I kissed her one last time before heading for the door. The longing look in her bright blue eyes summoned me back to her, kissing her all over again. I knew that the red lipstick she wore would stain my skin, but I didn't really care. I just wanted her all over again.

"I'll see you in a couple of days," I said, prying her away from me. I knew from experience that if I let this go on any longer that I would be getting home late. Well, later than I already was. She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout and batted her eyelashes at me. I gave her one last kiss before rushing out door with a childlike spring in my step.

I threw my jacket over my shoulder and retreated down the stairwell, viciously wiping away any lipstick that may have stuck to my lips or cheeks. My blue Ford sat out front of the small brick apartment building. It was such a plain structure that could easily be missed, but I always found myself looking up to that third-story window every time I passed. Even as I looked up now, her beautiful form was peeking out from behind the curtains. I gave no reaction to seeing her, though; I simply walked over to my truck, started it up, and drove off. It may be a forgettable building, but it was a familiar area. I knew people who lived around there. God help me if anyone ever saw me leave that place.

The further away I got from her, the closer I got to my suburban home. It was nothing big or fancy, barely even outside of the city, but still considered "suburban". The house was a two-story cube with only the essentials for a three person family—not that I was having a kid any time soon. It was painted the same shade of cream as every other house on the street, same dark brown shingles and light brown shutters. It was just another brick in society's wall.

I parked the truck in the driveway, knowing that Lily was already home by the light glowing from the living room window. No sooner did I open the front door, the scent of something burning invaded my nose, choking my lungs. There wasn't any smoke, but that didn't help to ease my confused mind.

"Lily?" I shouted. No response came. "Lily!" I ran through the living room and into the kitchen to find a burnt pile of something sitting on the counter beside the stove. Very little heat was coming off of it so it must have been sitting out for a while. The sound of shattering glass thundered throughout the entire house. I ran upstairs toward the sound. The hallway leading toward the bedrooms was dark and intimidating, even for a man of my stature. The light to our bedroom at the end was on, peeking through the half open door.

"Lily?"

I approached slowly, not exactly sure what I would see when I opened the door.

Lily sat on the queen-sized bed with tears in her eyes. She sat cross-legged, her head hanging there on her shoulders as if she didn't have the strength to pick it up. Her hair was still in the bun that she always kept it in for work, but it was messy and falling all over the place. On the floor were the remains of a glass picture frame that had been a wedding present from Lily's parents.

"Babe," I whispered, kneeling down in front of her so that I could look into her face. "What happened?"

Her lips curled into an angry sadness as she tried to fight off more tears. She sniffled and coughed to prevent it, but the hurt came anyway. Her cheeks were red and blotchy, her eyes puffy. I rested my hand on her thigh but she recoiled, retreating to the middle of the bed. She wouldn't look me in the eye.

"How could you do this?" Her mumbled words hardly reached my ears, but I knew exactly what they had said. "Why would you do this?"

"Do what?" I played ignorant, knowing full well what she was talking about but not willing to give myself away. If I was wrong, then everything would be ruined. "What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Andrew," she snapped. "You know exactly what." I was at a loss for words. My mouth bobbed open and closed like a fish as I searched my brain for something to say. "You think I'm stupid, don't you? Do you really think that I don't know what you're doing when you 'come home from work late' or 'go out for a drink with the guys'? I know you're cheating on me, Andrew. Almost every night you come home with lipstick all over you, and you smell like perfume that I don't even own." She looked me dead in the eye, staring into my very soul, as if she could find the truth there. "How long?"

"What?" the stupid response was the best that my tongue could come up with at the moment.

"Don't play dumb!" Lily hiccupped from her sobbing as she struggled through her words. "I've read your texts. How long have you been sleeping with her?" I remained silent, sitting on the floor and watching the anger build in her tiny body. I wanted so badly to leave and never come back, but my heart ached at the sight of her tears and her shattered heart. "How long?"

I stared down at the floor, not having the strength to look at her anymore. "Four months."

Lily let out a breathy laugh. This was the moment I had truly lost her. This was the moment that ruined everything. I didn't even have to see her to know that a hidden understanding was slowly leaking into her eyes. I had just ripped her away from me entirely, and only with two simple words.

She crawled off of the bed and walked quickly out of the bedroom. I raced to follow her, still oblivious to the fact that I would never get her back. "Lily! Lily, wait!" I shouted after her, my large steps leading me quickly to her. She stopped at the top of the steps, rearing around to glare up at me with accusing eyes.

"Never come near me again."

"Lily, please."

She threw defeated hands up into the air, laughing at the entire messed up situation I had dragged us into. "What can you say to defend yourself, Andrew? It was four months, not a one-time fling. You're a pig and a bastard." She tore the ring off of her left hand and threw it into the shadowed hallway. Lily turned and began jogging down the steps, but I grabbed onto her arm.

"Please, babe, wait."

She shoved away my hand, but that had been the only thing keeping her balanced. She tumbled down the stairs, cracking her head against the banister and crashing down hard onto the tiled floor at the bottom. "Lily!" I raced down the steps, falling beside her motionless body. I picked up her head and pulled her into my chest. A small puddle of crimson remained on the floor. When I pulled my hand away, red stained my skin, dripping between my fingers. The tears stung my eyes as I sat there holding her body close to mine. I rocked back and forth; my entire body felt numb. "Baby, wake up," I begged. "Please, baby, wake up."

Lily made no movement. No sign of life.

Something in my chest exploded, sending a deep kind of hurt that no doctor could remedy. With trembling lips, I kissed her forehead. Then I remembered back to the last thing that these lips had kissed, and it felt as if I was tainted. As if I was passing on some sick disease to the woman that I loved, despite everything that she may have thought. The pain raged like a fire in my gut, burning me from the inside out.

I stood, picking her up like the bride that she would never get to be. Her slender body felt so light in my arms. I carried her back up the stairs and to our bedroom, my chest heaving in ragged breaths. I laid her down gently on the bed, being extra careful to rest her head just right. She could still be alive, I tried to convince myself. She has to be. The blood oozed into the light blue sheets. I turned away.

Nothing could ever prepare you for something like this. I laid on my side of the bed, crawling to the very edge to keep as much distance as possible between us while also staying close by. I couldn't just leave her alone like this. What if she woke up?

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I wiped away the tears, still unable to see fully clearly.

Miss you the message read.

I threw the phone with all of the force that I could muster and watched happily as it shattered against the wall. Bits of glass and plastic flying everywhere, mixing itself in with the broken picture frame. I laid there, listening for her breath, waiting for life to return to my beloved Lily.