Amour [h.s]

☼ prologue ☼

Amelie

I was seventeen when I met my husband. The man who stars in all my dreams and nightmares.

Leo.

When I was in school, I used to get asked a lot, what I wanted to be when I was older, being young and naive, I'd always say "I want to be a millionaire." Things started to get more serious when I was fifteen and had to decide what A-levels to take. I remember being in a class with a careers advisor and she was asking what we all wanted to be. I stupidly put up my hand, giggled to my friends and said "I want to marry a millionaire."

It's almost laughable how much I wanted it to become a reality. But I was fifteen and when you're fifteen, you make silly jokes and wish to be anything but who you really are.

It's very clear, I didn't marry a millionaire at fifteen. And, the time came around when I actually had to make a decision on my future education. So, I studied music. All I've ever known. But there was always that little part of me that wished for some huge miracle where I would get whisked away to Paris with the love of my life, where I never had to work another day and I was surrounded by money and fame. That was always the dream.

There was this guy, Leo Gibson, his music had been going around on social media. I loved him, he was gorgeous and his songs were always on repeat. But he was a new artist, not many people had heard of him, it was plain to see for everyone that he was going to be a future star.

And that sparked something in me.

Just two days before my eighteenth birthday I went to one of his gigs. It was in a really rough part of town, but I risked it all for the intimacy of the gig.

I had the best time, then, low and behold, the one and only was outside the venue, after the gig had finished, signing things and taking photos. So, I spoke to him, we took a photo and he asked to take me for a drink. Just like that.

Just like that.

I was so easy, too easy.

But we went for a drink, and after that I started going to more of his gigs, he was giving me tickets for free and paying for transport. I never told a soul that we had this "thing" going on.

He toured around the UK for a while just singing at little clubs, but even in those few weeks, his following seemed to have grown. More and more fans were coming to his shows. But, it made me feel so special to know that at the end of those shows, I was the one that he came running back to. Always.

After four weeks of aimlessly following Leo around and finishing my studies at the same time, he asked me out.

It was so quick.

This future star had just asked me to be his girlfriend so, I've would've been utterly insane to turn him down, after all, I was endlessly in love with him.

I fell hard and it hurt like hell.

I was just a few weeks away from finishing college when we had sex for the first time, it had only taken us six weeks to get to this point. He told me I was an easy fuck, and for some reason that only made my love for him grow.

I had started to apply for jobs so I could pursue my dreams of becoming a musician, because even though I was living this dream with Leo, there was still a part of me that knew I needed a back up just in case it all crashed down.

Leo told me not to go out to work, he told me that he could take care of me, but I knew I couldn't just fall into the arms of this man with no plan B, and I thank my younger self for being aware of that.

And then, he asked me to be his wife. And at twenty-two I was married to a global sensation.

I became Amelie Gibson.

And I hate who she is. I hate that she was blinded my money and fame. I hate that she let a gorgeous man take over her life.

After I became Mrs Gibson, life went downhill. Leo was coming home late, he was going to parties without me, he started drinking excessively, he was high off his face, he was sleeping around.

And just five months after we tied the knot, Leo threw his first punch. Not directly at me, but in my general direction. And it ruined me.

Then came the degrading comments, one after the other, they just rolled off his tongue every time he saw me.

"Why do you have to always wear that?"

"You flirt with every man you come across"

"You need to lighten up"

But that's what you get when all your wishes come true.

A few days after my twenty-seventh birthday, we were having "make up sex", a common occurrence in our relationship nowadays.

He does this thing, where, he'll threaten me, get physical with me, manipulate me, and then to apologise, he'll start to undress me. And that's his way of saying sorry. That's his way of making things better.

I had forgotten to set a reminder for his mum and dads wedding anniversary get-together. We missed the whole thing. I had never seen him so angry. After he had thrown a punch or two, his next move was to get me on the bed and get on top of me.

And that's how my sunshine boy, Milo, was conceived.

For weeks and weeks, I wished that it was different, I wished that he was made from pure love, I wished that he would have a safe home to grow up in.

I couldn't promise him a safe and happy childhood.

I couldn't promise, he'd have two parents that loved him unconditionally.

I couldn't promise that he'd be unharmed from his fathers harsh hands.

Four months ago, Milo Rex, was born. And life had never felt worse.

Leo became this, monster. This manipulative being, that ruled my life.

The threats were enough to make anyone weak at the knees, in the worst way possible.

I knew I had to leave. I had to get out.

Whether I took Milo with me or not, I had to get out of that house, before someone's life was at risk.

And that's when I applied for a job as a touring musician. Fully aware, I was about to leave my child in the most toxic household.

But I couldn't stay in that house any longer. I couldn't keep putting myself through that.

☼ ☼ ☼

authors note:

I kept rewriting this prologue and I'm never fully in love with it. So I've just decided to publish it and get it out the way so I can get going with the actual storyline!

See you soon for chapter one.

twitter: @hollytpwk