CHAPTER SIX
Unable to accept what lies before me, I bolt into the small apartment area, searching for any trace of the woman I love. Every trace of her is absent, save her lingering scent on the pillows and sheets she had slept upon the night previous. Tears spring to my eyes, and I’m stricken by what we’ve shared in this apartment. Did it truly mean nothing to her?
I trace my hands along the sheets, drawing my lip between my teeth. Perhaps I should give up. That would be the logical thing to do. Ronald’s story was beginning to seem more likely, but I couldn’t allow myself to believe it. Why else would Brianna bolt from town entirely, however? Then, it struck me. That was her plan. Leaving town. Well, how did she very well expect to do that without the very car I had seen abandoned in the parking lot? Knowing my destination, I bolt from the abandoned apartment, scrambling down the stairs. The rain is only pouring down harder, and thunder booms in the skies, but I’ve come too far to give up now. I’m already soaked, after all. I struggle to remember where the nearest bus stop is, and upon recalling, I quickly make my way down the sidewalk. Cars fly by me, water splashing from the road and soaking me even more thoroughly to the bone. I shiver, cursing my foul luck and even more fervently cursing that scumbag Ronald. In the distance, I spot the bus stop, with one long figure standing underneath the shelter.
“Brianna!” I scream, bolting towards her. She turns in my direction, eyes widening as if she can’t believe what she’s seeing. She hesitates for half a second before rushing out from under the shelter, shedding her coat and throwing it around my shoulders. She shields me from the rain as best as she can, and though it’s a lost cause at this point, I allow her to do so. She drags me underneath the bus stop shelter, eyes wide and wild as she takes in my dishevelled appearance.
“Kitten! What on Earth were you thinking? You’ll catch your death out in this weather and--” She pauses, taking in my blistered and bleeding feet. “Sit, sit, god, what in the world--” She continues, but before she can go any further, I interrupt her.
“I love you, Bri.” I blurt, reaching out to her. She makes no move to slip away, though the confession clearly alarms her.
“You don’t know what you’re saying.” She mutters, helping me to the bench and propping my feet up, examining them with a cringe. Tears spring to my eyes, and I grasp her by the shirt, pulling her closer to me.
“Why does everyone keep dismissing me? Don’t my feelings matter? I know what I’m saying, and I mean it, Bri. I love you. I’ve loved you since I first lay eyes upon you. If you don’t feel the same… well, of course you don’t, but… that’s fine! I just… I just want the truth.” I choke out, tears spilling down my cheeks. Out of desperation, I press my lips to hers, and she is agonizingly stiff against me. Then, slowly, she wraps her arms around me, tenderly moving her lips against my own. I sob against her, and I know this is likely the least sexy situation on earth, but at least she’s not gone. She pulls away after a moment, keeping a hand tangled in my hair. She considers me with a worried expression, pressing our foreheads together in a familiar show of affection.
“Of course your feelings matter. But how could you love me? Your father…” She trails off, averting her eyes. I guide her into taking a seat beside me on the bench, knowing that my time could very well be running out. It’s only a matter of time before the bus comes, and somehow… somehow I have to convince her to stay.
“I don’t believe that you’re a murderer, Brianna. I believe something happened to make you feel like you deserve that title, but… you’re no murderer. Just explain what happened.” I plead, reaching out to cup her cheeks in my hands. She looks at me with tears in those beautiful eyes, and I would give anything to take that pain away. She rests her hand atop one of my own, pressing her cheek into my palm. She closes her eyes, seemingly allowing herself to revel in the sensations for a brief moment.
“I… my girlfriend and I…” Brianna begins, pausing and inhaling a quaking breath. “We were on vacation. We were driving from the West Coast to the East Coast, and I planned to ask her to marry me once we reached our destination. I never got the chance. While I was driving one night, a storm hit pretty bad. She suggested that we book a hotel and wait it out, but I was so eager to reach our destination and…” Brianna trails off in a choking sob. I wait patiently for her to finish, wiping away her tears.
“What happened, Bri? You can tell me. I won’t blame you. I love you.” I murmur, brushing a hand through her hair.
“We were in a car accident. A truck slammed into the passenger side of her car, and she… was killed on impact. I survived, with barely a scratch. The other driver couldn’t see us because of the bad weather, so… you see, what your father suggested isn’t untrue. I… I am a murderer.” Brianna wept, and my heart clenched in my throat at how utterly forlorn she seemed. I pulled her into my arms, the sound of the bus growing near causing my heart to pound in my chest.
“Bri, Ronald only twisted your story to serve his purposes. You’re no murderer. It was out of your hands, what happened. It’s unfortunate, and I know that you loved her, but… you can’t blame yourself forever. Especially not for things that are ultimately out of your hands. Believe me, I’ve watched my father blame himself for my mother’s death for years, because he didn’t make the trip in her stead, but… Oh, Bri. If he knew the truth, he wouldn’t blame you.” I murmur, pausing as the headlights of the bus catch my attention. It comes to a stop in front of the bus stop, and Bri glances to the large vehicle with uncertainty in her gaze.
“I should… leave. You’d be better off without me. You deserve better.” She sputters, and I tense my hands in her shirt, pulling her flush against me and kissing her tenderly. She stiffens against me, but soon relaxes into the kiss. Both of us have tears streaming from our eyes, and I realize we probably look entirely foolish, wrapped up in each other beneath the bus stop shelter. The bus driver opens the door, squinting out at us in the rain.
“Are either of you planning to board?” The man calls out, ire obvious in his tone. Brianna opens her mouth to reply, but I stare pleadingly at her, willing her not to say what I’m certain she plans to.
“I could never be better off without you. You’re the only person I’ve ever loved, like this.” I whisper, knowing how insignificant it must seem to this woman who lost her soulmate to a car accident. She hesitates, glancing towards the bus driver. He quirks a brow, tapping his watch in a way that seems to indicate what a rush he’s in.
“We were actually just trying to stay out of the rain, sir. Sorry.” Brianna calls out, and though it’s obvious that her intention was to leave, judging by the pile of suitcases at her side, the bus driver rolls his eyes and nods before sliding the door shut once more. As the bus drives away, Brianna watches it go, before turning to consider me with a quirk of her lips. “I thought I could never love again. Not like I loved… her. But then you walked into my life, and… well. If you’re not willing to give up on me, who am I to push you away?” She murmurs timidly, seeming to consider her next words. “I… love you too, Kitten.” She confesses. My heart swells with adoration, and I can feel the tears pooling in my eyes as I jolt forward to kiss her. Suddenly finding the foul weather rather fortunate, I lose myself in her embrace.
The rain will slack off soon, and the storm is finally over.