Stealing Kisses

Chapter 18

Tim POV: 

I sit in the living room of my house, feeling myself continue to shake after the encounter with Faith. She must've seen something when I kissed her... There's no other explanation for such a quick transformation. I lean my head back, and try to breathe through it. 

Faith and I argue violently in a dressing room. She mentions something about me touring too much and avoiding my responsibilities at home, which sets me off. We shout so loud we rattle the walls, causing the roadies in the hall to widen their eyes as they pass. She starts to throw things, which causes me to roll my eyes and leave the room. She hyperventilates, before starting to sob. She grabs her stomach, feeling nauseated by the fact that we just fought like that. She slowly pulls herself together, before a roadie pops their head in the room. 

"You're on in sixty," He says, causing her to nod. She wipes her tears, takes a deep breath, and starts out into the hall. She walks to the side of the stage, getting her microphone and mic pack. She waits patiently for the queue, looking around the bustling hall, before she locks eyes with me. 

Neither of us smile, and instead exchange a tense glare, before she looks away and shakes her head. A man steps in front of her, blocking my view of her. It only takes me a second to identify him. 

He grabs the knife out of his back pocket - the same knife I remember Faith being attacked with in real life. She looks at the man, before locking eyes with me, chaos breaking out once again as everyone sees the knife-wielding attacker. My reaction in reality seems to drastically pale in comparison, as I frantically run toward her. 

"Faith!" I scream, pushing people forcefully out of my way. A bodyguard comes up from behind me, wrapping his arms around me. I panic, and begin to try to force myself out of his grasp. I feel breathless as I see the blood-coated knife through the passing people. I somehow break free of their grasp, rushing toward her again. The guard tries to grab my arm, but fails. A loud bang causes the entire crowd to scream, making my stomach drop. I finally reach her, feeling my blood run cold. 

She lies on her back, struggling to breathe with blood coating her white dress. I step toward her, before I'm tackled to the ground. She screams, as the attacker pins me down. I put my hands out in front of me, but he plunges the knife down non-stop. I frantically try to grab the handle of the knife, but he's moving far too fast. He suddenly presses the blade against my neck, causing Faith to erupt. 

"No! Please!" She screeches, as I stare up at him, trying to stay still in fear that any sudden movements just cause him to cut me. 

"I'm doing God's work." The man says, beads of sweat running down his head and track marks up his arms. He grips the knife tightly, before glancing toward her. "Close your eyes." He says to me, causing me to pant. "She's looking... close your eyes." He continues, causing my eyes to look her way. She's terrified. 

"No!" She screams desperately. I turn to look back up at the man, now reaching out blindly for her hand. I feel her fingers slip between mine. I give her hand a squeeze, before using my free hand to reach for the knife in a quick act of rebellion. The man slides the knife across my neck quickly as a result, causing Faith to screech. I push him off, before a guard tackles him. Faith hurries toward me, as I try to breathe. "It's okay..." She says, while medics swarm. "He hardly broke the skin." She says, investigating my neck. She clings tightly to my hand, as tears start to stream down her cheeks. Tears stream from my eyes as well, as the shock starts to set in. 

I gasp, sitting straight up and struggling to breathe. I look at the clock, noticing that it's four in the morning. The shocking parallel between our reality and what I just saw is uncanny. I stare at the coffee table, thinking about the way I reacted. I was horrified when it happened, but in that dream, it was different. I defended her both times, but there it was like I wanted to take the brunt of the attack for her. 

All I want to do is call her...

I grab my phone out of my jacket pocket, before hearing a bottle of pills shake inside. I feel the orange bottle, before taking it out and staring it down. I feel shame start to sink in as I read her name at the top of the label. The bottle is filled to the brim with Oxycodone. I dial her number on my cellphone, while staring at the bottle for a while. I set it up on the counter, watching it, as if it'd come to life. 

"You've reached Faith! Sorry, I can't get to the phone, but leave a message at the tone and I'll get back to you as soon as possible." Her voice chimes, making me shut my eyes. The beep sounds before I can hang up. 

"Hi Faith, it's me... I just... I wanted to check on how you were doing after today. I'm really sorry if I crossed the line, but..." I stop myself for a moment, before the bottle puts an evil thought in my head. "I'm sorry. I just want you to be happy." I say, before hanging up. I grab the bottle of pills along with my best whiskey, before trucking out to my car. I sit down in the seat, taking a few deep breaths before turning on the radio. 

"Could you cry a little? Die just a little? Pretend that you're feeling a little more pain? I gave, now I'm wanting something in return, so cry a little for me." Her voice sings, the irony undeniable. I pop open the pills, pouring a small handful, and thumbing them around my palm. I give myself a chance to hesitate, but I hardly have any doubts. I don't have a family, or girlfriend, or dog waiting on me. It's just me. I could disappear, and no one would notice except the tabloids. 

I toss the first handful in my mouth, washing them down with the whiskey. They go down easily, causing me to pour two more handfuls until the bottle of pills is empty. I take a few large gulps of whiskey, before deciding that my garage isn't exactly where I want to go. 

I drive out of my neighborhood, watching the moon hanging in the sky. I pull onto the highway, hoping I can make it to the lake before everything begins to set in. I take another swig of whiskey, feeling the burn in my stomach. My eyes start to grow blurry surprisingly fast, making me panic a little. The oncoming headlights are somewhat blinding, making it hard to see. I grip onto the steering wheel, as I hear her voice in my head. 

"I want you the fuck out of my life"

I feel a deep rumble as my car goes onto the shoulder. I veer back into the lane, before debating if I should pull over. I still have time. The taillights in my rearview are somewhat settling as they rush past. 

My eyelids grow heavy, as I take a few deep breaths. My fingertips are starting to go numb. I stare at my hands on the wheel, before feeling the tires hit rough terrain. I look up as headlights from an oncoming semi-truck shine in my eyes. A loud horn blares, before everything is black.