DEVASTATE
Marley Valentine
Contents
Prologue
1. Evie
2. Evie
3. Evie
4. Lior
5. Evie
6. Evie
7. Lior
8. Lior
9. Evie
10. Evie
11. Lior
12. Evie
13. Evie
14. Lior
15. Evie
16. Evie
17. Lior
18. Evie
19. Evie
20. Lior
21. Evie
22. Lior
23. Evie
24. Lior
Epilogue
About the Author
Deviate
Remy Blake
1. Brock
2. Ivy
Acknowledgments
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This novel is a work of fiction. While reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to people either living or deceased, business establishments, events or locales is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Any trademarks, service marks, product names or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are only used for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used.
Edited by Ellie at Love N. Books
Proofreading by Hawkeyes Proofing
Cover design by PopKitty Designs
Dedication
“…and she loved a
little boy very very much,
even more than she loved herself. “
- Shel Silverstein
Prologue
Evie,
Months and months have passed, and I have tried to crawl my way out of the depths of hell. I’ve tried to return to the land of the living, and be the man you need me to be; the pillar of strength you deserve. But, broken hearted and beaten down, I’m a pathetic excuse of a man. There is no glass half full, or the possibility of sunshine after the rain. There’s only darkness. Strangling me from the inside out; there will only ever be darkness.
With your tiny breaths filling the room, I watch your body rise and fall while you sleep. I allow myself to notice how much you’ve changed and let the blame seep into my pores. My eyes rake over your body. Small and petite, you curl yourself around a pillow; the pillow that has become the stand-in body, to hold, hug and provide comfort. The dark circles under your eyes, the way your collarbones protrude, I’ve pushed you to look the exact same way that I feel. Lifeless.
I’ve sunk into the depths of hell, plagued by an eternity of nothingness, I am painfully aware that if we continue this way, I will drag you down. The emptiness that consumes me will consume us, and the love we shared will be a distant memory. With time, it will fade, and you and I will be hollow, dull versions of the people we once were. Passing like two ships, we won’t touch, we won’t talk and we will forget how to live. This hole in my heart is big, slicing me in two. Each rip more painful than the last. The pain is crippling and my God, is it constant. Like dead weight, I carry it around with me every fucking day and I can’t do it anymore. I thought I could survive the destruction, that together we would heal, but here and now, it’s just like a knife digging deeper into my wounds every damn day and I don’t know if I can handle it any longer.
Watching you last night for the millionth time, I realized this was the end. The end of us, and the end of me. I can no longer stand to see you sneak off into our daughter’s room when you think I’m asleep. I know you hide your pain from me, and it does nothing but make it worse that I can’t make it better for you. There’s nothing left of me, and my heart doesn’t know how to deal with watching your body shake as you try to stifle the sobs. With her clothes and toys scattered all over her handmade quilt, I watch you; my wife, break down, and I watch your heart shatter into a million more pieces than the night before. And the piece of shit that I am can’t do anything. Won’t do anything? I’m not even sure of which one it is.
What I do know is that my beautiful, courageous and loving Evie is falling apart, and I can’t save you. I can’t hold you, I can’t wipe your tears and I can’t tell you it’s going to be better. Empty. Void. Exhausted. I’m a shell of the man I used to be, I’m no longer me. I’m no longer a father, and I’m no longer a husband. I am a failure. And for that, I am so, so sorry.
You are more than my first love. You are more than my last love…
You are my GREAT love.
Evie, My Love. My Heart. My Soul. My Everything.
Forgive Me. Remember Me.
Love Me.
James
* * *
His arms around my waist hold me back as I kick and scream. Clawing at his skin, I try to loosen his grip. Words pour out of my mouth, but nothing’s making sense. My nails puncture his skin. His soft whispers contradict my wailing. Nothing is registering. I know I’m hurting him, but I’m so far removed I can’t stop. My hiccupped sobbing has turned into howling; add the way his body is suffocating mine, and I can barely breathe. I haven’t eaten in days and when your will to live is taken, everything else comes second. The coffin finally passes our pew, and I feel the moment his mask slips and grief slaps him in the face. His grip loosens and the fight leaves his body. I don’t think twice. I run. I run away from him, away from them, and throw myself onto the hard, solid wood. The pallbearers stop and gently place the coffin on the floor. Awkwardly standing around, everyone stares as I lower my body and clumsily manage to curl my body around the coffin.
This can’t be happening. I’ve already lost her. I should be there with them. Like a mantra, I repeat it. I close my eyes and hope this is all a dream. Slipping into darkness, I pray to God to take me. Put me out of my misery.
This can’t be happening. I’ve already lost her. I’ll be with you soon.
“I think the hardest part of losing someone,
isn’t having to say goodbye, but
rather learning to live without them.
Always trying to fill the void,
the emptiness that’s left inside
your heart when they go”
- Unknown
1
Evie
Observing people has always been one of my favorite things to do. When I was younger I used to spend hours on end watching the way people interacted around me. I would make up stories of who they were and what was happening in their life. I’d wonder if they were happy or hurt, whether they lived nearby or were just visiting. The possibilities were endless and my fascination never wavered.
I graduated from New York University with a Ph.D. in Social Psychology and then went on and allowed myself to be immersed in the wonders and woes of the human world. Opening up my own practice, my work became the other half of my heart. I learned everybody had a story, and no piece of information was insignificant. It was always the little details that ended up becoming the most vital. Nothing fulfilled my interests and curiosities like trying to piece together the lives of people I came in contact with. But that was a lifetime ago. Now I’m all about feigning interest. My jar of fucks to give is empty.
Standing behind the counter at work, I’m impatiently waiting for the last hour of my shift to be over; desperate to wash the day off me and curl into bed. The career change to retail
wasn’t really a choice, but more of a necessity. I needed my family to loosen the noose around my neck, but I also needed a job that tired me physically, not mentally. Deep conversation. Feelings. Empathy. They’re a thing of my past.
The hours have passed by so slow. I covered for the manager and a normal five-hour shift turned into ten. Add in the beginning of winter and end of seasons sales, and I’m ready to call it a day. The cold has hit hard and fast, making people cranky and intolerable. Running to find cover from the rain or relief from the wind, the store has been busy all day, but for all the wrong reasons. As closing time creeps up, and the shop begins to empty out, I can’t help but notice the way a young woman sifts through all the folded sweaters set up in the middle of the store. She’s angrily looking for her size, as well as blatantly trying to ignore the man behind her. He’s on her heels. Every move she makes, he moves closer to her; trying to grab her attention. He's talking at her, hoping she'll show mercy and listen to whatever it is he has to say. Finally finding the sizes and colors she's been looking for, the young lady makes her way to the register and places the items on the counter. I pretend I haven’t noticed the tension between the two and put on my shop assistant mask. I would say it’s a fake smile, but it isn’t even the ghost of a smile. It’s a simple lift that my mouth does to ease the discomfort that my straight face often provides.
“Just these today?”
“Yes. Thank you,” she responds. Her head is buried in her half opened handbag; rummaging around all the unnecessary things women carry, looking for her wallet. I see the gentleman walking up behind her, pulling his wallet out of his back pocket. He stands behind her, closing her in with one arm and handing me his credit card with the other. I wait before taking it, wanting approval first instead of unknowingly adding to the tension.
“I got this babe,” he says to her.
She inhales loudly. “How many times have I asked you to not call me babe?” She lifts her head and stares directly at me. “The only reason I’m not arguing is because I don’t want to make this lady feel anymore uncomfortable.”
I break eye contact and start to ring up the items, the silence between them is palpable.
“That will be forty-six dollars, thank you.” I take the card from his suspended hand and process the transaction as fast as possible. I continue to remain unaffected because that's exactly what I am. I can see the pain in others, their happiness and whatever else they allow bystanders to see, but I've worked really hard not to feel. I’ve purposefully rid myself of empathy, it used to be something I was proud of, but now it’s like a loaded gun. One moment of feelings, a connection with someone else could lead to a meltdown of epic proportions. So, this is my deal with the devil; I’m the dead among the living.
The couple have made their way out the door and have decided the argument couldn’t wait till they were in the privacy of their own space. I walk behind them and flip the sign on the door to closed. My palms are pressed against the shop window, and my breath fogs up the cold glass. Winter is my favorite time of the year. I get to stay indoors for the most part, in bed and away from people. Under the pretense that it’s too cold to be outside, I usually sit in my apartment and let the past drag me into a black hole of painful memories. The holidays usually add to the torture, but if anything, I’m efficient when it comes to the art of suffering. I’m well aware I lead a sad existence, but it’s the only way I know how to be present. If the pain isn’t consistent, it means I might forget. And I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to do that.
Realizing I’ve been staring outside longer than I intended to, my focus shifts back to the couple. They’ve continued arguing. They’re still arguing in the middle of the sidewalk and people walk on by without casting a second glance in their direction. I guess all our lives are complicated enough that we become desensitized by others arguing in public.
Walking toward the back of the store, I start the closing down process, refolding all the clothes, restocking the missing sizes, cleaning the countertops and making sure the shop made target sales for the day. Just as I’m about to grab my bag and switch off all the lights, I hear a knock on the front door. Like clockwork, Elliot is waiting for me outside. I put my finger in the air, signaling I’ll be another minute. Letting my eyes roam one last time over the shop, I’m satisfied I’ve left everything perfect for whoever it is that opens up tomorrow. Walking toward the door, my coat wrapped tightly around me, I prepare myself for the sudden temperature change. Punching in the alarm code, I quickly make my way outside to Elliot. He stands patiently waiting, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. I can see the apprehension in his eyes; unsure of which version of me he will get today.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” I respond.
“How was your day?”
“Long.”
This is about as detailed as our conversations get, we usually continue the walk in silence until we step inside the house and the exchange turns into what we’re going to eat for dinner. Elliot is James’ brother. When I met James, his family wasn’t in the picture. He chose to have little or no contact with them, and I remember how hard we fought about whether or not they should’ve been invited to our wedding. But in all the years there was never a mention of a brother.
The first time we met was a few days after James died. He came knocking on my door announcing who he was and that he was here to meet James. I found myself unable to be the one to tell him he had passed away, but as soon as he found out, he insisted he would stay around to help. Before I knew it days became weeks and weeks become months, and I never had the energy to tell him to leave. Living with Elliot has become a well-choreographed dance of emotions. His one step forward, my two steps back. I tolerate and he endures. He has filled my days with routine, one-sided dialogue and a presence that is contradictingly comforting, yet somewhat invasive.
As time passed and the shock of James’ death wore off, he eventually explained the family connection and what took him so long to reach out. Their deadbeat dad had too many addictions to count, he was too busy chasing that ever illusive high. Seeking out drugs, sex, alcohol and gambling; their dad got two women pregnant and left them both to take care of the children on their own. James spoke about his life without a constant father figure, the effects on his mother and the struggle of their lives. Elliot’s childhood sounded unsurprisingly similar. He told me he’d hired a private investigator to find out information about his dad. While the search revealed their father was dead, the investigator came back with news on James and I. As he toyed with the decision to reach out, James and I were dealing with the biggest loss of our lives. When Elliot finally found the courage to reach out, he was met with the news his only sibling was dead. I don’t know how it affected him, but I know that his mask never slips. Elliot is the most selfless person I know, and my grief has always been his first priority.
As the short trek home comes to an end, I walk a little bit faster into the foyer, glad to finally be out of the cold. I push the up button, waiting for the elevator that will take us up to the apartment. No matter how many times we’ve stood here, side by side; this is always the most awkward part of our day. The walk occupies our minds and our bodies, because we’re usually concentrating on getting home in record time, but when we’re here next to one another; the silence between us is a reminder of the distance Elliot is trying desperately to close.
The ride up is quick and in no time, we’re standing outside the apartment door. Reaching for my keys, I let myself into the only place that feels safe. I walk away from Elliot and toward my room. “I’m just going to change into something more comfortable, then I’ll start on dinner,” I say over my shoulder, anxious to put some distance between us.
“No worries. I bought everything you asked for, it’s in the fridge for whenever you’re ready.”
Cooking is the only thing I do for Elliot. It sounds silly, but it’s the only way I know how to say thank you. It’s small and so insignificant, but it’s all I
have to offer. Every time he tries to engage with me in a conversation, every time he tries to make me smile I give him nothing, but if I can cook for him; maybe he can see I’m not trying to be unappreciative and purposefully dramatic. I just don’t know how else to be. I’d forgotten how to be me.
Taking the chicken and vegetables out of the fridge, I prepare a new recipe for turmeric chicken and rice that I've been wanting to make. It only takes about forty-five minutes to whip it all together and the smell in the apartment is sure to have anyone salivating for a taste.
“This smells really good, Evie,” he says while setting the table.
“I hope it tastes just as good.”
Bringing the dishes to the center of the table, I scoop the rice onto each of our plates. I hand him the serving spoon and wait for him to add chicken to his plate before I do my own. The next few minutes are us sitting in silence, indulging in our dinner.
He clears his throat. “Do you want to talk about tomorrow? Your mom has called me a few times.”
“No.”
“No, what?”
“You asked me if I wanted to talk about tomorrow and the answer is no,” I tell him.
“Okay, well if you don’t make plans you know she’s going to keep calling.”
“I’ll deal with it,” I deadpan. Eager to put an end to this conversation, I eat as fast as I can without making myself sick. Sitting with Elliot and hearing about him and my mom exchanging notes on how I am, and how I’ll deal with tomorrow is not how I want to spend my evening.
I give up on finishing the meal, with my mood now soured, I rise from my seat and take my plate to the sink. “I’ll clean up later.”
Devastate Page 1
