Chelle Bliss - Untangle Me

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Kayden said in a seething tone, his veins popping out on his neck. All I could do was sit there and stare. Every muscle in my body felt like rubber.

“You’re mine. You belong to me and with me, not Sophia. We’re meant to be,” she said standing on the side of the bed.

“No, Lisa. We ended long ago,” Kayden replied.

“It can be like we were before. I know you still love me.” Her face grew red.

“I don’t love you anymore. I love Sophia,” he replied quickly as Lisa moved towards him. “Stop right there! You drove me mad, and had me arrested. You’ve ruined my life and played with my emotions for the last time!” Kayden yelled at Lisa.

She stepped closer to him, blocking my view.

“Lisa, please leave us alone... please. You have a boyfriend. You don’t want me or need me in your life,” Kayden said in a softer tone, probably seeing the gun for the first time.

“If I can’t have you, Kayden, than neither can she,” she yelled, pointing the gun at him.

“Lisa, this isn’t you. Put the gun down. Leave now and we won’t call the police,” Kayden said.

“Without you I am nothing.” she said.

Lisa tried to kiss him and my blood boiled. I lunged off the bed, landing on her back with a smack. I wrapped my hands around her neck squeezing.

“Stop, Kayden,” she said gasping for air.

“No, Lisa, let go.” Kayden fought for the gun, trying to pry it from her grip. A large bang echoed through the air and my heart stopped at the sound, but I felt no pain. Our bodies fell to the floor in a heap of human flesh. I gasped for air my mouth wide open like a fish out of water, winded from landing on Lisa’s back. She was crying.

“Kayden,” she yelled. “Get up, Kayden!”

Kayden was lying on the bedroom floor, a red spot growing on his shirt. She fucking shot him. I covered my mouth trying to hold back a scream. She killed my Kayden. I finally found a man that loved me the way I wanted to be loved, and this vile bitch took him from me forever. She still hovered over his body, crying and touching his face. She kissed his cheek and pleading with him to wake up and bile rose in my throat. Quiet, be quiet. I grabbed a large crystal candle holder from my nightstand and tiptoed behind her.

“You bitch,” I yelled bringing down the candle holder on top of her head. Her body slumped over him. I didn’t know if she was knocked out or dead, but I didn’t care.

I grabbed my phone dialing 911 as I kicked her body off his. His breathing shallow, but he was alive. “Kayden, hang on. Help is coming,” I pleaded with him. “I love you, Kayden. Don’t leave me.” I sobbed with a shaky voice. My hand shook as I stroked his face and my lips quivered as I kissed him. I loved him, he couldn’t leave me.

“Sophia…,” Kayden said in a shaky voice as I rested my head on his chest listening to his heartbeat.

“Oh, Kayden! Help is coming, stay with me, fight Kayden, please,” I begged him. I bit my lip and stared into his beautiful green eyes, the same ones that had captured my attention the moment I met him.

“I love you, always,” Kayden said in a trembling voice, I whimpered as his eyes closed. The color and liveliness that he had brought into my life was slipping away from me. I rocked back and forth a bit mumbling, trying to hold him in my arms. Where the fuck are the paramedics? Helpless and despair sucked the air from my lungs.

I yelled and sobbed as I heard the paramedics rush through the door. I sat back on my feet… rocking and watching them work on his body.. Everything moved in slow motion. I heard the men talking, barely able to process the words, Kayden’s heart beat sounding on the machine.

“He’s critical, but alive.” My heart fluttered in my chest hearing those words and I bit my bottom lip.

“She’s alive,” said a paramedic checking Lisa’s pulse.

I hadn’t killed her, but she would’ve killed me. If she could shoot Kayden, I’d be a piece of cake. I sat with my knees pulled up to my chest, my face buried, rocking back and forth. Tears were streaming down my face. Kayden can’t leave me—not now.

I sat in the emergency waiting room, covered in blood—Kayden’s blood. I stared at the floor watching my tears splash off the tile. “Ms. DeLuca?” a man said pulling me

“Yes,” I said lifting my head to see who called my name.

“Mr. Michaels is in recovery. He was touch and go for a while. The bullet nicked some organs, but we were able to repair the damage and stop the bleeding. He’ll be in the hospital for a couple of days, but should make a full recovery,” the man said as he patted me on the shoulder. Warmth spread across my body as my tears flowed heavier.

“Thank you doctor, when can I see him?” I said with a shaky voice.

“Give him a while to wake up, and a nurse will come and get you,” he replied.

I had no other words, only thoughts of Kayden.

I didn’t move. I cried—no—I sobbed. I didn’t know if they were tears of sadness or joy. Kayden survived Lisa’s attack, he didn’t leave me.

I entered his room slowly. He looked weak—he fought for his life. The machines beeped in a steady rhythm as I walked towards his bed. Butterflies filled by stomach as I stood over him looking at his beautiful face. I kissed his forehead, trying to smell him, but his scent was missing, replaced with the antiseptic smell of a hospital. I sat down in the chair besides his bed and held his hand. Resting my cheek against his hand, I closed my eyes exhaustion overtaking me. I longed to feel his touch.

I opened my eyes to a yellow room, beeping machines filling my ears. I could feel Sophia’s face against my hand and I turned my head to look at her. Her face was peaceful after all that she had been through. Everything was because of me. I could have lost her to Lisa and my life would have been over, forever.

“Sophia…” I whispered, moving my fingers to rub against her cheek. Drool ran down the side of her face. That was my Sophia. I didn’t want to startle her. She sat up quickly as if in shock.

“Kayden, I love you,” she said. She kissed my forehead, my cheeks, ending on my lips. “Shhh. Don’t speak, just rest.” Tears ran down her cheeks.

“I love you, too, lay with me please,” I said. I needed to feel her in my arms. I wanted her to curl up against my side, her spot. I hadn’t slept a night without Sophia in over six months.

“I don’t know, Kayden, I don’t want to hurt you, baby,” she said grimacing.

“Get up here, I need you.” I patted the bed next to me, not taking no for an answer.

She climbed on the bed carefully and kicked off her flip flops, falling to the floor with a thud. I let her try and tangle her body around me, but she seemed so uncertain.

“Baby, don’t worry about hurting me, just lay with me.” She finally stopped and rested her head against my chest. I wrapped my arm around her and kissed her head, inhaling her scent. She fell asleep within minutes. I laid there listening to her breathing, the soft snore escaping her lips. I stroked her arm relishing in the feel of her smooth skin.

Footsteps approaching the bed woke me. Two police officers entered my room and for the first time in years, I wasn’t scared by their presence.