• Chapter 3

    The sun blinds me at first as I wake up. Jade's arms are still around me but he is awake.
    "Good morning, love," he whispers.
    The tears have dried on my face and my skin feels crusty. I push Jade away and sit up. "I'm going to wash my face," I mutter as I stand and head for the bathroom.
    In the mirror I see that my eyes are still red and puffy. My hair is smooth, and my nightgown had been tossed around. I wet a towel with warm water and wipe my face.
    The strumming of a guitar plays in the bedroom. The fast, beautiful notes are all my... my husband. The man I chose to marry. Not Gerard. Straightening my gown I walk back into the room to see Jade's face smiling at me, and I want to die. He smiles at me so sincerely. He doesn't know of all the things I've done, he doesn't know all th bullets I've used, and he doesn't know of all the bodies I've hidden.
    "Hello beautiful," he says. The smile even reaches his voice.
    Hello Liar, I correct him in my head. Hello Cheater, Hello Murderer, Hello Sinner.
    "Hello." My voice cracks. I cough and take a seat beside him. My stomach rolls over with an unpleasant groowl.
    "You're hungry," Jade tells me, still smiling. "I'll make something up for you."
    He stands up and I grab his arm. "No," I say. "Don't. I'll make something myself."
    "No, you deserve it." He walks out the door. I sigh.
    No I don't. I don't deserve to even live. Starve me. Let me die. "Okay," I whisper with him too far out the door to hear me.
    The sizzling of bacon on a stove fills the house, and my head about burtrs open. I grab a pillow from the bed and press my face deep into it.
    "ERRMPHH!" My scream is muted by the pillow. I feel much better but it's not good enough. I decide to forget about that and I walk into the kitchen; I might as well help prepare my own food.
    In the kitchen I swing open the refridgerator door and pull out Guava and Mango juice. As I set it out on the table with a glass, Jade snatches it out of my hand.
    "I would feel horrible if you go through the trouble of making your own breakfast after such a long night. Let me." He fills the glass with the pale liquid and slides it to my open hand. I stare at the juice.
    "Why must you go through the trouble of pampering me?"
    Jade's face is blank. He sets down the carton and sits at my side. I stiffen at his words:
    "It's because I love you, honey. Why can't I make your food once in a while? Especially on your birthday!." He laughs. "I might as well chain you to a wooden bed and force you the food."
    I don't smile. "It just seems as if you think I can't hande myself."
    "What!? Of course I don't. I just love you and-"
    "QUIT SAYING THOSE WORDS!" I throw the glass at the wall and storm into the bedroom.
    I grab my coat and throw all the shoeboxes around the room until I finally reach it: the last box. I throw the cover at a lamp and it falls onto the bed. Just as I fit the gun into a deep pocket Jade walks in.
    "Babe, what's wrong?"
    "Don't talk to me." I try to stay calm now. Jade sighs and kneels beside me.
    "We can talk about it."
    "No." I shove him off as I stand up. Im throwing my clothing into a bag now, the dress from Gerard first. I rush to a drawer.
    Jade follows me. "Marissa, baby, don't..." He hardly tries to fight as I'm throwing lengurie into the bag.
    "I'm leaving. You can't stop that," I say as I leave to the front door. I throw in a couple pairs of heels. I grab my purse
    holding my phone and some hundred dollars. I open and slam the door: Jade in and me out.