Untangle Me

by Chelle Bliss

  “You bitch! What makes you think you can take Kayden from me?” she said in an acidic tone. I could see her figure start to sway a bit.

  “Lisa, you threw Kayden away a long time ago. I didn’t take him from you.” Butterflies formed in my stomach. Should I have told her that she could have him?

  “I didn’t throw Kayden away, Sophia. I was seeing him until you came into his life. I went to New Orleans and spent time with him.” Lisa started to move from the foot of the bed.

  “Lisa, you had him arrested. You ruined his life. He loves me,” I said as I started to shift in the bed. I needed to get away from her. Think.

  “He’ll always love me. Kayden and I were meant to be together. You just occupied his time. You were his bank. He used you,” Lisa said moving closer to my side. She switched on the light and momentarily blinded me. I reached for my glasses and she swatted my hand. “I didn’t tell you to move,” she said as I whimpered from the sting.

  “I just wanted to grab my glasses,” I replied.

  She grabbed my glasses off the nightstand, tossing them on the bed into my lap. I grabbed my glasses and pulled the sheets up over my chest. I sat up slowly, sliding on my glasses. I saw a gun in her hand—she didn’t want to talk. Was she going to kill me?

  “Kayden and I have a long history. He loves me and always will. He begged for my forgiveness. He said he couldn’t live without me. Kayden always comes back to me,” she said as she sat down next to me on the bed. I shook my head as she spoke. They were like fire and gasoline when together. But now, Kayden loved me; he picked me. I didn’t believe a word that was spewing from her mouth.

  “He’s not coming back to you. He’s erased you from his heart,” I said through a clenched jaw, unable to hold my tongue.

  I saw her hand move quickly and then everything went blurry. I felt a searing pain in my cheek and heard a loud crack. I winced in pain, and my heart began to thump so fast I thought it would burst from my chest.

  “Kayden isn’t here with you right now. He doesn’t want to be with you. Where is he?” she asked.

  I sat back up gathering my hand into a fist. “He went out with friends after work,” I said through tears. The pain had faded, but I didn’t want her to know.

  “He’d rather be with friends than home with you. Don’t you see he’s not happy with you, Sophia.” The sound of pity was oozing out of her.

  I punched her squarely in the jaw, my fist crunched against her bone. Her head flew to the side and I jumped from the bed heading towards the door. She grabbed my hair before both of my feet touched the floor. I continued to move forward my scalp throbbing, trying to resist her attempt to stop me. She hit me in the side of the head so hard that I saw different colors dance in my vision, more tears forming in my eyes. I fell back on the bed, dizzy from the impact.

  I blinked a couple of times, but without my glasses, I couldn’t see worth a shit. My eyes adjusted slightly and the gun filled my line of sight. “I’m taking him with me. You’ll see who he chooses. Don’t move or try to fight me. I won’t hesitate to shoot you,” Lisa said to me, waving the gun in my face. My body trembled as I tried to slow my breathing.

  I heard a key in the front door—Kayden.

  “Sophia, are you still awake? You left the door unlocked,” Kayden said from the living room. My heart pounded as I heard his footsteps in the living room. I could see his figure enter the doorway and he froze. I held my breath, trying to feel around the bed for my glasses.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” Kayden said in a seething tone, his veins popping out on his neck. All I could do was sit there and stare. Every muscle in my body felt like rubber.

  “You’re mine. You belong to me and with me, not Sophia. We’re meant to be,” she said standing on the side of the bed.

  “No, Lisa. We ended long ago,” Kayden replied.

  “It can be like we were before. I know you still love me.” Her face grew red.

  “I don’t love you anymore. I love Sophia,” he replied quickly as Lisa moved towards him. “Stop right there! You drove me mad, and had me arrested. You’ve ruined my life and played with my emotions for the last time!” Kayden yelled at Lisa.

  She stepped closer to him, blocking my view.

  “Lisa, please leave us alone... please. You have a boyfriend. You don’t want me or need me in your life,” Kayden said in a softer tone, probably seeing the gun for the first time.

  “If I can’t have you, Kayden, than neither can she,” she yelled, pointing the gun at him.

  “Lisa, this isn’t you. Put the gun down. Leave now and we won’t call the police,” Kayden said.

  “Without you I am nothing.” she said.

  Lisa tried to kiss him and my blood boiled. I lunged off the bed, landing on her back with a smack. I wrapped my hands around her neck squeezing.

  “Stop, Kayden,” she said gasping for air.

  “No, Lisa, let go.” Kayden fought for the gun, trying to pry it from her grip. A large bang echoed through the air and my heart stopped at the sound, but I felt no pain. Our bodies fell to the floor in a heap of human flesh. I gasped for air my mouth wide open like a fish out of water, winded from landing on Lisa’s back. She was crying.

  “Kayden,” she yelled. “Get up, Kayden!”

  Kayden was lying on the bedroom floor, a red spot growing on his shirt. She fucking shot him. I covered my mouth trying to hold back a scream. She killed my Kayden. I finally found a man that loved me the way I wanted to be loved, and this vile bitch took him from me forever. She still hovered over his body, crying and touching his face. She kissed his cheek and pleading with him to wake up and bile rose in my throat. Quiet, be quiet. I grabbed a large crystal candle holder from my nightstand and tiptoed behind her.

  “You bitch,” I yelled bringing down the candle holder on top of her head. Her body slumped over him. I didn’t know if she was knocked out or dead, but I didn’t care.

  I grabbed my phone dialing 911 as I kicked her body off his. His breathing shallow, but he was alive. “Kayden, hang on. Help is coming,” I pleaded with him. “I love you, Kayden. Don’t leave me.” I sobbed with a shaky voice. My hand shook as I stroked his face and my lips quivered as I kissed him. I loved him, he couldn’t leave me.

  “Sophia…,” Kayden said in a shaky voice as I rested my head on his chest listening to his heartbeat.

  “Oh, Kayden! Help is coming, stay with me, fight Kayden, please,” I begged him. I bit my lip and stared into his beautiful green eyes, the same ones that had captured my attention the moment I met him.

  “I love you, always,” Kayden said in a trembling voice, I whimpered as his eyes closed. The color and liveliness that he had brought into my life was slipping away from me. I rocked back and forth a bit mumbling, trying to hold him in my arms. Where the fuck are the paramedics? Helpless and despair sucked the air from my lungs.

  I yelled and sobbed as I heard the paramedics rush through the door. I sat back on my feet… rocking and watching them work on his body.. Everything moved in slow motion. I heard the men talking, barely able to process the words, Kayden’s heart beat sounding on the machine.

  “He’s critical, but alive.” My heart fluttered in my chest hearing those words and I bit my bottom lip.

  “She’s alive,” said a paramedic checking Lisa’s pulse.

  I hadn’t killed her, but she would’ve killed me. If she could shoot Kayden, I’d be a piece of cake. I sat with my knees pulled up to my chest, my face buried, rocking back and forth. Tears were streaming down my face. Kayden can’t leave me—not now.

  I sat in the emergency waiting room, covered in blood—Kayden’s blood. I stared at the floor watching my tears splash off the tile. “Ms. DeLuca?” a man said pulling me

  “Yes,” I said lifting my head to see who called my name.

  “Mr. Michaels is in recovery. He was touch and go for a while. The bullet nicked some organs, but we were able to repair the damage and stop the bleeding. He’ll be in the
hospital for a couple of days, but should make a full recovery,” the man said as he patted me on the shoulder. Warmth spread across my body as my tears flowed heavier.

  “Thank you doctor, when can I see him?” I said with a shaky voice.

  “Give him a while to wake up, and a nurse will come and get you,” he replied.

  I had no other words, only thoughts of Kayden.

  I didn’t move. I cried—no—I sobbed. I didn’t know if they were tears of sadness or joy. Kayden survived Lisa’s attack, he didn’t leave me.

  I entered his room slowly. He looked weak—he fought for his life. The machines beeped in a steady rhythm as I walked towards his bed. Butterflies filled by stomach as I stood over him looking at his beautiful face. I kissed his forehead, trying to smell him, but his scent was missing, replaced with the antiseptic smell of a hospital. I sat down in the chair besides his bed and held his hand. Resting my cheek against his hand, I closed my eyes exhaustion overtaking me. I longed to feel his touch.

  The Beginning

  I opened my eyes to a yellow room, beeping machines filling my ears. I could feel Sophia’s face against my hand and I turned my head to look at her. Her face was peaceful after all that she had been through. Everything was because of me. I could have lost her to Lisa and my life would have been over, forever.

  “Sophia…” I whispered, moving my fingers to rub against her cheek. Drool ran down the side of her face. That was my Sophia. I didn’t want to startle her. She sat up quickly as if in shock.

  “Kayden, I love you,” she said. She kissed my forehead, my cheeks, ending on my lips. “Shhh. Don’t speak, just rest.” Tears ran down her cheeks.

  “I love you, too, lay with me please,” I said. I needed to feel her in my arms. I wanted her to curl up against my side, her spot. I hadn’t slept a night without Sophia in over six months.

  “I don’t know, Kayden, I don’t want to hurt you, baby,” she said grimacing.

  “Get up here, I need you.” I patted the bed next to me, not taking no for an answer.

  She climbed on the bed carefully and kicked off her flip flops, falling to the floor with a thud. I let her try and tangle her body around me, but she seemed so uncertain.

  “Baby, don’t worry about hurting me, just lay with me.” She finally stopped and rested her head against my chest. I wrapped my arm around her and kissed her head, inhaling her scent. She fell asleep within minutes. I laid there listening to her breathing, the soft snore escaping her lips. I stroked her arm relishing in the feel of her smooth skin.

  Footsteps approaching the bed woke me. Two police officers entered my room and for the first time in years, I wasn’t scared by their presence.

  “Sorry to bother you, Mr. Michaels, but we need to get a statement from Ms. DeLuca,” the officer said.

  “She’s sleeping, can’t you come back another time,” I asked.

  “No, sir. We need to get something on the record quickly from Ms. DeLuca.”

  “I’ve already given you a statement of what happened. What more do you need?” I asked.

  “We need to hear from her. You weren’t home or alert for some of the events. We need her to fill in the blanks,” the officer replied.

  “I’m awake,” she said in low sleepy voice. “What can I do for you, officer?”

  “We need you to tell us what happened on the night of May thirty-first,” he said to me.

  She recounted the events—waking up to Lisa standing over our bed, the gun, trying to fight her off, and then the shooting. It was the first time I heard the full story. My heart hurt listening to everything she went through with Lisa and that I didn’t go home sooner to save her. I squeezed her hand as she retold the story and she gave me a fake smile. She made the officer aware of the history between the three of us. She wanted all the information to be out in the open.

  Lisa had been placed under arrest for the attack on Sophia and my attempted murder.

  As the officer walked out the door I whispered, “I’m sorry you had to go through that, Sophia.” I kissed her head. I touched her chin; bringing it up, making her look into my eyes. “I love you… Thank you for saving us both.”

  “You’re free of her. She can’t hurt you—us—anymore. I’ll love you, forever,” she said, leaning forward kissing my lips.

  “You’re mine, Sophia, always. I’ll never leave you. Don’t ever give up on us,” I said against her lips. She snuggled back into my arms. I finally felt like I could breathe relax, the first time in a long time. We could move forward with our life— nothing would tear us apart. I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I felt a sense of hope. I wanted a family with her… I wanted to grow old together. I loved being spontaneous and surprising her, as long as it didn’t end in handcuffs … well, at least not those used by the police.

  “Kayden, will you tell me about your past? There’s so much I don’t know about you,” she asked looked at me with big brown puppy dog eyes.

  “Where do you want me to start?” I said butterflies filling my stomach. “You don’t want to hear everything Sophia.” I cringed at the thought of telling her about my entire past. I knew she’d still love me, but she didn’t know the depth of my depravity and addictions throughout the years.

  “Start at the beginning, I want to hear everything. I love you no matter what, Kayden. I’ve earned the right to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly.” She winked at me and chuckled.

  6 months later…

  “The court has been notified that Ms. Jackson has accepted a plea bargain from the district attorney in exchange for pleading guilty to a lesser offense,” the judge stated.

  My blood boiled as the judge spoke. I wanted that bitch to pay for everything she did to us and to Kayden, but she took the easy way out. She found a way to have her charges reduced from attempted murder to assault and battery. The court found her unable to stand trial earlier due to a mental problem and ordered her into treatment placing her on medication. The court now claims that Lisa is able to make coherent decisions and she weaseled her way into a plea deal. Kayden rubbed my hand as I listened to her words.

  “Ms. Jackson you are sentenced to ten years in prison with the possibility of parole in three. Court is adjourned.” The gavel hammered down and the there was nothing more to be done. Kayden squeezed my hand, but I felt deflated by the legal system. Ten years seems unfair for almost killing the love of my life and the hell she put us both through.

  The bailiff walked to Lisa and waited for her to stand. Lisa turned slowly as she stood to walk out and looked towards us. She grinned at Kayden and it caused my stomach to lurch and a lump to form in my throat. It was not an “I’m sorry grin”, but an “I’m not done with you yet” one. I’d be at every single parole hearing to make sure that conniving whore stays in prison.

  “I fucking hate her,” Kayden said as we watched her walk out.

  “She almost killed you and she only gets ten years? It’s unbelievable,” I said standing up.

  Kayden wrapped his arms around me, enveloping me in his heat. “We’re free of her for a long time, baby doll. We’ll do everything we can to keep her behind bars. Don’t worry, Sophia.”

  I nuzzled his neck, closed my eyes, and inhaled his smell, the scent of home. Kayden had become that to me, made me feel all things were possible, and as a team we could overcome any obstacle. His lips brushed against my temple with a whisper light kiss and calmed my stomach and making me believe everything would be okay.

  “Let’s go home. You’re looking a little pale, sweetheart, are you okay?” he said.

  I looked up into his big green eyes and smiled. There’s no place in the world I’d rather be in this moment than home wrapped in his arms the rest of the world shut out. “I haven’t felt myself lately. It’s just the stress of the trial; I’ll be okay now that it’s over.”

  I stared at the calendar on my desk and tapped my pen against the paper. It had been seven weeks since I’ve had my period and I hadn’t even noticed.
The craziness of the trial and the stress of seeing Lisa again made it slip my mind entirely. I dropped my pen on my desk, leaning back in my chair before exhaling and closing my eyes. Could I be pregnant or am I hitting menopause early? I rubbed the bridge of my nose trying to come to terms with either possibility. I’d given up on any chance of a child long ago; I thought age had stolen that dream.

  I couldn’t wait to find out. I needed to know for my sanity and self-preservation. I grabbed my purse and headed for the door. Instead of heading to the local bagel shop for lunch, I’d make a stop at the nearest pharmacy to grab a pregnancy test.

  My fingers felt sweaty against the faux leather steering wheel. My heart pounded feverishly in my chest and I could hear my blood flowing through my ears. Every thought I had was filled with images of a baby and Kayden… a little bundle of joy with green eyes and chubby limbs. My vision blurred from tears as I pulled into the parking lot to find out the cold hard truth. I sat a moment steady my breath and wiping my eyes.

  My legs felt unsteady as I walked down the feminine products aisle. I want to be pregnant more than anything in the world right now. I thought I had made peace with being childless, but it always hurt deep down. Every new person I met would ask me if I had children, and my answer was always the same… no, life had other plans for me. Every time I gave that answer my heart felt like a tiny needle pierced it, and it had been turned into a pin cushion over the years.

  I paid for the one that claimed to be the most accurate and easy to read. “Is there a bathroom here?” I asked the cashier. I couldn’t wait to get back to work to find out. I walked to the back of the store with the test in my purse, holding it tightly against my body as if it were precious cargo. I tore open the box as soon as I walked through the door and discarded the box minus the stick. I followed the directions and placed the cap back on, putting it in my purse for safe keeping.

  I walked to my car feeling like I was awaiting a death sentence, not from pregnant, but the possibility that age had robbed me of a child for eternity. I sat in my car trying to stare at the stick. I placed it on the passenger seat and texted Kayden.