You Belong To Me || ✔️

-9-

I woke in my bed. This must have all been a horrible dream, I thought to myself. I sat up in bed, smiling, and ran down the stairs, not being able to wait to see Alicia sleeping in her new room, ready for the nightmare of my Alicia being dead gone.

I ran down the stairs, and stopped only when I say somebody laying on the couch.

"Alicia," i yelled out. "Alicia where are you ?"

The sleeping figure lying on the couch turned and rubbed his eyes sleepily. It was Ray!

I run to the guest bedroom, yelling Alicia's name the whole way there. I stop in the middle of the empty room, and feel my heart breaking again. I dropped to my knees and bawled into my lap. I felt a hand on my back and I jumped. It was Ray.

"She's gone, Delilah," he said. I turned around and cried into his chest, saying how it wasn't fair , and he let me cry and beat at his chest for a hour. He pulled me into a hug, and I squeezed him closer and closer to me.

I don't even know this guy, I told myself. But he's making me feel better. I cleaned up the mess that I was off of the floor, and stood up. I took a deep breath in, and then asked him what happened yesterday, because I don't remember coming home.

"Well, you passed out at the police station. I drove you back here and put you in your bed. Tara was crying for you a lot, and so I just stayed and calmed her down. I fed her some apple sauce that was in the cabinets and she feel asleep around 7:30," he ended, scratching the back of his head.

I passed out. And he took care of me and my baby. This stranger, that barely knows me, witnessed me in complete pain yesterday, cared for Tara and  slept on the couch. He woke up to me screaming for my dead best friend, and let me beat on him and cry to my heart's content.

"I slept on the couch, I'm sorry I didn't ask." He said. "I should get going, back to my hotel before the receptionist thinks I left all my things," he chuckled.

"Will you be back?" I asked.

"Do you want me back?" He asked.

I nodded my head, and he nodded his.

"Would it be too weird to ask you to stay here , for a few nights, until I know that I'm...stable?" I asked him .

"Sure thing. I'll stay as long as you want me." I smiled and hugged him.

"Thank you," I told him. I grabbed my keys that we're laying on the counter and took my house key off and handed it to him.

"No need to knock, just come in," I smile. He shook his head and left out the door.

I took in a deep breath, and started to cry again. Alicia helped me through everything. Everytime Daniel cheated on me, she was here. She was here for Tara's first word, her first steps. She supported my decisions and she was always here.

I don't want to be alive if Alicia isn't, I thought. I walked up the stairs and checked on Tara. She was still sleeping soundly. I closed the door, and walked into my room. I grabbed my phone off of the table, and texted Alicia.

Me : I love you.
I love you so much
Please , please answer me
I love you Alicia.

I called her phone multiple times, with the same outcome. I threw my phone against the ground and collapsed on my bed. I started crying, and I must have cried myself to sleep, because the next thing I know, I'm waking up.

I look at the clock. 4:28 pm.

I bolt upright quickly and run to Tara's room. She isn't in there. I run down the stairs and see Tara sitting on Ray's lap, playing with his phone, while Ray is asleep.

I sniffled, and walked toward Tara.

"Mommy," she whispered.

"Hi baby," i whisper back.

I picked her up and Ray opened his eyes immediately.

He looked up at me and smiled. "Hey your finally awake," he said.

"Same for you," I joked around with him. He chuckled, and I didn't have it in me to laugh.

"Um, hungry?" I asked him. He nodded, and I headed into the kitchen. I pulled out a pack of hamburgers, and he stopped me. "I'll do this. You go upstairs and wash up. I'll watch Tara."

I sniffled and nodded. I set Tara down in her highchair, and went up the stairs.

After I got into my room, I went to the bathroom. I turned the shower water on, and got undressed and got in. I felt too weak to stand, so I sat in the tub. I let the water run over me for a while, and cried the whole time. I missed her so much. I don't wanna be alive if Alicia isn't, the thought invaded my mind.

I tried to stop myself, but it's like I wasn't in control. With the shower still running, I step out and begin to look for something, anything, sharp.

My eyes land on a pair of scissors. I don't hear anything, and my body is numb. I put the scissors above my wrist and hold it there. I cry and cry and fall to the ground, still holding on to the scissors.

For her, my mind thought. For Alicia. I pressed the blade into my skin, but before I could get any farther, the bathroom door bursted opened. I didn't hear it, but the feeling of the ground shaking was enough to snap me out of my senses.

I suddenly heard everything. The shower rubbing. Tara crying. Ray yelling if I can hear him. It was all so much for me. The next thing I see is black.