To Live For Once (Set Me Free II) - Episode 25

 

Amaya:
"I knew it. He ruined my lipstick." I lament as I study my face on my phone screen. My lipstick is smudged and looks awful. Thank God I brought the lipstick in my bag or I'll be surprising Rory with hideous make up alright. I quickly fish out the lipstick but in my rush to apply it, it slips out of my hand and on it's was down, draws a long red line on my white dress!
"Noo!!!" No no no no!!! This is terrible. I look ahead to find Watson on the phone with Rory . I can't see him like this. It's embarrassing. I just need water to dab the stain out.
"Okay, don't freak out Maya. We can still save our surprise." I look around for any sign of water. There! It's a cabin and there's a light on inside. Do I need to inform Watson? He looks busy with the call. nope, I'll be back before the call ends. I stop wasting time and hurry towards the building.
 I knock on the door and it pushes open instead.
"Hello?!" I call into the house. No sound comes from inside. I look down at the stain and I make my decision. Okay, I'll just go inside. If I meet anyone I explain myself.
"Hello?" I call again as I make my way into the small cabin. There's no one and I can't find water

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/to-live-for-once-set-me-free-ii

. The fridge!
 I cross to the other side of the room and grab the handle of the fridge after a quick apology to whoever the owner of the house is.
"No water!" I slam the fridge close harder than intended and nearly jump out of my skin at the smooth voice behind me. It's Rory! I can't turn around. I'm a mess.
"You should not take your anger out on the poor fridge." Pleasure shoots up my heart at the sound of his voice so close. The last time he talked to me, he was drunk and mad at me and that was almost four months ago. The rest of our encounter since then has been on a no talking level. I nearly weep in satisfaction.
"Would you turn around or just stand there with your back to me?" He asks. I fiddle with my dress, smearing the stain more. Jeez. with my peripheral vision I see that he's wet. It's not raining so he must have come from the shower. That's where I'll find water. If only I can get past him.
"Okay, I get it. I'm a jerk. I know I've hurt you but--" he stops mid sentence. No! Why is he stopping?.
"Can you just turn around? I don't appreciate talking to your back. And what's with the mask?" I freeze up when his hand touch my shoulder and he tries to turn me around. No no no. I panic about ruining the surprise and run right  past him into the first open door I see inside the house. Hopefully it's the bathroom. I slam the lock shut and continue my search for the bathroom.
"Just hold on Rory. This has to be perfect so I need to look perfect for it." I say out loud. Stupid, maybe but he can't see me a mess. Not today. I find two doors and I take the first one. It leads out of the cabin. Nope. I close it right back and take the second. It's the bathroom! I quickly let myself in and after locking it, I get to work making myself presentable.
  After few minutes of scrubbing and drying with the hair drier, I finally like what I see in the mirror.
"Now, let's go get our man." I say to my reflection in the mirror. I let myself out and take the way back to where I left Rory.
"You took off your mask." I hear Rory's voice from the other side of the door. Who's he talking to? I take the door handle.
"Mask?" I freeze at the feminine voice. Who's that and why does he think she's me? I press my ear to the door.
"Never mind. Look I know I hurt you---" He hurt her not me? I press my ear harder into the door. I'm losing their voice.
"She's my wife no matter what I think of her!" Rory says and my heart practically drops. I don't care that I'm eavesdropping anymore. I need to hear this. I push the door open a little without making a sound.
"You said you don't even love her!" The woman's voice reach my ears loud and clear.
"I--I--I don't." Rory's answer though low reaches my ears. I almost lose hold of the door at the slices of pain his words unleash on my hopeful heart.
"Then what are you still doing with her huh? Divorce her and be free!"
"I can't okay?! I can't!"
"Why the heck not?!"
" I made a contract with her f*cking father OK?! There! I said it! I did it for the woman I loved! Now I'm stuck with her till she bares a son." These words crash into me hard and I lose hold of the door. The door pushes open and I nearly fall face down.
"Amaya!" Rory is catching me in seconds.
"Amaya." he whispers in worry. I try to get my eyes to focus on him. They can't. I shake my head and pull it up to focus on the woman.
"Me--Melissa?" I croak out of my patched throat.
"Amaya listen---" I push Rory's hands off my waist.
"No. I'm hallucinating." I whisper as I walk on to the woman who looks smug.
"You planned this? Was that why you helped me at the mall?!" I ask with a voice too calm, I fear I'm losing it right now.
"Amaya, calm down." Rory's hand touch my shoulder and I'm whipped out of whatever fog of shock and hurt I was feeling. Now, I'm just f*cking mad! Yes, I said fucking!
"Don't you f*cking touch me!" I yell as my hand lash out to strike his face. Wow, that hurts. I ball my hands into fist and beat them against his chest.
"You monster! You used me! You and my father are both monsters!" I scream as I lash out. I don't seem to be inflicting as much pain as I feel right now so I scratch his neck with my artificial nails.
"Stop! For Christ's sake stop!" Rory grabs my hand and pull it against my back.

Read " Make You Mine(Redemption 2) " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. I struggle to get free. He's too strong.
"I'm many things woman, but a man like your father, I'm not!" He spits.
"Let go of me! Hypocrite!"
"Oh wow. Hypocrite? That's ironic seeing as you and your father are the worst set of hypocrites ever! You disgust me!" He spits. With the whole of the power in my body, I shove the bastard and slap him one last time.
"I am nothing like my father. This marriage, If I knew what It was about, I'll not dream of matching to the altar with you. If you don't know that then you don't know me at all." I spit and match out with my head held high but my insides burning with pain. This is too much. I need out of here and now. As soon as I'm out of that cursed cabin I run as fast as my legs can take me and blur out the noises around me.
"Maya! Where do you think you're going?!" I don't stop running even at Watson's voice. I can hear his footfalls behind me and I pick up pace. I reach the hot spring before I see it and before I can steady myself, I'm slipping off a rock and falling into the water.