Читать книгу After She Said Yes - Kaya Gravitter - Страница 3

It was cold and still that late October night. Outside, the moon reflected the ice-frosted leaves. Covered in dew, the grass resembled the icing on a freshly glazed pastry. When Aurora went to bed, Shazzy was asleep in the guest bedroom and Gannon was working in his office. Aurora struggled to sleep that night. She had to work early the next morning. She often found herself restless and over analytical.

Aurora got up from her bed to go to the bathroom. The lights were off, and she did not have her glasses on. Aurora’s bare feet felt cold on the hardwood floor. The hallway to the bathroom felt like a dark tunnel. When she got to the end of that tunnel, she couldn’t see much besides a smeared canvas in front of her eyes in the living room. Instead of turning right to the bathroom, something made Aurora look back.

She heard a sound that made her turn her head. That moan sounds too familiar, Aurora muttered to herself.

All she saw was a blur. She walked further toward the moving objects. Her heart started to beat faster. She squinted her eyes and saw the side of a man's face as the lamplight reflected his strawberry blonde hair. She heard a whisper, “Take off your shirt.” She took in a big breath of air as if she were punched in the stomach. She knew that slightly crooked nose from a mile away, and could recognize that light southern accent anywhere, even as a whisper.

Is this really happening? Her heart started to beat faster. Her breaths got shorter.

Aurora stopped. She felt a tightness in her chest. The hair on the backs of her arms stuck up as straight as the quills on a porcupine. She stood there as her blood froze in her veins. She could neither speak nor breathe.

She felt numb and cold. Shivers ran down her spine.

She stared at both of them for a few moments before she could say anything. When words started to come out of her mouth, she began to whimper. She couldn’t utter a word.

It was her husband kissing Shazzy.

“You have got to be kidding me!” Aurora finally managed to yell.

Gannon jumped off the couch.

“It ain’t what it looks like, Rora,” Gannon stuttered as he smiled, taking a step toward Aurora.

“It didn’t mean anything,” Shazzy said, her eyes wide and her face pale. Then she yawned. “We are both really drunk."

Shazzy… But Shazzy doesn’t get drunk. She is a lush. A heavyweight.

Shazzy continued, “Aurora, don't worry.”

“Are you really telling me not to worry? You are nothing to me. You are both nothing to me,” Aurora said. “Shazzy, the thought of your voice right now mimics the sound of nails being scraped on a chalkboard.”

“Rora, this is my mistake,” Gannon said. “I thought she was you.”

“Really, Gannon? Really?” Aurora said. “The difference between Shazzy and me is like the difference between real milk and soy milk. Are you seriously thinking I am going to believe that your’e ‘sorry’ this time?”

Both Shazzy and Gannon stared at Aurora in amazement. Aurora shook her head as she stared into Gannon’s eyes. Those are the same dark black eyes I fell in love with during my first month in college… those eyes persuaded me to marry him. The truth behind those eyes was finally staring right at her, and she couldn’t run away or brush it off anymore. Such an idiot, Aurora! I am such an idiot!

“I know why both of your eyes are brown,” Aurora said. “Because you are full of shit.”

“What?” Gannon said. “What did you say to me?” He got off the couch, clenching his fists.

She knew Gannon was a flirt with other women before marriage, but she thought she could change him or he would change himself. But she knew deep down that she could not change a man like Gannon. Wishful thinking for a guy who flirts with about every waitress we have ever had.

“Shazzy...” Aurora said. “You were asleep when I went to bed.”

“I know I was, but…”.

“Is this the real reason why you wanted to stay here tonight?” Aurora said as she stared down Shazzy. Aurora threw her hand up like she was throwing away garbage. Aurora continued before they could utter another word. “Gannon! And you! You were working!” Aurora said. “This has to be a joke.”

Aurora stood there, her knees buckling. She could barely stand or breathe.

As she stared at Shazzy and Gannon, she became sick to her stomach. It was as if someone were cutting out her intestines with rusty kitchen scissors. Is this a horror film? Or am I dreaming? I must be dreaming.

Aurora ran back to her room. She slammed and locked the door. She put her right hand on the door and slowly rubbed it as if she were rubbing her hair like her grandma used to do to her as a child.

Aurora, you will be fine. Everything will be okay. You will be fine. She fell to the floor.

She felt like she was out of options and had nowhere to turn. “God!” She screamed. “I do not know what to do! I am talking to you because I have nothing else to lose. I know I haven’t gone to church in a few years because I felt you never answered my prayers, but...”

Aurora got on her knees with her hands folded, hyperventilating, “I do not know if you are there, but please forgive me and just give me a sign that I will get through this.” She heard someone slam the front door as they ran out of the house. Was that Gannon or Shazzy?

She heard someone knock on the bedroom door, but she covered her ears. They kept knocking on the door.

“Rora, let me in,” Gannon said in a mellow voice as if he had done nothing wrong.

She always gave in to him after a fight, and he would somehow put the blame on her. This time was different. She would put up with all of the abuse he gave, but she thought that cheating was a line that if he crossed, she would leave him and never turn back.

She crumbled there on the floor, like a piece of paper about to be thrown into the trash. She stood up and dragged herself onto the bed. She felt numb. She felt empty. She stared at the ceiling and closed her eyes.