The pain was so intense it robbed him of breath.
Having tidied up the room, Andrew drew all the curtains and shut the windows, as if by doing so, Aubree's essence would linger a little longer.
He slumped onto the couch, the incessant ring of his phone piercing the silence. It was the Clements family calling, but he had no desire to answer.
A few empty beer bottles lay in the trash can, remnants of the past couple of days' attempts to drown his sorrows.
Sleep evaded Andrew, and he could not invite it. Every time he closed his eyes, that video played in his mind, accompanied by Aubree's pleading cries.
Tears welled up in his eyes.
He made his way to the master bedroom, to the bed where they had once been so entwined.
Now, lying there, he felt every cell in his body screaming emptiness. Clutching the comforter to his chest, hugging it close, the misery ebbed slightly.
His phone continued to ring, but he just stared blankly at the ceiling, ignoring its persistent call.
After half an hour, there was a knock at the living room door.
Hope flickered in Andrew's eyes. He even splashed his face with water in the bathroom, trying to slap some life into his listless features.
As he approached the door, his fingers curled nervously. He was also afraid. Afraid that it really was Aubree at the door, coming to collect her things and then leaving his life forever.
Andrew was torn between pain, fear, and the longing to see her.
Every attempt to see Aubree lately had ended in being ignored or ridiculed, but the desire to see her made the hurt bearable.
Trembling lashes gave away his emotion as he heard Marissa's voice from outside. "Andrew, what on earth have you been hiding out here for?"
It wasn't Aubree. Relief washed over Andrew, quickly replaced by a profound sense of loss.
Marissa, about to knock again, saw the door swing open to reveal Andrew, his eyes red-rimmed.
Unaware of what had transpired, she wrinkled her nose at the smell of alcohol wafting out.
"You've been missing from the company for two days, and the executives have been bombarding me with calls. The Clements family elders are concerned. What's gotten into you?"
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)
New chapters please. Story is really interesting and i love both the ML and FL....
The rest???...