Page 97 of My Never
“You fucking cunt! You will suffer for that!” Eric bellows, slamming his foot into the door. It comes through, and I aim for his kneecap this time. The blow connects and he screams, reaching in and flipping the lock before I can connect again.
“No!” I scream.
The door flies open, and I’m greeted with the face of a monster.
“Your turn.” A sinister smile slides across his face. I don’t even recognize him as the man I thought I’d someday marry.
“Take one more step, motherfucker, and I’m aiming for your skull.”
“You wouldn’t kill me.”
“Wanna bet your life on that, buddy?”
“You should’ve seen the look on Mark’s face when the knife slid in. It felt like puncturing through a hard piece of leather, but once that barrier of skin gave way, it slid right in like butter. I wonder how it will sound tearing through your skin as I slice you open. I’m hard just thinking about watching the life drain from your eyes. This would’ve happened either way. If you had come back to me, I would’ve done it in your bed in the wee hours of the morning. I never intended to fix things. I just wanted to get close to you so that I could finish things once andfor all. Just think, Mark would still be alive, but no, you had to do it the hard way.”
I scream at him with all my pent up fury, but I don’t charge at him. That’s what he wants. I won’t give him that satisfaction. He sighs, shaking his head at me as if I’m just a petulant child throwing a tantrum over a dropped ice cream cone before launching himself at me. I swing hard and connect with his shoulder. He grunts, grabbing at the bat and kicking me backward. I refuse to let go of the bat though, even as my lower back slams into the vanity. I wince, trying to keep my wits about me as the force of the hit renders me breathless.
“He calls you Firecracker, huh? Oops, I mean “called” you Firecracker. What do you give him that you never gave to me?” Pain lances my heart, and I scream at him again.
“EVERYTHING!”
Pure fury paints Eric’s face as he rushes me again, and I slam the bat down on his collarbone. He cries out again in pain and swipes the large hunting knife at me. I jump backward, swinging again and hitting him upside the head. It’s not a hard enough swing though, so all it does is throw me off balance and piss him off more. He manages to grab the barrel of the bat and slams the knob into my stomach. I double over with an audible ‘oomph’, and he cackles before pulling it free of my hands. He flips it in the air and catches it by the handle as I fight to suck in a breath. His fingers wind through my hair and grip hard near my scalp, causing me to cry out as fire rips through my skull.
“Nice try, slut,” he growls into my ear, dragging me across the bathroom floor into the bedroom. I fight him the whole way, kicking and screaming like a wildcat because I know that if I give up, it’s over. He stops for a second, and I steel myself for the feel of his blade, but instead, I receive a jarring punch to my jaw. Blinding pain ricochets throughout my entire face, and I gasp. Before I have time to get my bearings, he’s yankingme toward the bed by my hair. I’m actually surprised he hasn’t stabbed me already, but he’s just biding his time. He throws me onto the unmade comforter like a ragdoll, and I scream, trying to scramble across the sheets to get away from him. His sinister laugh echoes throughout the room as he grabs my foot and yanks me back down toward the end of the bed. I hear the metal of his zipper and scream again with anger, kicking at him. I tumble off the side of the bed onto the floor, intent on not giving up without one hell of a fight.
I feel fire slice deep into the back of my left thigh as he backhands me across the back of my skull before fisting my hair again and shoving my face into the rug. The plush fibers muffle my scream, and I gasp for breath as he presses my face harder into it. A surge of renewed anger bubbles through my body, and I manage to connect a kick with my right foot into his stomach. He curses and bends forward in pain. That’s when I see it. He let go of the bat. It’s right there within reach. Even though my thigh is screaming at me, I quickly ball up on my side and grab the bat, getting a good grip.
I put every last bit of effort into rolling over and swinging as hard as I can. I can only pray I connect with something vital. Eric’s eyes widen a split second before realizing his mistake. Defeat splashes across his features as the metal of the bat connects with the side of his skull. A sickening crack pierces the air. I pull back to swing again but stop as his eyes glaze over, staring at me while not really seeing me. Blood seeps from his nose, and I cry out, fear and anger mingling as he crumples at the foot of the bed. I crawl toward him warily on just my knees, bat raised high, half-expecting him to be waiting for me when I round the corner of the bed. He’s motionless, unseeing eyes still staring ahead. Blood pools around his head, trickling from his ears and nose onto the rug and hardwood floor, and I gasp,grasping my mouth with a hand while holding back the bile threatening to come up.
“Mark! Fuck! Hold on buddy. Hold on! Ava! Ava!” I hear a familiar voice shout.
Colin.
A pained cry of relief wrenches from me as I hear his feet thundering down the hallway. He crashes into my room through the busted door, chest heaving from anxiety, but lets out an audible sigh when he sees that I’m okay.
“Is he knocked out?” Colin asks hesitantly, and I shake my head, tears streaming down my face.
“Help Mark...” I sob out. I don’t need to tell him twice. He turns, disappearing from view. I hold onto the side of my bed to help me get my feet onto the floor. My thigh is pulsing with pain, but I’ve got to get to Mark. The shock is kicking in because everything just feels like jello when I try to move. Every second feels like an eternity. I’m shaking so hard, I don’t think I can stand without passing out. I sink back down onto my hands and knees to crawl out of my room.
When I round the corner, I begin sobbing as I see that Mark struggled to crawl toward our room to try to help me. There is so much blood, it’s smeared across the hardwood from him dragging himself to reach me. Colin is on the phone with what I assume is help, putting pressure on Mark’s wound. His eyes roll up to mine, misting over as he literally holds the life from seeping out of Mark any further. I reach him, pull his head into my lap, and bend to press my lips to his temple. Relief floods me when I feel his faint pulse throbbing lightly against my lips. I collapse against him, trying to get as close as possible without doing any more damage. My whole heart prays and wills him to just stay.Don’t leave.
36
Ava
“Hold on, baby. Fight for me. We have so much left to look forward to. I need you. You don’t get to propose and die on the same day,” I whisper frantically against Mark’s ear.
Colin lets out a strangled cry, struggling to be strong for me.
“I got here as fast as I could…” Colin whispers.
I reach out and put my hand on top of his, helping to apply pressure as I attempt to be there for him too. This is his best friend. If he loses Mark, this will destroy him as much as it will destroy me. He’ll blame himself for not getting here faster.
“How did he get in?” Colin asks.
“Mark forgot to lock the front door after running to the store this morning for breakfast. It was an accident. He was distracted because he was getting ready to propose to me,” I say quietly, tears streaming down my face as I cradle his head in my lap, running my fingers through his hair gently.
“Where the hell are the cops? The paramedics?” I wonder aloud.
