It was over. As he stepped out into the midnight air, she felt something cataclysmic shift within her; the relationship she had planned for her whole life was slipping through her fingers. April tried to dam the flow of warm tears, taping her heart back together as it shattered in her chest as she stammered a sentence in a futile attempt to stop her world from falling apart, but it was too late. His mind was made up.
"I love you baby, but…" But what? His words blurred into a ringing hum as April stood silently in shock. She looked to his lanky frame already halfway out the door and then she saw it: his traitorous brown eyes glimmering with shallow emotion. Five years worth of the picture perfect life she had devoted herself to crumbled under the weight of his words. Matthew muttered a quick "I'm sorry, April," slamming the door shut before he had even finished his sentence. The shock rattled the picture frames hanging on the wall as she sank to the floor, heart dropping to the floor sending shards everywhere.
An hour later, she had received a text from a friend that her ex-fiancé was hitting on a girl in a bar. A blurry video loaded on her screen, bleary eyes clearing just enough to see his arm slung loosely around a petite woman's waist, his hand dangerously close to her ass. He leaned over, his mouth close enough to her ear that his breath tickled her skin when he spoke. A bright, drunk smile pulled at the blonde's lips as she listened to Matthew speak, entranced by whatever he was saying. April's eyes analyzed her. She was beautiful. A younger, cooler, wilder version of her.
With a quick click, April shut the phone off and padded over to the kitchen. Grabbing the wine she was saving for their engagement party, she pried off the cork and pressed her lips to the cool glass opening. The wine slid down her throat, settling in her stomach as she continued to chug. Her dress stuck to her skin, sticky with sweat and tears. Head throbbing, eyes puffy and red as tears streamed from the corners and down her cheeks.
In a brief pause, April listened in on her neighbor's music as it drifted through her open window in the Texas heat. A singer crooned about heartbreak, the strings of an acoustic guitar twanging in the background. "Fitting," she mumbled to herself.
After the wine had been neglected and the music faded, April curled into a ball, rocking herself to sleep as warm tears carved a path down her face.
Sunlight streamed through the blinds, warmth blossoming on her flushed skin. Her head throbbed, muscles stiff from sleeping on the floor. A soft groan escaped her as she pushed herself up to a seated position. April rubbed her eyes, smudging the remnants of the cried-off mascara and her already caked makeup. A hand ran through her matted hair, tugging it back from her face, yanking at the knots that tied the ends together.
Looking around at the state of disarray, her eyes caught the glimmer of a diamond on the floor, a rainbow projected across the room from the ray of light that flitted through the window. Auburn hair fell into her face as her vision blurred once more. Pain swelled inside of her chest, burning as it attempted to gnaw its way out. Noticing the open bottle of merlot on the bedside table, she lunged to grab the neck of the clear green glass but batted it over with her clunky movements.
The air rushed out of her body, warm rivulets streaming down her face before she knew what was happening. Even though her eyes couldn't focus, she could still see the wine slowly form into a stain on the thin fabric of her favorite white dress.
She searched for clarity in the fog her brain was in. April reached for her phone, checking the time. It was noon and a notification for a missed call from her mom was displayed on the screen.
Her fingers moved on their own. April stared at the ceiling as she waited for the call to connect. Her head pounded, a growing beat at the base of her skull spreading to her forehead as all her nerves were lit on fire.
"Baby!" her mom said after a couple of rings. Her voice exploded through the speaker, a fresh wave of pain coursing through April's body. "I was just about to call you. Alice is having problems with Daryl. Again. I don't know what she sees in him. He is no good for her. Please talk to her and convince her so. I just don't want to see my precious baby get hurt." She paused for emphasis, leaving no room for April to argue. Her southern drawl filled up the air, filling the room with life as April laid still. "Thank God you have Matthew. How's wedding planning going? Did y'all set the date yet? I know you always wanted a fall wedding." Pressing a hand over her mouth, April burst out at the mention of her ex-fiancé. "Honey, are you okay?"
"He's gone," she sobbed.
"What do you mean he's gone?" her mother questioned.
"He left, Mama. Matthew's gone." April's uneven breaths filled the call, her mother's silence deafening on the other end.
Karen Kepner sputtered for a second before asking, "April, what happened?" Her hair fanned around her head on the floor, sunlight seeping into her veins as she laid on the floor. The traitorous warmth sucked away her energy as she bathed in the light, burning her pale skin after a while.
"He called off the engagement..." April took a breath, a small hiccup rising before she continued. "and I don't think that he's coming back."
"Oh." Karen was quiet for once, her normal blabbering swapped for uncomfortable silence. The soft whistle of Karen's exhale over the phone brought April down, grounding her.
"I'm just-" she gasped for air, a cry forcing its way out of her, "so mad that I fell for him."
Her mother cooed on the other end. "Aww, baby."
"Five years!" April sniffled, wiping a tear as it fell. "We were together for five years. How could he leave so easily?" she asked, her breath catching after each word. Her mother stayed silent on the other line, carefully choosing her next words, not knowing if the younger Kepner wanted to hear an answer.
"April…" Concern ate away at her mom's normally melodious and cheery voice. "You're going to be okay." After a beat, she added. "Someday, but maybe not today."
"I know," April mumbled, gentle fingers swiping away at errant drops of warm tears. She was present and in that moment of clarity she realized she needed change. She needed to get away. Home was Ackerly, Texas. Hundreds of miles away from her in the suburbs of Sugarland that had Matthew written all over it.
"Mama," her voice came out sticky, phlegm clinging to the word. Karen hummed, signaling her attention. April cleared her throat and continued. "Can I come home?"
Her mom jumped on the question, "Of course, baby. Come home, April."
"Thanks, Mama."
Their conversation died down. April rolled in her anger. The sheer audacity that Matthew had to dump her and move right onto the next girl. She couldn't believe she wasted years of her life with him, investing time and energy into their relationship, only for it to blow up in her face.
April bit her tongue, debating whether or not to ask her next question. When she heard the squeak of the front door opening and her dad's work boots against the tiled floor, she blurted out her next request.
"Don't tell Dad." Her mother's sharp inhale translated as a hiss over the phone.
"Why, baby?" Thoughts flooded her head, but April settled on one.
"As much as I hate Matthew right now, I don't want him dead." A sad laugh filled the line.
"Your father wouldn't, April."
April let out a light scoff, thinking about her childhood trips hunting with her father, "But you never know."
The line went quiet once more, Karen shuffling around on the other end. She heard the faint murmur of her parents talking over the phone. Her dad's voice cut through the silence.
"How you doin', Pumpkin?"
April sniffled, "Could be better." Her father laughed, light and clear.
"I hear you're coming to town. I can't wait to see ya." His upbeat tone washed over her, like a salve on her broken heart. "I'll make sure we have a fresh pie waiting for ya."
April let out a watery laugh. "Thanks, Daddy."
"Aww, baby. Oh, your mother is signaling for me to give 'er the phone back. Bye, April. I'll see you soon."
"Bye." April sank back down, the brief relief she felt vanished as she listened to her mother's shallow breaths.
Can you die from a broken heart? April shifted on the floor in quiet musing. Glass rattled in her chest, the remnants of Matthew's spectacular exit last night.
As if her mother read her mind, the words flowed out of the phone and into April's ear.
The platitudes fell flat, unable to soothe the ache that weighed her down.
As the tears leaked out of April's eyes, Karen began to say her signature words in times of adversity. "Don't worry, baby. You could always lau-"
"Don't," April interrupted, the word slicing through the air. Her chest heaved as she silenced her sob. "I know what you're about to say, but don't. That someday isn't today. Okay?"
A soft echo came from her mother's end. The two sat in silence, listening to the sound of their breathing. After a couple of minutes, Karen began to speak again. "Baby, I'm sorry, but I have to go to church soon."
"Yeah." April sighed, fatigued and emotionally drained. "Uhh, Mama. One more thing."
"Anything."
April ran her hand over the deep red splatter on her white dress. "How do I get a red wine stain out of my dress?" Her eyes ran over the disarray in her room. Shards of green glass scattered across the floor as red wine pooled beneath it, evaporating in the early summer sun. The throw pillows on the white sheets of her bed flat and falling from their upright position. A sigh escaped her, exhaustion whittling away at her down to the bone.
"Oh, just put a little dish soap and hydrogen peroxide on it and it'll come out lookin' brand new. Make sure to give it a good rinse though."
"Thanks, Mama. I love you."
"I love you too, baby girl."
The call ended. April stepped out of her dress, clothed in only her underwear, her skin exposed and vulnerable. She walked to the sink, turning on the faucet and dipped her dress in the running stream. Watching the white cloth dampen and turn translucent, clinging to her fingers and the water flowed through. April followed her mother's instructions, dabbing on dish soap and hydrogen peroxide before giving the fabric a good rinse. The stain slowly lifted, faded red suds washing down the drain. Leaving her dress to dry, she walked to the bathroom and started a shower. As the water ran, April swiped a cotton pad doused in micellar water across her face. Foundation lifted from her skin. She let the pad sit on her eyes, melting the black mascara off of her eyelashes before gently rubbing the makeup away. Tossing the cotton into the trash, she stepped into the shower, letting the water spray her. When the water reached the coldest setting, she turned to face the shower head, staring at the water flowing down the drain. Her vision blurred, tears and the occasional drop of water rolled into her open eyes.
She shut the water off, stepping out of the tiled shower. With sopping wet hair, April headed back to bed, pulling the covers over her head as she cried once more.
A week passed, the cycle of crying, cleaning, and praying run on repeat had left her feeling the slightest bit lighter.
April pulled out a small luggage from under her bed. Summer in Ackerly often reached temperatures of over 90 degrees, and the town wasn't above the occasional summer storm. She pulled a couple of shirts, flowery dresses, jeans, and a jean jacket from out of her closet. Methodically, she rolled her clothes and placed them into her luggage. A folded silk sleep set laid neatly above the rest of the clothes, strapped in with a click of the plastic latch before April zipped her suitcase closed.
With her everything packed and waiting for her at the front door, April changed into a tie-dye sleep set. Her hair fell around her face in fiery flames, soft waves curling the ends. She grabbed a bottle of cheap wine from the fridge, pouring it into a wine glass. The glass fogged between the chilled liquid and her warm hand, bringing it to her lips for a sip.
Compared to the previous nights, April felt a bit more in control, like the ache in her chest was finally becoming manageable, but warm tears still slipped out of her eyes when she wasn't careful. She finished her glass of wine, slipping under the white sheets. The light blanket wrapped around her like a feathery hug, pulling her to sleep.
As the sun kissed the morning sky and lit the night on fire, April got ready to make the 473 mile drive back to her hometown. After eating a small breakfast and downing a cup of cold brew, she grabbed her suitcase and was ready to leave. As she closed the door behind her, April noticed the hinge loosely pulling away from the frame. A small frown tugged her lips taut as she made a mental note to call the landlord of her complex.
A/N
hi i haven't been here in a while, but this is a semi-finished story and def more on the scandalous side of things that i've written. there is a playlist for this story (one song per chapter) and the song for this first chapter is die from a broken heart by maddie & tae. the title song is storm warning by hunter hayes. xoxo see you next time