Page 63 of Shattered Echoes

I should protect her from this. I need to get away from her.

I feel the panic rising within me, a primal instinct urging me to flee from the overwhelming onslaught of pain and despair. I know I should stay and face the storm, but I can't. I can't bear the weight of it any longer.

With a sudden surge of adrenaline, I leap to my feet, the urge to escape overwhelming my senses. I don't stop to think, to rationalize or analyze—I just act. My hands tremble with every step as I stumble towards the door. I'm consumed by a single-minded determination to find some respite from the relentless onslaught of pain.

As I step out into the sunny afternoon, I feel a strange sense of liberation — a fleeting moment of relief amidst the chaos that surrounds me. But it's short-lived. The streets are empty and silent; the wind rolling a few leaves across the lawn. I feel like I'm walking through a nightmare, each step a struggle against the weight of the world bearing down on me with its relentless force.

I don't know where I'm going or what I hope to find—I just know that I can't stay here.

I need to be alone right now to process all the voices that torment me. I just know that I have to get away from Colette before I infect her. The thought consumes me, driving me forward with an urgency that borders on madness.

I know it's wrong to leave her with no explanation, but I can't stop myself. With each passing moment, I continue to see the hateful comments in my mind’s eye until it's all I can think about.

Even as I make my way away from the house, I can’t stop thinking of Colette. I can still go back and return to her arms. Despite the positive thoughts, my legs continue to take me further and further away from the woman who has become my home.

21

Colette

Istep out of the shower with a white towel around my waist as my head is occupied with thoughts of Antonio and how life has been taking a beautiful turn in my favor. In both our favors.

The fight with Henry had been a tremendous concern to me, even though I had seen it coming the moment he called to say he was returning. However, it is quite relieving and refreshing to have them both on the same page once again.

I halt before my mirror, my gaze fixed on the woman looking back at me. I'm loving the reflection of myself as I notice just how far I've come in my healing process since Antonio and I started shagging. The vibrancy in my eyes seems a little dim, faint. But it's better than before. The woman in the mirror isn't a shadow of herself anymore. She's healing. And like a flower under direct sunlight, my petals bloom, revealing its beauty.

This is all because of Antonio and, just as his name crosses my mind, I blush, smiling from ear to ear. I look out the window, throwing my sight toward the Amato mansion.

Loosening the folds of my towel, it falls to the floor, welling around my feet as I take some time to appreciate the shape my body is taking. Sex with Antonio has been superb therapy for me, A few minutes later, I finish and decide to go check on Antonio, already used to having him around me. I find his company quite refreshing, and I'm longing for us to spend some time again today, especially now that things were good between him and my brother.

Mrs. Paddington's dog is barking as I leave my place and head over to Antonio’s. I’d let myself out and hadn’t bothered to lock the door since I planned to be back, so I push the door open and step in.

The first thing I notice is the quiet. “Antonio? Are you done with the call?” I call out as I go up the stairs.

No response. I get up there to find the room empty. He’s not in the bathroom either. I notice my phone on the floor and go to pick it up. It’s dead.

I click my tongue and slip it into my back pocket, resolving to plug it in later.

Where did Antonio go, though?

I think to myself that he might have gone to the store or something because I don't see his truck. I decide to wait at least an hour. Maybe he'll be back by then. He'd given me a spare key to his place so I can lock up if I have to leave. I'll wait first. He just got caught up where he was. He'll be back.

Mrs. Paddington’s dog was pissing me off with its barks. I keep my temper in check and return to my place, locking the door behind me.

I sit in my living room, my mind filled with the good times we have shared in this short period, appreciating the irony of how we both used to hate each other's guts. It looks like something from a movie or a romance novel, but it is my reality.

Time seems to crawl, and a minute feels like an entire hour. My only consolation is the images playing in my head. I turn on the TV but don't watch it, I'm more interested in what's on my mind… Antonio.

The test of my patience is daunting, but an hour goes by, and I head back out.

On my way to his place, I think I see his truck approaching, and I smile.

Finally!

But that smile soon vanishes as the truck moves past his house. As the driver looks in my direction while passing by my place, my shoulders drop at the realization that it isn't him. It's just a truck that looks like his.

I go back inside'm having a weird feeling about this, and I don't like how troubled my heart is at the moment. He didn't go to the store; he'd have been back by now. I can't shake the feeling that something is wrong. I can't prove it, but I can sense it, that dreadful emotion gnawing at me.

Maybe I should call him… Oh right, my phone died. I plug my phone in as I sit on the bed and lay there for a moment. My mind floods with countless thoughts overlapping themselves all at once.

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