Chapter 11
Time seemed to freeze, as if someone had pressed pause on reality. The noise, the
Chapter 10
with both fear and relief.
Chapter 11
J
Time seemed to freeze, as if someone had pressed pause on reality. The noise, the commotion, everything fell away, leaving just me and the shocking image before me: Darrel lay sprawled on the ground, blood trickling from his mouth, his body unnaturally still.
My heart raced wildly, overwhelmed by the sheer disbelief of the scene. That’s when I noticed him–Jayde. He walked toward me, holding a small bouquet of flowers. His expression was calm, focused. He reached over to take the veil from my mother, his eyes never leaving mine as he stepped closer.
In a low, reassuring voice, he leaned close to
Chapter 11
me, his words soft but steady. “Fionna, if you‘ re ready, we’ll go to the ceremony. If you‘ re not, we’ll turn back and I’ll take you home. Whatever you need, I’m here.”
I glanced involuntarily toward the pool of blood, a fresh wave of panic rising within me. Jayde followed my gaze, his hand resting gently on my shoulder. Sensing my distress, he murmured, “Fionna, it’s just something a drunk has brought upon himself. It’s got nothing to do with us.
I took a shaky breath, feeling his words. anchor me. I nodded slowly, allowing him to lift me into his arms. I felt safe, grounded in a way I hadn‘ t before. I’d once thought that seeing Jayde in such a state would shatter me, leave me hollow and lost. He had been my
lifeline for so long that I couldn’t imagine
Chapter 11
my world without him.
But now… all I felt was relief. An
overwhelming urge to escape this tangled web, to reach the happiness waiting just beyond.
As we settled into the wedding car, I caught sight of Darrel in the rearview mirror. Covered in blood, he was slowly, painfully, struggling to rise. His face was a mixture of pain and confusion, his once polished demeanor crumbling into raw desperation. A pang of sympathy crossed my heart, but it was brief, quickly replaced by a feeling I hadn’t expected–gratitude.
The car began to move and in a single, decisive motion, I raised my hand in a silent farewell, watching his image grow smaller and smaller in the mirror.
Goodbye, Darrel. Goodbye to seven years of loyalty, of heartbreak, of losing myself in someone who didn’t deserve it.
I turned my gaze forward, leaving behind a part of me that no longer fit, ready to embrace the life that waited on the other side.
(The End)
