The Lavender Perfume
"Oh, stop it." I grin.
"What, am I teasing you?" He gives me his cute smirk, the one only he can master.
I nod, "mhm." He cups my face with his palms. Our foreheads touch. His soft lips find mine, ever so softly. I press my lips on his, impatient with his I'll-take-my-time-in-kissing-you way. As if he wants to see how long we can be close to each other without kissing aggressively. I start to breathe hard as his lips open mine up, and his hot breath seeps into my mouth. He nibbles on my bottom lip, causing my heart to pound loud enough for me to say a quick prayer that he can't hear it. So he won't notice how nervous, how excited I am. He starts pushing me with his palms on my stomach to the wall. I put my hands behind me, to make sure I don't stumble over anything. My finger tips touch the wall and in the blink of an eye, I'm pressed up against it, with him gently biting on my neck.
His hands slid up my body. "I love you, Melanie." He whispers in my ear, kissing it.
"I love you too, Adrian." I whisper back, cradling my head in the pocket of his shoulder. His hand slips under my shirt, tickling the skin on my back, leaving a trail of icy goosebumps. I bite my lip as he slowly un-buttons my bra.
Then I hear a knock on the door: Adrian laughs and I giggle. He continues as if he didn't hear it. He slides off my bra, with my t-shirt still on. He massages my breasts, smiling down, leaning in to kiss me. Pictures spin through my head. Colors, sounds, feelings, love, desire, needs. Touch.
The door bell rings again. He sighs, drops his hands, and tares his face away from mine. My heart slows. We were that close. I think to myself. Thinking he left to get the door, I take off my shirt, kneel down to get my bra, and as soon as I'm just about to put it back on, I look up to see Adrian grinning. "Hey!" I blush giggling. I turn away as Adrian comes behind me, hugging me. He drops my hands down, and I drop my bra. He turns me around and looks at me. There. And grins wider. He starts to massage them again, as I start to tug on his zipper, us both breathing hard.
The door bell rings yet again. All this has happens in about 3 minutes.
"Go get the door please" I bet him to leave. As soon as he leaves and I check to be positive that he's out of sight, I quickly put on my bra and shirt. I grab my sweater and close the door of his bedroom. I climb down the stairs and stop at the bottom as well as my heart beat. My mouth drops as a gasp slithers our through my thin lips.
"Hey, babe." The man at the door says, smirking widely. Adrian turns around harshly to face me, confused, worried, possibly angry.
"James! What are you doing here?" I rush down the rest of the two stairs, to stand across him and next to Adrian.
"You tell me." He snarls and gives Adrian a nod.
I shiver as I say "it's non of your business why I'm here," my voice shaking. Adrian stays quiet. "How did you find me?" I ask quietly, voice cracking. I repeat my questions.
"I dropped off a couple of friends when I saw a car that looked a lot like yours. XoPianoX is your license plate, isn't it, honey lips?" James tilts his head, squinting his eyes. I look away quickly.
Adrian's voice makes me jump. "Melanie, go to the kitchen."
I bite my lip nervously. "But-"
"Now!" His voice raises, "go now."
I look at him, then James, and back to Adrian's dark glare. I drag myself to the kitchen. I start to make some tea. I hardly pay attention to what I'm doing, I just listen to them talking. I catch a few words:
"Who are you? ….what…" Adrian seems to ask.
"What's...problem? She's mine. We have… forever. Go away." Answered James' voice.
Adrian gives me a quick angry look. "That can't…. Never…" His eyes look so hurt, I just look down gnawing on my lip.
Adrian curses at him to get out of the house. Then shouts at me, "come here!" I make my way carefully towards him, heart beating against my chest. I set my tea cup on the table in front of the couch. I start shaking as he asks me quietly this time, making his words come out slow like how clouds move across the sky on a humid summer day.
"Who was he?" He demands.
"M-my…He's my…my…ex." I look down immediately, afraid to meet his eyes.
He clears his throat. "Your ex?" He mocks me. I nod slowly. "He said last week you broke up with him: Is that true?" I nod again. Adrian steps closer to me and grabs my arms. "How long have you been with him?" He asks through his teeth.
My voice trembles as my voice quivers and my eyes become wet. "6 months."
"SO YOU HAVE BEEN CHEATING ON ME FOR...6 MONTHS?" He throws up his hands in the air. I let my tears fall. "How could you do this to me, Melanie? You know I would never cheat on you! Why would you do this? WHY?" He screams. I let out a gasping sob. "Have you…had sex with him?" He asks very quietly, I am almost not sure if he said anything.
I look up at him through blurry eyes. "I haven't."
Adrian lets out a loud sigh. "You know what? Get out!" He yells, even louder.
"No, please, I'm sorry. Let me explain. Please," I start to sob, "Adrian…" I whisper. I cover my face with my hands, crying. He throws me my jacket and bag at me.
"GET OUT NOW!"
I look up at him one more time, tears streaming down my face. I clutch onto my belongings. He turns around to face the wall. "I said get out. Please. Leave."
"But Adrian, please, I'm so sorry." My voice breaks again as I beg with all my might. "Please, Adrian, wait..."
He turns to me and I flinch as he points to me pure anger and hurt in his eyes and voice. It's as if his body is steaming like a sauna.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! I do not understand how my little Melly would cheat on me!" He spits out the words. "I would have NEVER thought YOU would do that. Just- go!" He screamed. I start to open my mouth to beg. He shoves me out to the porch. I put on m jacket as the thunder roars in the night sky. Instantly, it start to pour rain. "I never want to see you again." He hollers at me, slamming the door. I sob, heart broken, I step off the porch and get soak in 10 seconds while slowly making my way to my car. I open the door and sit in my cold seat staring at Adrian's house. I put my head on the steering wheel, resting it in my arms. I let out all my tears. Soon I'm gasping for air. After about 3 minutes, the thunder screams and lightening blinds me. I slam the door of my car shut and put the key in the ignition. I wipe away my tears with the back of my hand and start to pull out his drive for the last time. I yelp as Adrian pops up in front of my car. I immediately stop driving, but I don't look at him when he appears in my window.
"Please get out. I need to talk to you!" He shouts over the storm. I only roll down my window, just a crack. I angrily look up at him, sniffling. "I'm sorry," he says. "Please come here." I step out of the car and just stand there, not touching him, a foot apart. I can't take it anymore. I jump into his arms crying all over again. He hugs me tightly, patting my head, and rubbing my back. I finally pull away.
"I-" I start to say but he interrupts me and puts one finger on m lips. Then with his thumbs, he wipes away my tears. We hug again for a longer time. The thunder roars like a hungry lion that just woke up. The entire night world flashes white when the lightning strikes. My hair drips, our clothes sticking to our skin. He pulls away this time, 5 inches apart now. The rain drips off the lips I desperately want to kiss. No, he just spent 10 million hours yelling at me. I think to myself, loudly in my head. I blink away tears and rain.
"Let's get you dry. Come inside, Melly." He says as he grabs my hand gently and we walk, side by side, hand in hand, back to his house. When we get inside he says "follow me." I follow him up upstairs into his bedroom. He goes over to his wardrobe, pulls out a pink shirt and some sweat pants. "You left your extra clothes that time from when we went to the indoor pool, remember?" He hands me the clothes along with a towel. I nod. "You can go shower if you want. There's the shampoo you made for me, as well as the twin conditioner in the shower." He gives me a weak smile.
"Thanks." I mumble taking the things. As I walk to the restroom, I think I hear him whisper "no problem."
In the shower, I think of everything that's happened. I try to find a way to explain my story with James. I come with an idea, but I'll probably chicken out. When I finish my shower, I find a lavender perfume bottle on the sink with a note taped to it. I smile and pick it up. I spray some on my chest and neck then set it down to wrap the towel around my body. I close my eyes and breathe in the scent. Mmm. I open them again and read the note.
"I'm sorry and I love you. No matter what.
-Adrian 3"
I blow dry my hair, but not all the way, leaving some to dry on it's own—so it can curl. I brush my hair, all the way down to the middle of my back. It's light brown, slowly curling. I get dressed in my fresh dry clothes and walk down the stairs. I linger at the last few steps as Adrian sets the tray of teat with cookies on the table. I smile to find that the fire is gleaming and crackling in the stone fire place. I sit down on the couch, holding my tea cup, huddled in a soft, red, plaid blanket. He comes and sits next to me. I pull up my feet next to me, as I take a sip of tea. I set it back down and cuddle into his chest, hugging his waist.
"I see you found the perfume." I hear him smile. I nod and he pats my head.
"I'm really sorry." I whisper.
"I just don't know why you would do that to me, Melanie. I cannot forgive you for that."
I look up at him, worried "oh, but you must!" I claim.
"Why?"
"Because…"
"You are hiding something, Melly. Please tell me."
"I can't…" I shy away from his eyes.
"Yes you can."
"No…"
"Whatever it is, Melanie, you can tell me."
"He. James…"
"What, tell me."
"He…" My voice breaks and I bury my face in his chest, crying.
"What did he do to you?" Adrian asks, alarmed.
I sob for a few seconds. I. Can't. Stop. Crying. This is so hard, I think in my head how am I going to tell him? "He…Adrian, he… He…r….ra-…" I take a deep sigh. "He raped me." I let the words rolls off my tongue rapidly. There. "That's why I said I didn't have sex with him," my voice quieted. "He did."
Adrian sits up straighter. I take a peek at him. "How dare he! I'll kill him!" He yells, but then gets softer eyes when he locks them with mine. "Did you love him?" His question took me by surprise.
"No of course not! Not always… I did when we first met. But then… I realized he was… crazy. He, um, he. He started… He started…" I stutter.
"He what, Melanie?" He asks me, playing with my hair. I cry more. Harder.
"He abused me, Adrian. See this line on the back of my neck?" I lift up my hair and show him.
Adrian's eyes grow wide. "Where did you get that from?" He asks, angry. "How did he hurt you?"
Voice shaking I answer. "He was angry with me because I wouldn't wear what he wanted me to, I wouldn't drink or smoke, and I never wanted to go to the parties he went to. He pushed me into the brick wall," I sigh, "that he has in front of his house. There-there was…a brick. And, um, that brick stuck out and… I was bleeding a lot. I started to run and thank God he didn't run after me. I went to the doctor that night: nothing was wrong. The next week I met you." I explain, crying louder. "I'm scared, Adrian, I'm scared." I soak his shirt all over again. He curls his fingers in my hair, with the other he rubs my back up and down.
"Shh, shh. It's okay. You're safe with me. I won't hurt you, I promise. Shhh." He says calmly, in his soothing voice. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
I take a deep, staggering breath. "I was scared James would figure out and hurt me and you."
"Shh, shh." He says, "It'll be okay. I'm right here. But why did you let him…"
"Adrian," my voice cracks. "It was by force. He, he tied my hands to the bars of the bed and…s-stripped me… Practically ripped my clothes off."
Adrian sighed. "Was he drunk?"
"Mhm," I cry, "He… did this too." I lean away and pull my shirt down a little for him to see the two scars on my chest.
"How—"
"He broke a beer bottle on the wall and cut me with it after he…took my clothes off. He forced me to drink a whole bottle and with the second scar, he cut in this second line." Tears stream down my face as the memory jumps in my head, vivid. " I was so scared, Adrian! I couldn't move. As son as I was 100% sure he was asleep, I grabbed the biggest part of the beer glass I could find with my toes and brought it to my mouth. I cut the ropes with my mouth like that. I left a note saying 'we're done. Don't ever talk to me again.' I didn't bother to get my clothes, I was just too scared to take anymore time. Adrenaline rushed through me and I grabbed my coat and ran to my car and drove home crying.
"I haven't talked to him since then, till today." I finished.
"I swear I'll kill him the first chance I get!" Adrian screams in the stiff atmosphere. There's a silence as my crying lessens and I listen to the fire popping. I slip into a laying position, my legs on his lap. A few minutes pass by. He turns on top of me and leans down kissing me with his warm soft lips. I touch his abs and squeeze them. My breath staggers. But… This time I'm not excited. I know. I think to myself. Adrian tugs onto my sweatpants.
"Adrian," I whisper.
"Hmm?" He looks at me, concern in his eyes. Is he this dumb? He starts to slid off my pants.
"Stop." I say. He stops right away.
"Sorry. I understand." He says, quietly. He slides my sweatpants back up.
"Thank you." I say. I sit back up and he starts to put his shirt back on but I put my hand on his chest to stop him. "Leave it off…" I plead.
"Why?" He grins.
"I like the warmth of your skin." I grin back. Sure. His eyes seem to say. He gives me a wider sideways smirk. He throws his shirt on the floor. I lean forward and grab my tea cup and take a sip. "Mmm," I hum. "Lavender."
He nods, smiling. "My favorite." I nod back.
"Mmmhm."
"Let's get you to bed, honey." He pats my forehead and I finish my tea.
He stands up, extending his strong hand. I grab is and weaving my fingers in between his. He lets go and picks me up instead and carries me to his room. Tucking me into bed, he kisses my forehead.
"Goodnight." He whispers gently.
I shoot my hand up. "Adrian! Don't go." I beg.
"It's okay, I'll be downstairs.
"Sleep with me, please." I moan.
"Shh, shh. Go to sleep, my love. It's alright, you'll be safe and I'll be in the living room, okay?" He smiles and kisses me on the lips, making a popping sound with our lips as he moves away. I drift to sleep as he closes the door, and turns off the light.
An hour later, I wake up to smell lavender perfume. The bottle is sitting on the table to my right. I smile. But more importantly, Adrian lies asleep next to me on his side with his arm around my waist. I grin. "Thank you." I whisper quietly as rose petals. I kiss him lightly on the lips, curling up to him, my arms on his bare chest, feeling his heart pounding quickly.