Chapter 63 - First Love
Four Years Earlier (2014)
As soon as Shadrach left, I knew the real storm was going to brew. Ash caught hold of my arm and turned me around, making me face him.
"What the fuck is going on, Alizabeth?" He asked, his eyes were almost red, he was fuming with anger. Rachael instantly rushed to my side and stood between us.
- - - -
Rachael explained everything to everyone, and not only did it cause a problem for me, it caused a problem for herself, and for Klara too. My parents took Rachael, Ash and I home, and we sat down together, to try and decide what to do next. Dad and Ash were really angry with me, but Mom calmed them down, telling them to let me explain myself once.
"I tried to stay away, I tried my best to run away from him, but he was too powerful. He-he kept showing up with his weapons, and armed guards, and everything, I didn't know what to do. I was too afraid of how you guys would react, so I didn't tell you people either. I-I didn't know what to do," I explained, as tears rolled down my cheeks.
"We would be angry with you for a short moment, but we'd get you of this, Aliza. I'd get you out of this. Is this how weak our bond is?" Ash asked in disbelief, walking up to me.
"I knew Shadrach is dangerous, Ash. I didn't wanna put you guys in trouble. He's... He's obsessive about me. He's saved my life, three times, but what he has done to those people... I'd kill myself if that were to happen to any of you. Because of me. He won't stand anyone taking me away from him. Not even me," I cried.
"I get it, I understand," Ash nodded and pulled me to his chest. "I love you so much, Liza, and now that we know, we are going to get you out of this. I promise."
"There's nothing anyone can do," I whispered, my voice cracking. "He's never letting me go. I'm stuck with a monster now."
"No," Dad announced, walking up to us. "We'll send you away, out of town, we'll do whatever we have to. But I will not let my daughter fall prey to a monster, a criminal. Tell me Aliza, has he ever hurt you?"
"Never," I instantly shook my head. "He hasn't ever hurt me. Not even once."
"Okay, thank God. Now pack your bags up, take only the few things you'll need. You're leaving the city, and then you're leaving the country, until he moves on and forgets about you."
"Dad, I don't think that's-" I was cut off mid sentence when Rachael's phone began to ring. She checked the caller ID and her eyes widened.
"It's him," she said softly, looking at me in fear. I looked at Ash, and he instantly took my hand in his, squeezing it to reassure me.
"Don't pick it up," Dad ordered Rachael.
"You-you can't do that. He's gonna show up. I will have to talk to him, or he'll show up here," I replied.
"She's right," Rachael nodded. "Let me talk to him."
"Okay," Dad nodded.
Rachael picked up the phone and placed it against her ear.
"Hello?" She said calmly.
"Where is she?" I could hear his voice from the phone even though it was not even on speaker mode.
"She is traumatized, Maxon," Rachael sighed. "She's exhausted, mentally disturbed, and upset. She had a fight with her parents, she saw you shooting a man in cold blood, and she has had a fight with you too. Let her sleep now."
"She's sleeping?" He asked.
"Yeah. She went to sleep," Rachael replied.
"Are you sure you're not lying to me, Rachael?" Shadrach asked.
"I'm not. Cut her some slack. Let her be for now, please. I beg you," Rachael pleaded with him.
"Alright. But as soon as she wakes up, tell her to call me back, okay?" Shadrach asked, and I could hear the desperation in his voice. It made my heart ache, but I gulped, keeping it together.
"I will. Good bye," Rachael replied.
"Bye," he muttered, and hung up.
Rachael sighed in relief, and looked at me. I knew what she was thinking. She wanted to know if I was fine. I was not. But I could not tell her that. Not in front of everyone.
"Go Aliza, pack your bags."
- - - -
I should've known better. In all honesty, none of this would have happened if I had just listened to my over-protective brother, and my conservative father. I wish I had just listened to them, because if I had, I would not have been in this situation that I currently am in; running away from my own home, my own city.
If only I had stayed home that night, the night of my sixteenth birthday, I never would have crossed paths with the demon who terrorized me. I would have been a simple teenage, living a peaceful life.
Yet here I was, on a train, with my heart hammering away in my chest, my eyes constantly scanning the surroundings to make sure that he had not come after me. If I would be able to escape successfully, I would start believing in miracles, because there was no way he was letting me go so easily.
After all, he called me his Queen.
A part of me was hurting, my heart aching in my chest, as I recalled every moment I had spent with him. The night I first met him, when I had thought that I was going to be kidnapped, raped or killed, and he showed up and saved me. The way he cared for me, the way he asked me out. Every single moment between us had been so special, it almost forbade me to believe what my mind was telling me.
The soft, beautiful eyes that I had spent so much time staring into, they could not be the eyes of a monster. But that was what he became whenever he thought be needed to, which is why I could not be with him. I had to run. I had to leave him. And even if I did not want to, I knew my family would leave me no choice. Not after seeing what he and his family were capable of. My father had a special hatred towards such people. He had lost one of his sisters to such a family once, there was no way he was going to lose his daughter too. His other sister, Rachael's mom, was still stuck with a different kind of monster. A religious extremist, who looked down upon women.
My sister did not have an entirely happy marriage either, and her married life was filled with ups and downs as well. Thus Shadrach would be the last person my father would ever marry me off to. And I could not blame him for it.
So I had to do as I was told. I had to suppress the feelings inside my heart, and pretend to be some cold-hearted bitch who did not give a fuck about him. Who never cared about him. Not at all. Not even slightly.
I had to pretend my heart was not breaking as well, while I waited for the train to take me far away from here. Far away from him. Never to return. I had to pretend that the tears rolling down my cheeks at that moment were from the fear I felt, the fear of him catching me before I escaped. Not from the pain I was feeling, for having to leave someone I genuinely cared about, someone I could very well be in love with.
The only consolation I had was the fact that Rachael was joining me, and she placed her arm around me, pulling me close. We could not be apart, and I knew I would need my best friend out there. I would miss everyone like crazy, and Rachael was the only one who would be able to take care of me in that state. I cried into her shoulder, as she caressed the back of my head, a vain attempt to comfort me.
"It's gonna be fine, Liza. You're my strong girl. You're gonna be okay," she whispered softly. "I'm coming with you, right? I am with you. I promise we'll get through this. I know you love him, Liza."
"What?" I whispered, shocked, pulling away from her. "I... I don't," I shook my head, wiping my tears away. She smiled, before cupping my cheek.
"I don't blame you, Liza. It's okay to love him. I know you didn't ask for it, but anyone would fall for him. Plus I've seen the way he looks at you, babe. Love often attracts love, it's true," she explained.
"But I shouldn't," I said in defeat. "He's a bad person, right? He is a monster. I can't be with him."
"Just because you cannot be with him does not mean you should not be in love with him," she replied, and I bit my lip. "He may be a monster, Liza, but this monster has protected you whenever it was needed. Heck, he even fought for the people you care about. He saved my honour. That's not the act of someone who is bad at heart. It's just the way he's been raised."
"But he aimed a gun at Ash. He aimed a gun at my brother," I said with determination, feeling anger pump through me.
"And that was stupid, cruel, and wrong. But that doesn't mean you'll start hating him. He didn't actually hurt anyone," Rachael shrugged.
"Are you trying to make me jump off the train and run back to him?" I narrowed my eyes, making her laugh.
"No!" She shook her head. "Absolutely not. You're not going anywhere. I'm just saying that you shouldn't be so hard on yourself and think loving him makes you a bad person, or anything. It's human nature to fall for someone who makes you feel special. Especially for girls. It's absolutely normal, and it's not your fault. All we can do is hope that you'll get over him and move on."
"Yeah, I guess. I hope the same," I muttered, even though deep down I knew I wouldn't.
Maxon Shadrach Bradley was my first love. And we all know we never really get over our first love. Because they're the ones who have made you feel all these emotions, introduced all these feelings to you for the very first time.
I knew - like, I was certain, that I'd never feel this was about someone ever again.
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