I was face to face with death once more; trapped with nowhere to run or hide, no chance to say goodbye, no opportunity to fight for my life. I squared my chin, willing myself to be brave. If I was going to die, I wasn't going to die crying or begging, I was going to die with my head held high.
"Where's the cat?" Ray asked with concern after a brief moment of silence and I looked over at him distastefully. There was a gun pointed at my face and he wanted to know where the frikin' cat was. I huffed in disbelief, screaming as the cat ran through the door and through my feet. If Ray didn't bruise me enough, the cat sure did by scaring me right off my high horse.
In the spur of the ciaos, the wide eyed man fired the gun. A loud thud bounced from the walls paired with my thunderous squeal as a gun dart lodged itself to my forehead. Agonizing pain popped my ears and I punched the wall with force as my anger exploded.
"Luke?" Aleecia scolded stepping on his toe and releasing his grip, slapping him on the arm.
He grunted "She frightened me" he explained and I went full bolt gorilla on him. Just inches from his face and Ray grabbed me by the waist and pulled me back.
Who the hell was this guy!?
He gazed at me with a hint of nervousness, pulling a suitcase inside.
"What are you doing here Luke?" Ray questioned, irritation lacing his words and I looked between them, trying to calm myself.
Ray took the dart from my forehead, running comforting circles around the area and the idiot threw the gun away and closed the door after Aleecia entered. He straightening himself, revealing a rather tall figure.
"I received a yellow envelope this morning" He spoke with a sense of urgency and graveness and the room became so silent I could touch it with my hands. Ray's finger movements stopped immediately and his grip around my waist began to tighten making my breaths uneven.
'What did that mean?'
I hated how I was never aware of anything
"I think you're under review" Luke mumbled. A tense shadow circled the room around us, sending goosebumps up my spine as I struggled to make meaningful connections.
"O God. No" Aleecia muttered, only increasing my anxiety.
"What does that mean?" I probed confusedly and the doorbell rang. Aleecia squirmed, looking frightened out her life and Ray's grasp became even more constricting. I tapped his fingers, signaling that he was starting to hurt me and he let me loose immediately. No one moved and I felt compelled to stay glued to the spot as well.
The doorbell rang again and Ray exhaled before walking to it. I held my breath. Something was completely wrong. He let a nervous breath go before proceeding to open it. Ray was not a man who displayed emotions, which made his current state even more unsettling.
"Rowan Wellers?" A middle aged lady, attired in all black asked. She wore a cap so we couldn't see her face. I curled my eyes in confusion. She was obviously not from around here. I doubt there was anyone on the island named Rowan.
Ray nodded and the lady handed him a red envelope. I tried hiding my astonishment. Rowan?
The woman left and he closed the door turning around to face us. He avoided my eyes, taking a deep calming breath.
I watched as all the blood drained from Aleecia's face "They wouldn't" she said unconvincingly.
"It's probably just a letter" Luke reassured and I looked between them. What else could it be? It was a silly red envelope after all. Not only was this brute new but he had also carried trouble with him. Something told me, we weren't going to get along.
"Get out" Ray whispered and Aleecia held back a sob.
"No" She forced
"What's going on?" I decided to make my presence known once more and everyone but Ray or Rowan, whatever his name was, looked at me.
"Give us a minute" he spoke in a hushed tone, focusing all his attention on his envelope.
After a moment of hesitation, Aleecia stormed out of the room with tears in her eyes. I felt my stomach knot as the possibilities tore open the corners of my mind.
"We still have a lot of shit to talk about" Luke huffed disappointedly
"We have nothing to talk about"
"Come on Tad. You can't let…"
Tad?
"Get out Luke"
"Have it your way" He frowned, pushing past me.
If I became anymore confused or oblivious, I'd become a mad woman. The room became silent once more and I stood patiently waiting for an explanation.
"I don't have much time" he mumbled, placing the envelope on a nearby table and I inhaled sharply.
"What do you mean?"
He looked up at me with a level of sadness I never imagined I would see on his face.
An uncontainable nervousness scrubbed the skin from my bones as I strode up to him.
"Ray… Rowan" I urged in frustration, not really knowing what to call him. He ran a hand down my arm, talking my fingers into his palm.
"I was going to treat you to dinner" he spoke leisurely and I curled my eyes in utter confusion "I'd cook different kinds of pasta from all over the world and when you were so full that you couldn't eat anymore" he cleared his throat, caressing my hand with his fingers. "I was going to give you one more dish." He ran a hand over my cheek and I eyed him sadly, trying to understand and figure why there was such a drastic sift in emotions.
He smiled gloomily. "I was going to ask you to marry me" he whispered, sliding a ring unto my finger. My heart stopped and I gasped, covering my mouth to prevent a happy but confused sob.
"Mia. I love you so much" he whispered, wrapping me in his arm and laying a breathless perk on my forehead, holding me so tightly, I struggled to catch my breath.
"What is going on?" I stressed, feeling completely overwhelmed. What was changing? What was I missing?
He released me from his hold to look at me. "You have to listen to whatever Luke says, no matter what. He'll be a little dicky at first but he knows how to use a gun. Promise me you'll listen" He managed speedily
"Ray?" Was he going somewhere?
"Promise me Mia" he pressed urgently and I couldn't hold back the tears rolling down my cheeks. Something about this felt like goodbye.
I nodded and he bit his lip, trying to hide his emotions but he wasn't doing a very good job. I had never in all the time we've spent together seen him like this- so vulnerable and dejected.
He pulled me into another hug "You are stronger than you think. Never forget that" he whispered into my ear and I forced back the excess tears threatening to fall.
"Luke!" he called and I held onto him like my life depended on it. Luke appeared holding unto a crying Aleecia; she was holding unto the cat.
"Get them out of here" he ordered and Luke nodded.
"Aleecia will explain everything okay?" he released me once more, kissing me briefly before letting me go completely. He stepped back and took up the envelope as Luke escorted us towards the door. Every part of me wanted to stay, wanted answers but I allowed Luke to pull me away because that was what Ray wanted.
"Cornella."
I turned to look at him and he smiled, though his face emitted nothing close to that of a happy person
"I'll walk through fire for you" he whispered and in that moment I knew, if I left I would never see him again. I attempted to run towards him but Aleecia let the cat loose and grabbed a hold of me. I screamed in terror as Luke strapped my hands to my back and pulled me out and away from the house.
Ray watched until we were a distance away before closing the door and in less than a minute there was a huge explosion. Thick, black smoke filled the air and debris flew everywhere, falling onto layers of rubbles, into surviving trees and unto the dusty path. Fire, clung to the weakened frames and whatever material it could, daring them to keep standing.
I cried, terror gripping my throat. Luke released me from his hold, running a hand through his hair and I fell to the ground in complete horror. This wasn't real. It couldn't be.
"Wake up" I scolded myself digging my fingers into the ground, wishing that this was only a bad dream. Just a minute ago we were in bed, making love. How could this be real!?
I twirled the ring on my finger, it was lined with beautiful small blue emeralds and crystal clear diamonds. I sobbed contemptuously, taking the ring from my finger. I let a brief laugh fall from my lips. Ray was the most unromantic person ever. Who gives a girl a ring knowing that they were going to die? Die. He couldn't be dead. He just couldn't. Our lives were only beginning.
"We have to go" Aleecia urged wiping silent tears from her eyes and I looked up at her with a hint of unbelief and disapproval.
"It's not safe anymore" she explained
"You're right, as far as everyone knows, you are dead. It needs to stay that way" Luke nodded, attempting to pick me up. I scoffed, brushing his hands off me. I couldn't even begin to explain how I felt. I was being crushed under ten thousand bricks and thrown into hot boiling oil all at once. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't focus. I couldn't live like this.
"I have to go back. I have to look" I wiped my eyes, struggling to my trembling feet.
"I'm sorry Mia but this is bigger than both of us now." Luke spoke, pressing his fingers into the back of my neck.
"W-Wha…?" My body became numb and suddenly I couldn't move or speak. I felt as if I was under a truck load of sand. Eventually, I was too weak to do anything. He caught me before I fell and heist me over his shoulder, walking away from all I had left of Ray. I watched as the debris from the fire got smaller and smaller and I reached out a shaking hand, wishing Ray would appear and reach back.
But he didn't
He was gone