It has been one week since the split up and Marie has not heard anything from Luke. Not a call, not a letter, nothing. That night she knocked on the door while sobbing as she saw Luke's Car drive away and waited for her parents to open the door.
She remember crying in their arms as they held her tightly thanking God that she was alive. She remember that even though she was happy to see them her heart had been shattered only seconds before.
Marie knew that she should be happy to be back but to be honest all she felt was empty. That night her parents questioned what had happened only to be told that by her that he had let her go but to please not ask any more questions. They saw the hickeys on her neck and thought the worst not knowing that real story but they chose to not question her more for the night.
The first two days back were quite hectic. Police question Marie for hours trying to get a clue of Shadow's whereabouts and past events but she said nothing. Both times not answering a single question and lying by saying she does not have memory of the past month. Police believed her thinking the memory loss was due to the trauma she had experience.
The media then began making up stories of her being beaten and sexually assaulted but one night managed to escape found almost dead on the road which she chose not to speak about. It was best that way.
The following day's reporters constantly questioned her on how she managed to escape but Marie only remained quiet. Not wanting their daughter to relieve the events of the past month Marie's parents made a statement saying their daughter had been found and they are asking everyone to please don't bother her with past events as she was not mentally ready at the moment.
Marie knew her parents would always bother her about what happened as they constantly asked her if the stories about her being beaten and sexually assaulted was true but Marie lied telling them that he had kept his word and after escaping from the cops he let her go but being afraid for her life she managed to escape town until she felt things could be back to normal.
Of course, Marie's parents knew that she had lied. They both saw the hickeys on her neck that night, they held her for the first three nights when she woke up screaming and crying. More had happened and they were certain of it, but Marie did not want them to know and they respected their daughter's wishes. At the end all that matter was that she was alive and well.
As for the nightmares well there were not what her parents thought. Marie was not reliving the past events in her dreams at least not all of them, just one. The one she had last. Every time she closed her eyes she could see him saying goodbye, he would leave her like she didn't matter to him.
Then her dream would skip to her walking alone in an alleyway and bumping into some men. Men that would beat her and rape her would come close to killing her only to know Shadow's identity. She waited for him to rescue her but he would never show. Some nights she would wake up screaming before being killed but others she would watch as the men carried her lifeless body and dumped her in a ditch. In the end the dreams always ended with Shadow leaving her forever.
After the first week of her crying and moping in her room Marie decided that she had to do something. She first went to her old school and managed to convince them into letting her come back without having to miss the year. The school agreed due to her situation but in return she had to manage to get caught up with all the work she missed.
If she managed to do it within a week then she would be able to graduate. Marie agreed picking up all the work from her teachers and making sure she could have it finished before Monday.
For the next two days Marie talked to her past job and convincing her to let her have her job back. Then she would walk around hoping to spot Shadow but every time she would step outside her door she could swear someone would be watching her. She wanted so bad to go to his home, she wanted find him and tell him that this couldn't end this way but two things stopped her.
First the feeling that she was being watched and second the fact that he chose to leave her, he did not love her enough to say and as bad as that hurt Marie knew that no matter what she did things would never be okay again.
Deciding to be strong Marie masked her pain with the I'm okay act she had been learning to master her whole life. She was so good at it she had everyone fooled including her parents. Everyone who looked at her would believe that there was nothing wrong with her and that she was so strong for moving on that quickly.
Many believe that she was never in danger from her act but no one ever questioned her. If only they knew, if only they saw how broken she really was. If only they knew that she was far worse than just being in a state of depression.
Every night Marie sat on her bed silently weeping as she held the dress she wore that day. She couldn't understand what had happened. Everything was going perfect between them. He loved her, he told her many times, he proved it over and over again, and she could have not mistaken it all. He made sure she fell for him, he promised her she would own his heart forever no matter what happened, the ring on her finger proved it so then what made everything change so fast? Why did he do this to her? Tonight Marie was more broken than ever as she held the dress tightly towards her chest and sobbed remembering their last moments together.
-Flashback-
Luke- "This means goodbye Marie"
Marie- "What? Why? I don't understand" Marie asked confused and scared.
Luke- "What is there not to understand? It's over for us" Shadow responds trying to sound harsh so that she would want to leave.
Marie- "No, you don't mean that! You love me I know you do. Why are you doing this!?" Marie raised her voice. As she yells tears begin to stream down her eyes.
Luke- "For you Marie! I'm doing this for you" Shadow begins to raise his voice at her but not because he was angry but because he needed her to listen.
Marie- "For me? You are returning me like I'm some unwanted gift you are taking back to the store and you really say you're doing this for me!?" Marie questions with anger. She could not believe that after all she had given to him he would just dump her like she meant nothing.
Luke- "You won't understand" he lowers his voice as his eyes begin to water.
Marie- "Then explain it to me, make me understand!"
Luke- "..."
Marie- "Tell me, explain it to me then! You know what, I understand perfectly. You used me, you played me like a toy, you made me fall for you by feeding me all this bullshit that you loved me and then you dump me like a piece of shit!" At this point Marie feels outraged
Luke- "That's not true I never played you, I loved you, I love you and always will." Shadow wanted to tell her the truth he wanted to tell her that if the situation was different he would never let her go. He wanted her to be happy and he would never be able to give her that.
Marie- "Bullshit! Stop, stop lying to me" Marie covered her face fully sobbing.
Luke- "Princess I swear I am not lying to you I love you, I always will and that's why I am doing this. Can't you see that?" Shadow sounded heartbroken. Marie could hear from his voice his words were truthful but he was leaving her, he was dumping her without even asking her and that pissed her off. Marie simply shakes her head at his words as she cries. Upon seeing this Shadow can't help but let his tears fall as well. He knew they would both be heartbroken but one day she will thank him for this.
Luke- "Princess look at me please." Shadow then reaches for her making her turn towards him. "I swear to you that I never lied about my feelings. I love you I really do can't you see that? Could you not feel that last night? Baby I know that it's hard to understand right now but I am doing this for you. Marie I could never make you happy.
I'm a criminal, the police are looking for me and others want me dead. Marie I know you miss them, I know that even though you tried really hard to be happy with me you are not. I have heard your cries at night. I saw the way you looked at the couple and it breaks my heart knowing I am the reason why. I want you to be happy. I want you to have your dream job and your dream wedding and live a life full of joy even if that means that it won't be with me. Even if that means I will lose you forever. Marie I got a call today, the gang needs me, and I don't know if I will make it out of this one alive.
I know you don't like that but this is who I am. Also the police are on to me it might be a matter of time before I am caught and unmasked and I can't have them thinking you are an accomplice I can't put you in danger Marie I have a lot of enemies they would come after you and I can't allow that. Princess I rather die than see you hurt. I truly do love you princess but I'm not enough. My love for you could destroy you, your hopes, your dreams, your family all of it could be destroyed because of me.
I was selfish before but I can't be anymore.
I know that you probably hate me right now and I understand but I needed to do this. If I'm being completely honest I had made up my mind before tonight. I took you on the trip for selfish reasons. I wanted to make memories with you, I wanted to have then to last a lifetime. I wanted them so that I am reminded of you every day. Like I said there is a war coming and I wanted to make sure that I got to do everything I wanted with the love of my life before my time came to an end. I did you know. I made memories to last me a lifetime. To help me remember you and love you and only you for the rest of my life. I almost changed my mind, I almost decided to never comeback, I wanted us to stay there forever but then I got the call.
I can't change my past Marie, I have done and said things that I will never be able to take back, I have so many enemies I lost count, enemies that would dream of taking the things I love from me. I still have time, they still don't know about you I had time to save you and I took it, leading us here tonight. Princess please know that I am not saying goodbye because I stopped loving you I am saying it because I do and I want you to be able to live and be happy."
Marie- "You are right. I won't understand. You want to know why? Because once again you are making the choice for me. It should be my decision whether to leave or stay. I should decide what's best for me. I am the only one who knows what makes me happy. If I choose to stay with you and face the danger or leave heartbroken it should be all my decision not yours. But here you are making the choice for me.
You say you love me but you are choosing to leave me, to break my heart and what, act as if we never met, and forget that I ever existed? But that's ok if that is what you truly want then I will respect your decision but just know if you let me leave this car, If you don't think this through and stop me the second that door closes I will never forgive you and that is the second I will choose to hate you forever. Do you understand that?"
Luke- "I'm sorry princess but this is for the best." Marie cleaned her eyes and took her bags understanding his response very well and got out of the car. Before closing the car door Marie turned to look at him hoping that he would stop her but let out another tear as she saw him put his head down. Anger raised and pissed out she said what she wish now she hadn't said then.
Marie-"I see you have made up your mind and so have I so I need you to promise, Promise that you will never come look for me again. You said you want me to be happy right? You hurt me and I will never forgive you. I hate you!" Shadow shook his head letting tears fall.
Luke "Princess I- please don't" Shadow was cut off by Marie.
Marie- "Say It! Promise it right now." Marie interrupted angrily and gritted her teeth as tears fell of both of their eyes.
Luke "I- I promise" his voice cracked as did his heart. He did not want to promise. If luck was on his side his plan was to fix his life and come back for her but he had officially lost the best thing in his life.
End of flashback
"He let me go, he didn't stop me. I wanted him to stop me. I thought he wouldn't have promised I thought he would just say no but he promised instead of fighting for me he simply chose to make the promise." Marie told herself as she once again cried just like the past nights since then. "I just want the pain to stop" she continued "I want it all to end" Marie then decided to walk into the bathroom and pick up a blade.