Withering Romance1
Eve fussed with the tattered lace bordering the neckline of her creme slip dress. Staring back at her dismayed reflection in the head-to-toe antique mirror, she desperately tried to make the gaping hole as inconspicuous as possible before her boyfriend Andy arrived, fumbling through a miscellaneous tangle of necklaces in her wooden jewelry box. 2
Tendrils of dark hair fell languorously across her clavicle, framing her pale oval face and highlighting her pastel-green eyes. A constellation of beauty marks speckled her right cheek, making a trail down to her full cupid's bow mouth. The doorbell chimed, and, deciding against greeting him at the door in nothing more than a flimsy slip, she hastily snatched a floral frock from her bedroom closet and pulled it over her body.3
"Coming," she called excitedly, as she raced down the stairs toward the front door. She could see his distorted features through the prismatic stained-glass on the other side. Unlatching the lock, the two embraced, sharing an uninhibited kiss.4
"What's my surprise?" he spoke against her mouth, arms securely wrapped around her tiny waist.5
"Wait and see," she replied flirtingly, closing the door on the chilly night air. Andy laughed and planted a kiss on her cheek before releasing his hold. Eve's Grandparent's were away for the weekend, so the nineteen-year-old had the ancestral Victorian home all to herself. Leading him across the waxed hardwood floors of the foyer and through the hallway, they entered the kitchen. With a click of the switch, the recessed lighting overhead fluttered to life, revealing the kitchen's vast amenities. 6
Approaching the island, Eve lifted the glass top off a scrumptious-looking strawberry cheese cake. "Want some? It goes along with the surprise," she stated, grinning mischievously.7
Andy dipped a finger into the whipped cream, gathering up the strawberry dressing in the process, and brought it to his lips, swathing his tongue over the dessert. "Hmm..." he hummed, "This is good, but I bet you taste even better."8
Eve smiled invitingly. Tonight, she'd give herself to him. Being a virgin, she'd waited all her life for this moment. She wanted it to be special, for when she was in love, because it would only happen once. Now the time had come, and she couldn't wait to be intertwined with his body, enjoying every part of his muscular physique.9
"Andy...I love you," she started, feeling herself tear up. She looked up at him, her eyes wide with sincerity. "I know I've said it a million times, but I really care about you and I can't see myself being with anyone else. That's why I want you to make love to me."10
By now, the tears had slid down her cheeks, substantial evidence of her affections. Andy brought a hand to her face, gently cupping her chin. Peering into her eyes, he said, "I'm flattered you feel this way about me. Maybe...I could show you, better than I can tell you, how much I appreciate you. You know I'm not good with words." His smile was lopsided, endearing.11
"So, what do you suggest?" Eve asked, raising her eyebrows inquisitively.12
"Well, I say we skip dessert and head for the bedroom." 13
Within an instant, he had Eve over his shoulder, and was bounding for her bedroom, a place he'd been so many times, yet had done nothing remotely sexual in. Once inside, he placed her gently on the bed, and rushed to remove his clothes. Soon, he was naked and started working on removing her dress. "Slow down," demanded Eve, slightly turned off by his abruptness. He gave her a quick glance of apology, then proceeded on with his actions. She rolled her eyes.14
"This is supposed to be romantic, remember?"15
"Right, right. Romantic," he chirped absently, pulling the slip dress over her head.16
Anticipating this moment, and then coming upon it, Eve realized it wasn't exactly as sensual as her mind had repeatedly gone over so many times before. As they disappeared under the quilted covers, she found herself asking the awkward question, "Did you bring a condom?"17
Over top her, Andy's visage fell dramatically. "Uh, no, since I wasn't expecting this."18
"C'mon, you were expecting this," blurted Eve bluntly. "Don't worry. I purchased some earlier." As she reached over to extract the contraceptive from her nightstand drawer, he placed a hand on her wrist.19
"I don't really like the feel of condoms; they're prohibiting, you know what I mean?" he confessed.20
"No, I don't know what you mean, Andy." Her eyes widened in shock as she spoke. "I'm not trying to get pregnant, here. Plus, I'd rather stay STD free." She instantly regretted that last statement as soon as she'd uttered it.21
His face darkened. "What're you trying to say? You know I've only been with three women in my entire lifetime, and I'm totally healthy." He scrutinized her expression, waiting for an acceptable reply.22
Eve lowered her gaze self-consciously, feeling the pressure from her boyfriend. "I didn't mean anything by it. I'm sorry."23
His anger didn't leave. "If you loved me, you'd know that I'd never put you in any kind of danger. I just want us to be one...and I promise I'll pull out in time. Do you trust me or not?" It sounded more like a rhetorical question, than anything else. She didn't want to lose the favor of the person she'd fallen deeply in love with--or so she thought--so she replied weakly, "Yes, of course I trust you."24
The night passed by awkwardly with the sounds of animalistic grunts from the aggressor, no regards towards the feelings of the objective. He wasn't gentle, and it was all about his pleasure, rather than hers. Eve didn't feel loved, she felt like a piece of meat--He wouldn't even look her in the eyes. She turned her head to the side, burying her face in the pillow, and waited for the pain and thrusting to subside. Ironically, once tears of love turned into tears of pain. Was he really this selfish? Did he not care at all how she was feeling and the emotions that were running through her?25
"Hey, this kind of hurts--"26
"Stop complaining and just relax," he interrupted irritably. 27
Eve felt completely fooled. Was this how the first time should be? In her daydreams, she'd imagined this moment as something romantic and ethereal. What a silly notion to have. Instead of gentle kisses and warm embraces, there was a series of self-satisfying groans and even the occasional bite of her breast from his animalistic ecstasy. 28
She'd imagined cotton sheets billowing majestically above their twisting bodies, a bluesy, jazzy tune emanating from the ancient record player next to her dressing table, not the sound of the headboard thudding against the wall and the slow tick of the clock overhead.29
Dawn finally appeared, washing its premature light over Eve's frame. She sat upright, gazing down at Andy fast asleep and snoring unbecomingly, one arm hanging off the bed. She tried to smile, but her features would not hold. Wiping the crusted tears from her eyes, she padded over to the mirror she'd previously stood in-front of waiting for Andy's arrival, and studied her nudity. There was a bruise on the side of her breast where he'd bitten her, and her neck held a faint sign of a hickey. Closing her eyes in disgust, she inhaled deeply, searching for a positive in the situation.30
A buzzing sound pulled her from her meditation, and she turned her head from her reflection to see where it was coming from. A second buzz indicated that it was Andy's phone paging, located in his jeans strewn across the floor with the rest of his garments. Before she could think on it, she tip-toed over to the sound and retrieved the cell from the back pocket. Flipping it open, she scanned the contents, picking and prodding at the device. A restless stir from the bed brought her attention to Andy, and, seeing that he was still knocked out, she returned her gaze to the small screen.31
A few minutes of perusing, she came across a disturbing text message followed by some scandalous pics of a nude girl by the name of Ashley. She read the text message, her mouth gaping in disbelief.32
Ashley Gathers
March 11, 2009 10:03 AM 33
Hey, Babe, it's Ash. Remember the other night?
Lol, I'm sure you do! Anyway, meet me at my place
around one, so we can finish what we started,
okay? Call me at 301-245-4700 when you get this.
Can't wait to see you again, and don't forget the
whipped cream! 34
Eve's vision blurred as a fresh batch of tears spilled from her eyes. How could he? she thought. Browsing through the pictures, it displayed Andy in another woman's arms, kissing her, hand clasped against her bottom, and other various scenarios. Another one was of the same girl posing nude in his bedroom, cupping her breasts seductively. No doubt, Andy was the one behind the camera, playing photographer. The one that hurt her the most, was a picture of Andy and the girl known as Ashley, sprawled naked across a bed, looking as though they were still recovering from a night of wild, passionate sex. 35
Eve's heart sunk as she fought the urge to scream and gnash her teeth together in agony. Compulsive waves of grief caused her body to shake as the sobs escaped her mouth. Standing up, she threw the phone at Andy's slumbering form, and it hit the back of his head.36
"Ow! What the--" He lifted his head, focusing his sleepy gaze on Eve. The side of his face was covered in drool. He grabbed the phone, trying to make sense of her actions. "What's your problem?" he barked.37
"What's yours, you cheating bastard!" she screamed, edging forward.38
He rose, hopping out of the sheets, and tugged his pants on. 39
"What? Are you going to say anything--try to defend yourself?!" she spat, eyes wild with rage. She rushed toward him and slapped him harshly across his cheek. Andy looked stunned when it happened, and brought his hand to his face to make sure it actually occurred. 40
"What the fuck's gotten into you, Eve?"41
She glared at him, her eyes filling with rage and her voice going up an octave. "You slept with some slut behind my back. The evidence is in your phone....a girl named Ashley Gathers paged you--I've seen the pictures of the two of you together!"42
"You're insane!" he growled, escaping her wrath and heading for the bathroom. She stopped his progression, placing herself between the bathroom door and his mounting anger.43
"Can I brush my teeth?" he asked sarcastically.44
"No. But I'll tell you what you can do. Leave," she hissed.45
"Is that how you want this to end, after all we've shared?" he attempted.46
Eve pondered last night when she'd confessed her love for Andy, realizing he'd never mentioned the word to her, just skimmed around the subject completely.47
Stepping closer, she brought her face to his, shooting daggers into his eyes. "I gave my virginity to you, thinking you were the one for me. I gave you my heart. And what did you do with it? You shredded it to pieces. I even had unprotected sex with you! How stupid could I've been?!" She frowned, slapping her palm against her head. "Did you ever really love me?"48
No response. Just an upward glance at the rotating ceiling fan, and a quick run through his tousled hair.49
"Get out," she growled, leveling her gaze with his.50
He shrugged and gathered all of his belongings. He'd been caught, and it didn't really seem like he cared. One way or another, he'd gotten what he wanted out of Eve. Before long, he was darting down the steps towards the entrance. She heard the pull of the latch and the slam of the door. Sprinting to the window chipping with paint, overlooking the calm, breezy morning and blue sky, she pulled it open and stuck her head out as he entered his beat-up Volkswagen and started the ignition. 51
Tears returned to her cheeks and she swiped at them, forbidding their existence. As if he sensed her watching, Andy glanced up at the two-story house and waved nonchalantly at the sight of Eve, her dark tresses blowing slightly in the wind. He was met with a gesture of finality; one very prominent middle finger extended towards him.52
"Drop dead," she mustered, her voice breaking, eyes refilling.53
As soon as he pulled out the driveway, Eve got a call from her Grandparents. They weren't far from home, deciding to retire early from their weekend travel. Scrambling to situate everything in order--including changing the sheets of her bed, and depositing the unused condoms--Eve tried to block the barrage of thoughts regarding today's events from consuming her mind.54
She hopped in the shower, dousing her entire body with Cucumber Melon body wash to rid her of her regretted intimacy and certainly the pain of having Andy's cologne-scent on her as a reminder. As she stepped out, she heard her Grandparents entering on the first level. Promptly, she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her frame, her long, wet hair leaving a trail of water on the floor as she entered the landing overlooking the first floor.55
"Hey, Grandma! How was your trip--Where's Grandpa?"56
The salt-and-pepper-haired woman with a tote over her shoulder, replied, "Oh, you know him. He's already made it for the sofa, probably watching ESPN."57
Eve forced a laugh, absently readjusting the loose towel around her bust. The elderly woman took in her Granddaughter's appearance, a hint of worry creasing the corners of her wise eyes. "Honey, are you okay? You look like death."58
She dismissed her Grandmother's perceptiveness with a wave of her hand. "No, I'm fine. Just getting ready to go into town....catch a movie with a friend or something." Such an impromptu lie, but it did sound like a good idea, getting her mind off the unpositive thoughts swarming in her head.59
"Well, just be careful on the road--especially near James Street. There's been a terrible accident up there, a Volkswagen nearly squashed like a sandwich. Your Grandfather and I passed it on our way back...."60
Everything around Eve stopped, time, sound, even her breathing. "W-what?" she stammered, backing away from the landing. She didn't wait for a reply, but retraced the steps to her bedroom, nearly slipping on the wet surface. Hurriedly, she punched in the news channel, coming across live footage of a demolished vehicle. 61
The reporter at the scene grimly stated Eve's fears, that there'd been an accident involving two vehicles, one a Volkswagen, the other a Toyota Camry. They'd collided at an intersection, causing the Volkswagen to swerve off-lane, and topple over five times before skidding several yards or so. Eve crumpled to the floor, clutching her stomach when the reporter revealed that the driver in the Volkswagen pronounced dead at the scene, went by the name of Andy Barnes.62
It had all ended, withering away into non-existence. Their romance, once an illusion of happiness, was now a definite separation of reality. As Eve lay there, balled up in the fetal position, she wondered how things would've been if he'd survived. Perhaps, she'd never know.
63
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Joann 
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