Chatper titled after "Only Love Could Hurt Like This" by Paloma Faith
Chapter 7- Only Love
Oh my God, you're asking me to be a spy.
I promise I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe.
How do you sleep at night?
You can take his place.
Abort! Abort!
Did we just give him up?
He was a part of the negotiation.
It was for the greater good.
I played God with that young man's life and look what happened.
He woke up the next morning, heart pounding. White-hot rage filled his senses at the injustice. How could she? He charged into the bathroom where Elizabeth was applying makeup. She saw him in the reflection and smiled, not noticing his vindictive fury.
"Hey, sleepyhead."
"How could you?" He shouted. She jumped, startled by his voice. "Dimitri Petrov. How could you just barter his life away? How could you betray me like that?" I trusted you. I was falling in love with you. You broke my heart. A look of realization crossed her face, and she looked down at the counter. She slowly set her things on the counter as if buying herself time to figure out what to say.
"You should rest," she said softly as she turned to face him. "Maybe we can talk more when I get home or when you remember more."
"No, Elizabeth. I can't talk about it. I can't talk to you, not after what you did to me. To us," he spat. His glare met her eyes, shimmering with pain and sadness. You let an innocent man die.
"Henry," she pleaded. She reached out to touch his arm, but he swatted her hand away.
"Just go," he demanded, voice dripping with venom. A tear rolled down her cheek, but it failed to stir any emotion in him. She let him die, he repeated to himself.
"Henry, I love you. No matter what. I couldn't stop even if I wanted to." Her voice cracked. With one last regretful look, Elizabeth headed out the door. The fury and crackling tension, however, lingered in the room. He paced the floor, replaying the moment that Dimitri's fate was sealed.
"Damn it!" he cursed. Dimitri is dead because of Elizabeth. The woman I almost fell in love with. In an attempt to blow off some steam, he began to clean, beginning with the bathroom.
Several hours later, the house was spotless. Every single cabinet had been rid of useless content, every tile had been scrubbed until it gleamed. And yet, Henry's soul still felt as though it needed purging. He went for a brisk run to literally, if not figuratively, escape his inner turmoil. Thoughts and feelings swirled around him, and not matter how fast he ran, he couldn't get away.
Elizabeth had sentenced Dimitri Petrov to a most brutal death, the fate of any found guilty of treason in Russia, and yet here she was, hailed as a modern hero. She was free from the repercussions of that decision, and Dimitri had paid the full price. Henry too, had been escaped most of the aftermath, at least physically. Henry got to stand on the soil of a free country despite having convinced a young visionary to turn against his country. A young man who, in the end, had been murdered for the security of a country that had used his ailing sister as leverage.
Yes, Henry was walking as a free man, but emotionally, he was locked in a steel cage. There was nothing that could be said or done to change the situation, and that was what was tearing him apart. Anger rose in his throat again at the hopelessness he felt. Dead men don't need freedom, but they deserve justice. But what justice was to be served? The Russian government couldn't care less, and it seemed that the American government was no better. Didn't Elizabeth care? Didn't she get it? Apparently not. She's a cold-blooded murderer.
By the time he made it back to the house, his breaths were coming in short pants and his body was worn. He kicked his shoes off, not caring where they landed. He was about to grab a glass of water when noticed something on his shirt. There was a wet, red patch blooming on the white fabric. It was warm and sticky. Lightheadedness clouded his thinking when a sudden sharp pain tore through his body. He barely had time to register what had happened before the the dizziness sent him towards the floor. The light streaming through the window slowly faded until he blacked out.
"Henry?" It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss. Adams. I'm Henry McCord.
"Henry? Are you home?" Elizabeth! Hey. I was wondering if I could take you out for some coffee after class?
"Oh my God." Mar me, Elibet?
"Baby, can you hear me?" I can't wait to spend a lifetime with you, Mrs. McCord.
"Henry!" Henry, I'm pregnant.
"Wake up! Please." Secretary McCord. I like it; it suits you.
"Baby." If you're asking me to be the man beside the woman, I'm all in.
"You can't die on me." You're a good man, Henry. I'm afraid that I'll become someone that you can't be with.
"I don't care if you hate me for the rest of your life." Okay, what are we gonna do here, Henry? Do you wanna go to counseling, start talking to lawyers, where are we at?
"I don't care if you can't even look at me." You said you think about it every time you look at me!
"But you can't leave me." How are we supposed to get past this?
"Not like this." No matter what, we're together.
"Not now." I love you so-
"Just hang on for a little bit longer." Henry, I'm scared.
"Please." I'm not going anywhere.
"Don't leave me." I will always show up for you. Always.
"I love you." I love you, so don't die on me, okay?
Am I dying? No, this isn't right. I can't leave her. Not like this. Not right now. Not without apologizing. Not without saying "thank you." Not without saying "I love you" one last time. I can't die. Can I?
Elizabeth sat in the hospital waiting room. Again. Agitated and anxious, she threw the magazine that she had been pretending to read back on the table and stared at the wall. With nothing to distract her, one thought echoed in her mind: My husband hates me, and now he's going to die. The tears blurred her vision as she blinked rapidly, trying to contain them. One escaped and left a wet trickle on her cheek. Her resolve broke, and hot tears began to stream down her face. Choking sobs shook her body as her heart shattered.
"Please don't die."
I just had to change the last bit to clarify things. Hnery does remember Elizabeth, but now he's bleeding out and might die before he has a chance to tell her. Sorry about the confusion, y'all.
I was going to post the last chapter sooner, but now I'm super stressed about making it good. It will be up by Saturday no matter what, though.
As always, please let me know what you liked, what you didn't like, and how I can improve. Thanks everyone!
But seriously. Please Review.
