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His eyes were full of confusion and a touch of hurt, and I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty for faking my own death.
Sighing, I held my hands in my lap as I explained, “Allan, the night of the fire changed my life forever. You know I had never had the greatest relationship with my parents,” I said, as Allan looked at me like he wasn’t following.
Cutting in, Allan gave me an exasperated look. “Elizabeth, you aren’t making any sense,” he said with a gruff.
“Let me finish before you say anything else,” I demanded, as I needed to get my words out before I lost the ability to be brave.
With wide eyes, Allan sat back in his seat and waved for me to continue. In his mind, he was being sweet by allowing me to talk. That small act reminded me that what I was doing was right.
“Anyway, I did care about you, but I never did love you. I couldn’t love anyone because I don’t think anyone really, truly loved me. After my parents’ party, I woke up that night to my room full of deep smoke. I managed to escape but when I did, I found my parents had already made their way out of the house and didn’t even bother to look for me. Everyone assumed I was dead, and I just didn’t correct them. I realized in that moment, as I hid in the darkness, I could run away and be the person I had always wanted to be. My family wanted me to go to business school. I wanted to go to graphic design school. I wanted to be with someone who drove me absolutely crazy and wild and who felt about me the way I felt about them. As much as we looked the part of a great couple, we never were.
“I left, allowing everyone to believe I was dead because I found an opportunity to change the course of my life. I can now be who I want, and what I want is to be happy. Please don’t ruin what I’ve worked so hard to accomplish. I don’t want my family to know I’m here or that I’m alive.”
I stopped talking and allowed my words to sink in with Allan. Deep down, he had to know what I was saying was true. In the two years we had been a couple, he had never heard my parents say a nice word to me or honestly, I never looked happy around them. He was smart, he had to know I wasn’t a happy person. Not with my family and not with him.
Taking a deep breath, Allan ran a hand through his wavy blond hair. His crisp polo shirt and khakis made him the stark opposite of my Chase. They were as different as night and day, and the more I sat there looking at Allan, I understood how much I had changed since meeting Chase. He made me happy, and I loved him more than anything.
“Lizzie, I honestly don’t know what to say. I knew at times, it was rough with your parents, but I didn’t realize how depressed you were. When you died, I mean when we all thought you died, I went to your memorial. I grieved for the loss of the girl I had cared for. This all makes sense now. There wasn’t a body to view; the police and firefighters thought your body had been destroyed in the fire. I had been so upset that I didn’t know what to do with myself. I made you up to be the love of my life. But now, I see it all very clearly that you were never happy, even with me. The look you have now on your face is full of confidence and to be honest, you’re glowing. I’ve never seen you look like that before.”
Pausing, Allan gulped before saying the rest. “I can tell you love him.”
Nodding, I could only muster a yes. “I do love him.”
My heart swelled as Allan spoke to me. I needed to hear those words if not for closure from my past, but to reassure me that I had indeed changed like I had planned.
“Thank you, Allan,” I said, as I fought back tears.
“I’ll leave tonight. I just ask that you find me one day and let me know that you achieved your dreams. I really do just want to see you happy. Your secret is safe with me,” Allan said, as he reached out his hand to shake mine.
With everything we had been through, and the simple fact he would keep my secret to himself made me leap from my seat and throw my arms around his neck. I pulled Allan close and gave him a warm hug of friendship and solidarity.
As Allan wrapped his arms around me, my senses were flooded with his familiar scent. Only it didn’t make me sad or angry. I just felt relieved. Well, that was until I saw Chase’s face across the room.
The look of pure dread and wild anger that flashed across his face made me drop my arms from Allan and take a swift step back from him. Something about the way Chase looked at meterrified me. He was going to hurt someone, and both Allan and I were in his path of destruction.
Before I knew what was happening, I was flung to the ground as a loud thud sounded above me. Screams rang out as glasses crashed to the floor around me, sending tiny shards of glass into my frail arms.
“Stop!” I heard Avery scream from somewhere near me.
I tried to look around, but all I saw were flashes of red as Chase’s fist continued to punch Allan’s bloody face. The sound of his fist hitting flesh made my stomach churn, and I felt like I would vomit at any moment. Finally finding a way to stand, I grabbed Chase by his thick arm. I was able to catch his attention before his fist made contact again with Allan’s face.
Chase turned, and his fiery eyes looked at me like he didn’t recognize who I was. His glare was like that of a wild animal, and I feared I might have lost Chase forever. I didn’t know what had angered him to the point of hurting Allan, but I had to stop him now.
“Chase, stop this. You’re not this person,” I cried out, as I internally prayed for Chase to see me.
He stared at me for what felt like an eternity before the fire in his eyes turned to fog, and he dropped his arm next to his leg. I saw the blood now staining his shirt and as Chase slowly stood, I heard Allan’s moans of pure agony as he struggled to stay conscious.
“Why would you hug him? You ran away from him and the life that included him,” Chase yelled at me with his hands still at his side. His words thundered around us, and I swear I felt the ground shake below us. “I love you, Lizzie. You’re mine. You can’t just let some guy from your past come here and put the moves on you.” He sneered as he glared at Allan’s lifeless body below us.
As I still knelt beside Allan, I looked up at a man who I loved more than anything but wanted to be as far away from as possible. I was torn internally, and I wasn’t sure if I could control myself to speak to him.
“What the hell did you do, Chase?” Jim’s angry voice bellowed from across the bar.
People stared in wonder at the fight and the destruction it caused. Jim rushed to us and looked down at Allan before turning on Chase. “What the hell did I tell you? This won’t end well,” Jim said, as he looked from Allan to Chase. “Get him out of here,” Jim called to Jax.
With his head down, Chase only nodded. I could see that his fists were busted, and he was hurt too, but nowhere near as bad as Allan. “Someone call 911,” a bartender called as Jax dragged Chase away from the crime scene.
“I’ll deal with you later,” Jim yelled, as he pointed at Chase who was almost gone from my sight.
