My Last Story. Maybe it will explain a few things.
The wind was cool on her face, especially the parts already damp with salty tears. She blinked, and a few more fell from her eyelashes. This time, she kept her eyes closed. She didn't want to see anymore.
The string quartet started to play a slow tune, and couples were getting up, holding each other, and dancing. She could hear the laughter, the smiles, the love.
She opened her eyes, and they automatically fell on Nick, holding his new bride Claire on the dance floor. His eyes were on her perfect face, perfect body. Perfect everything. Everything Sara knew she could never be. She felt her heart give a particularly painful squeeze, and she bit her lip, willing her eyes to stay dry.
Nick was happy. That was all the mattered. It didn't matter how she felt. She was happy for him. Really, she was. If he was happy, she was happy. Happy, happy, happy.
Well, maybe a little disappointed.
The night was coming, and the reception was outside. She shivered, and she felt someone drape a jacket over her shoulders. She looked up.
"You're cold," Greg observed, and she nodded. There was no point hiding it. No point in lying anymore. He sat down, and looked at the dance floor.
"You want to dance?"
The last place she wanted to be was near Claire. Fuck she hated that woman. So much. Claire's name tasted bitter on her tongue, and she felt ashamed. This was Nick's wife. The woman that made him happy.
She just wished that woman could be her.
She shook her head, and Greg sighed. "Come on," he said, not taking it for an answer. He pulled her up and onto the floor, pulling her close.
She rested her head on Greg's shoulder, letting his body heat warm her. But it didn't work. She still felt so cold.
She bit her lip as she felt tears well in her eyes, and Greg held her closer. "What's wrong?" He whispered in her ear. "Don't you feel well?"
What a loaded question.
She hadn't been feeling well for months. From the day Nick had announced he was getting engaged, that he was getting married to Claire, she'd felt sick. Nick knew how she felt about him, but Sara hadn't been good enough. No. Claire was for him. With her perfect short brown bob, thin frame and amazing intellect, she had been the woman for Nick. Not Sara.
She hadn't been good enough.
Too broken.
I can't be with someone with baggage.
She glanced at Nick again, and his eyes caught hers and smiled, his arms wrapped around Claire.
Sara looked away.
Why wouldn't this stop hurting?
She pulled out of Greg's arms, shrugging out of his jacket. He blinked. "Where are you going?"
She shook her head, but leant forward and gently pressed her lips to his. "I need to leave, Greg."
He grabbed her wrist. "What's going on, Sara?" She could see panic in his eyes. Why? She didn't know. Maybe Greg was the only one who understood how far gone she was.
"Just leave it."
She quickly slipped from the dance floor, grabbing her purse from her table, and headed to her car. The wind had picked up, and her dress was blowing frantically against her knees. She started to feel rain on her back, and she hopped into her car as the storm blew in.
Tears were falling heavily now, but she still fumbled with her keys, putting them into the ignition and starting the car, screeching out of the parking lot. Her heart was pounding, and she could barely see as she pulled onto the highway.
She heard her cell phone start to ring, and she pulled it out. Nick's ID flashed up at her. She answered, her eyes glued to the road.
"Sara?" Nick's voice sounded panicked, and for some sick reason, that made Sara smile. Where was Claire now?
"What do you want?" Sara yelled angrily.
"Greg told me you didn't seem right," He said, his voice calming down a bit. "What's wrong, sweetie?"
"LIKE THE HELL YOU DONT KNOW WHATS WRONG!" Sara yelled. The rain was pouring down harder and harder, and joined with her tears, she could barely see the road. "DON'T CALL ME SWEETIE! THATS CLAIRES NAME NOW!"
"Sara, calm down, and pull over," Nick pleaded. "I care about you a lot..."
"Fuck you, Nick," Sara snarled, and threw the phone down onto the passenger seat. She could still hear him yelling at her through the phone.
Sara wiped her eyes, and she began to sob, louder and louder, both hands gripping the steering wheel. She could still hear Nick's voice.
"Sara! Sara! For gods sake Sara! Answer me! Pull off the road!!"
She didn't. He had no right to tell her what to do. She wasn't his problem.
She grabbed the phone again, and told him as much. "Go and dance with Claire," Sara said bitterly. "She's your wife, enjoy your wedding night."
"I'd enjoy it more if I knew you were okay," Nick said honestly, and Sara shook her head.
"Fuck off."
She hung up this time.
She couldn't breathe now. Her whole body was shaking so bad and she couldn't see. The rain hadn't let up, and for some reason, she didn't care. She couldn't give a shit about her life anymore.
It was ruined the moment Claire came into the picture.
She heard her phone ringing again, but she ignored it. She didn't care. She didn't care at all.
The tears wouldn't stop, and she could see lights approaching on the opposite side of the road.
She didn't give a fuck anymore.
She pulled the steering wheel down to the left, causing her car to swerve into the other lane. The truck blasted its horn, warning her. But she just stared at the oncoming lights, pressing her foot down onto the accelerator, until the lights were so bright, so close, that they almost burnt her eyes.
They were right about the white light.
THE END
