the door, I force myself to get out and make my way out the car and up to the only place that's ever felt like home. I make my way up the stairs, trying not to look around and be reminded of all the good memories I have here knowing it would make this that much harder.

     My hands trail along the wall, dipping into the dent that came from Alex getting a vanity for me to set up in our large bathroom. His large bathroom. I get to the top of the stairs and keep my head straight, too scared and broken to turn my head and look into the unfinished twin's room that I was so excited to work on today.

    I finally make it to his room and walk towards the closet, reaching on the top shelf carefully to grab the bags I had brought my clothes over with, counting on them now to serve the same purpose. Grabbing the first bag, I make my way got the dresser and begin shoving all my original clothes in there, not caring how it looks. I leave the ones Alex bought me, not wanting to take advantage of him while I break his heart.

As I make my way back to the closet to get my second bag and the clothes in there as well I pray that Alex understands why I had to do this. I know he's going to be heartbroken and hurt and so so so fucking angry with me but he needs to know this is for his own good. I have to protect him the way I never was, I refuse for my kids and my kind, amazing Link to go through the same things I did.

Even if it kills me to do this, I have to be strong in hopes that Alex will find a better life without me. My sobs get louder as I make my way to the bathroom and grab a bag from the cabinet to load all my necessities inside. I look up at the mirror and I cringe at the image that stares back at me. My eyes are red and blotchy, swollen under the weight of my tears, my cheeks flared up in an angry blush from the material of my sleeve rubbing against it so many times. I look away from the mirror, too ashamed to look at myself as I continue to pack away my life that I created so beautifully here.

Once I have everything I need, I make the trip back and forth up and down the stairs until all my bags are settled next to the door and almost every inch of my presence is gone. I make my way to Alex's office slowly, selfishly trying to prolong my time here, my steps getting weaker as I make myself follow through with this plan, only the thought of doing better for Alex keeping me going.

I enter the room and make my way to the desk where I know there's both paper and pens sitting around for someone's use. But of course it can't be that easy. As I reach for the materials, my eyes come in contact with a picture that I've always hated and love at the same time. It's all of our friends settled at the park having a picnic, my round belly almost two months smaller than it is now. We're all laughing and smiling with food splattered all around us after the food fight we had thoroughly enjoyed. Alex's arms are wrapped around me, his hands protectively on my belly as I laugh, my head thrown back, cake in my hair and he's staring at me like I'm the only person in the world. A photographer there in the park had asked to take our picture and we agreed, running high off of the serotonin and I'm so glad we did, our little group looks like that happy family we always wanted, even Jonah is smiling, back in his early days of meeting us.

I tear my eyes away from the picture and sit down to write a note out for Alex, my tears falling on the paper as I do, my hands shaking violently as I explain why I have to go and leave him behind. How I'm sorry I'm not brave or selfless enough to reject him, even though I feel the Mark in my neck pulsing as I write out the heart breaking words. Once the message is written I go to get up and make my way out of the office but stop to stare at the picture once more before allowing myself a moment of selfishness to grab it to take with me.

I pull out my phone and call myself a cab as I make my way to the kitchen, note and picture in hand. I set the wet piece of paper on the island along side the picture as I do something I never even dreamed of doing: I reach my arms behind my neck and allow my fingers to grip the clasps around my throat to remove the wolf locket Alex gave me all those months ago.

I set the necklace down over the note that's left on the counter with fresh tears streaming down my face, unable to stop the emotions warring in me so painfully. I pick my picture up and hug it to my chest as I walk to the fridge and place the keys back on the hook that's hanging on the fridge just how he likes it. I also sure to remove my house key from my pocket and set it down along side the note and locket sullenly.

I walk from the kitchen and past the living room slowly, taking in the house one last time before I get to the door and open it, putting all my bags outside the door before I look back once more as I slowly close the door behind me.

     I grab the bags and slowly make the trip back and forth to get my bags to the end of the driveway and have my last bag in hand just as the cab I called makes it's way down the road. A middle aged woman comes out the car and takes one look at me before she's ushering me in the car and packing up my bags for me. Once everything is settled she hops back in and asks me where to. My voice is scratchy as I answer her, my hands on the window as we pull away from the only place that ever felt like home and my heart breaks slowly until it's no longer in view.

     "I'm glad you're able to get away, darling." She tells me and it makes my heart ache as fresh tears fall form my eyes, not having the strength to tell her I'm not saving myself from my Link, but saving him from me.

~~~~~~~~~
Please don't attack me. I violently cried as I wrote this. It's was so hard to watch one of my first characters go through this and realize my book is coming to an end soon. I'm sorry if any one else cried.

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QOTD: Do you get Chloe's reasoning for leaving?