Make Me
Fragile Lives
It took Maria a few days to set up the plan, meaning it was Wednesday and the tour ended on Friday. There wasn’t really any time to fix the damage that had been done to their relationship, but when Justice was pushed into the closet with Harry, she didn’t fight it. They had fifteen minutes; no more, no less.
As Justice glanced over at the boy, she was surprised by how uncomfortable he looked. His shoulders were stiff and his jaw was set, his eyes couldn’t even find a place to rest as they avoided her. It was far from what she expected. She had been hoping for a kiss and a moment of peace and joy, but instead it was tense and awkward.
“I can’t be here,” he mumbled more to himself than to her as he watched the shelves of the room.
“We need to talk,” Justice said, her arms crossing over her chest as she tried to ignore his words.
“What’s there to talk about? It’s over isn’t it,” Harry stated leaning against a shelf as he looked at his feet.
“Only if you want it to be,” she said, reaching out to touch his arm, but he pulled away.
“I don’t want it to be, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t,” he told her, finally looking up into her eyes. “I’m going back to London in a week, the tour is over on Friday and you’re going to go off on some other tour I’m sure. I think that just says this was a mistake.”
Her jaw dropped. He wasn’t just talking about the marriage; he was talking about the whole relationship. Suddenly it felt as though the earth had just barrel down on her, she was being crushed, her heart strangled.
“So you regret everything?” She asked, a slight whimper breaking into her voice.
“I might as well.”
“You can’t mean that.”
“Look, I can’t see this working; one of us is just going to get hurt. Might as well make it now, rather than later,” he whispered, his eyes falling to his shoes.
“So it’s really over than?”
“It’s for the best,” he mumbled not looking at her, instead he was focused on the scuff marks on his sneakers. Then the small space fell quiet. Justice had nothing left to say, he sounded set on the end and she knew there was no point in arguing.
“Do you want the ring back?” she asked her arms crossing again as she tried to keep from bursting into tears. She hadn’t been so devastated since her mom died. Even when her relationship with Andrew ended she had been okay, she knew that she could still call him and talk to him, but this was different. This was final, there would be no phone calls or communication of any kind after this. She just knew it was the last time she’d speak to him if it ended here.
“No.”
That one word filled the air with a crushing weight and suddenly Justice couldn’t take the cramped space anymore. She left him in the closet and found an empty room down the hall where she finally let the tears escape. It was the first time she’d really cried since her mom’s funeral. Even when she had talked to Louis she had held back, but as she sobbed in the lonely room she let go. She let herself feel the pain and cringe worthy clenching of her heart, it would be the only time she would allow herself to.
It felt like an eternity had passed before Friday finally arrived. Everything was packed up and ready to go all she was waiting for was Paul to give her a final piece of paper work. As she stood outside her car, she was surprised to find a man in a black suit walking over to her. In his hand was an envelope and as he got closer she found she didn’t want to know what was in it.
“Justice Linds?” The man asked, his voice a monotone that seemed fitting.
“Yes.”
“You’re being served.” Handing her the envelope he finished his job and walked away, leaving her to open the contents.
Two documents were folded neatly in the medium sized envelope. The first was a set of divorce documents, she’d have to go to a notary and sign them. The second was a gag order expressly forbidding her from telling anyone of her relationship with Harry and any intimate event of the tour. It also gaged the judge, lawyers and press. As far as anyone would know, Harry had run into a little legal trouble, but what it was would remain hidden. She was just a dirty little secret.
As Justice glanced over at the boy, she was surprised by how uncomfortable he looked. His shoulders were stiff and his jaw was set, his eyes couldn’t even find a place to rest as they avoided her. It was far from what she expected. She had been hoping for a kiss and a moment of peace and joy, but instead it was tense and awkward.
“I can’t be here,” he mumbled more to himself than to her as he watched the shelves of the room.
“We need to talk,” Justice said, her arms crossing over her chest as she tried to ignore his words.
“What’s there to talk about? It’s over isn’t it,” Harry stated leaning against a shelf as he looked at his feet.
“Only if you want it to be,” she said, reaching out to touch his arm, but he pulled away.
“I don’t want it to be, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t,” he told her, finally looking up into her eyes. “I’m going back to London in a week, the tour is over on Friday and you’re going to go off on some other tour I’m sure. I think that just says this was a mistake.”
Her jaw dropped. He wasn’t just talking about the marriage; he was talking about the whole relationship. Suddenly it felt as though the earth had just barrel down on her, she was being crushed, her heart strangled.
“So you regret everything?” She asked, a slight whimper breaking into her voice.
“I might as well.”
“You can’t mean that.”
“Look, I can’t see this working; one of us is just going to get hurt. Might as well make it now, rather than later,” he whispered, his eyes falling to his shoes.
“So it’s really over than?”
“It’s for the best,” he mumbled not looking at her, instead he was focused on the scuff marks on his sneakers. Then the small space fell quiet. Justice had nothing left to say, he sounded set on the end and she knew there was no point in arguing.
“Do you want the ring back?” she asked her arms crossing again as she tried to keep from bursting into tears. She hadn’t been so devastated since her mom died. Even when her relationship with Andrew ended she had been okay, she knew that she could still call him and talk to him, but this was different. This was final, there would be no phone calls or communication of any kind after this. She just knew it was the last time she’d speak to him if it ended here.
“No.”
That one word filled the air with a crushing weight and suddenly Justice couldn’t take the cramped space anymore. She left him in the closet and found an empty room down the hall where she finally let the tears escape. It was the first time she’d really cried since her mom’s funeral. Even when she had talked to Louis she had held back, but as she sobbed in the lonely room she let go. She let herself feel the pain and cringe worthy clenching of her heart, it would be the only time she would allow herself to.
It felt like an eternity had passed before Friday finally arrived. Everything was packed up and ready to go all she was waiting for was Paul to give her a final piece of paper work. As she stood outside her car, she was surprised to find a man in a black suit walking over to her. In his hand was an envelope and as he got closer she found she didn’t want to know what was in it.
“Justice Linds?” The man asked, his voice a monotone that seemed fitting.
“Yes.”
“You’re being served.” Handing her the envelope he finished his job and walked away, leaving her to open the contents.
Two documents were folded neatly in the medium sized envelope. The first was a set of divorce documents, she’d have to go to a notary and sign them. The second was a gag order expressly forbidding her from telling anyone of her relationship with Harry and any intimate event of the tour. It also gaged the judge, lawyers and press. As far as anyone would know, Harry had run into a little legal trouble, but what it was would remain hidden. She was just a dirty little secret.
1/9/13