CHAPTER 13 – BRUISED EGO – BROKEN HEART


Brian closed the door behind him, as he strolled into the silent house, he’d left late last night. He took quite steps up to the base of the stairwell, making his way upstairs.

“Have fun?” a voice coughed behind him
He spun around to see Leigh Anne standing in the doorway into the lounge, leaning up against the wall, dressed in a white flannel bathrobe with a wine glass in her hand.

“I figured we both needed time to cool down” he responded
“Really?” she smirked
“I think we can get through this, I know we could work through this. I'm willing to try anything” Brian said softly as he walked toward her
She starred blankly at him.
“It’s your fault I'm like this you know” she announced flinging the glass into his face “All the times you had to go away, all the stupid publicity you had to do, all those screaming fans, it’s all that that killed who I was” she hissed snidely
“Leigh Anne, please don’t turn this into an argument”
“You never want to hear what I say do you? God Brian, I used to be strong, you know? And now look at me, Fuck you and fuck your god damn career, that never gave me mine” she scathed as she stormed into the lounge
Brian followed her, desperate to hang onto what was left of his marriage.

“You never let me grow as an actress Brian, you wanted a family, and now that I'm ready you cant even fucking let me have that” she screamed
“Your career had nothing to do with mine, you know that” Brian reasoned “Not everything goes according to the plan Leigh Anne, but that’s what makes us stronger”
“Or kills us from inside” she laughed drunkenly
“You know all the time I never wanted to be away from you, I tried –“
“You didn’t try hard enough, you never did enough, you never let me live, and now look at me” she poured another drink from the half empty bottle
“Please Baby, you know I tried. I'm sorry if I wasn’t here when you needed me, but I'm here now, and we can get through this”
“Fuck you” she murmured
“Please stop drinking for one second at look at me” he pleading reaching for the bottle in her hand
She swooped down on him, the bottle smashing against the side of his head, he saw it coming from the corner of his eye, then nothing but darkness.

~ 10 MINUTES LATER ~

“I think you should leave” Kevin said venomously as he starred down at Leigh Anne
“I'm not going anywhere” she announced crossing her arms around her thin waist
“Then I'm going to throw you out” he hissed reaching to grab her
“Don’t touch me” she screamed slapping him directly across the face
“Look what you did, and you’re just gonna sit there like nothing happened?” Kevin declared, pointing down at Brian, still unconscious on the hospital bed
“I didn’t mean to hit him”
“But you did”
Kevin’s eyes were growing darker by the second, for so long he’d stood by and watch Brian fade into a shriveling wreck, but now he wasn’t going to observe anymore.

“Kevin, calm down” Kristen pleading, placing a concerned hand on his arm
“Why should I? This bitch thinks she can just used my cousin, fuck you Leigh Anne, not anymore, you hear me, NOT ANYMORE”
Tara stood up, Sam holding onto her neck tightly.
“I think maybe I shouldn’t be here” she muttered, feeling as though she was caught in the middle of a heated family argument.
“Yeah why doesn’t little miss priss get the fuck out of here, it’s her fault anyways, strutting her stuff around trying to seduce Brian” Leigh Anne scolded
“I never did any such thing” Tara declared as she walked to the door, Sam in her arms
She opened the door and slammed it behind her. She’d always been taught not to react to selfish people, that they weren’t worth the time of day, passive not aggressive was how she was bought up, but right now she wanted nothing more to smack that condescending bitch right over the head with a lump of wood. She smiled to herself as the thought crossed her mind.

Brian’s eyes flickered open as the raised voices coaxed him from sleep.
“What’s going on?” he inquired dryly, touching the bandage on his head
“Leigh Anne was just leaving” Kevin hissed under baited breath
“I'm not going anywhere” she mumbled as she scooted beside the bed “Oh baby, you’re okay, I'm so glad you’re okay” she cooed, kissing his cheek softly
“Oh you’re kidding, you’re the reason he’s in here” Kevin yelled
“Kevin, Kristen, could you leave us alone for a minute?” Brian pleaded as he struggled to sit up I the bed
“No, I'm not leaving you alone with this bitch and –“ Kevin began
“Kevin, come” Kristen said yanking him out of the room
Leigh Anne smiled weakly.
“I am sorry” she said softly “I didn’t mean for this to happen”
“I think once you did love me Leigh Anne, and I know I loved you. But you need some help” Brian started
“I don’t need help” Leigh Anne interrupted snidely
“I want a divorce, I can’t keep living this way, you have a problem you cant admit to, and I have a problem believing that. Look at me Leigh, I'm falling apart. I'm sorry” he cried, tears forming in his eyes
“You cant divorce me” she choked, this was a consequence she’d never envisioned
“I cant live with you either. Just leave, you can stay in the house, I’ll move my stuff out as soon as possible. I need to get away” He sighed gesturing towards the door “Please just go”
She starred down at him, this wasn’t the end – far from it. She stormed over to the door, flung it open and stormed out of it.

~ AT THE SAME TIME ~

“M and M’s?” Tara inquired as she slotted the money into the vending machine
“Uhuh, the peanut ones are my fav” Sam winked
“You” Leigh Anne scathed as she marched up behind Tara
Tara spun around, her normally smiling eyes, turning to cold icicles, she had no love for someone as blatantly evil as the character standing before her
“This is your fault, and don’t think for a minute your slutty little ways are going to get him, he might love you for a bit, but then when he realizes the kind of trash you are, he’ll kick you and your stupid accent to the curb” she announced matter-of-factly
“You know what, I was always taught the golden rule, to do one to others as you would have them do to you, but you know right, that rule can kiss my ass right now” Tara declared, reaching back her clenched fist
It came hard against Leigh Anne’s cheek, sending her stumbling backwards, partially out of force, partially out of shock. She regained her composure and retreated from site, nursing her bruised face and ego.

“Ow, shit, that hurt” Tara mumbled shaking her hand softly
“Nice shot” Kevin grinned as he approached
“Oh god, sorry I know I shouldn’t have hit her it’s just –“
“Don’t apologize, I would have” Kevin smiled as he reached down to pick up Sam
“But for all intense and purposes, what’s the rule Sam?” he inquired looking down at the thinking green eyes of his son
“Uh, violence doesn’t solve things” Sam announced proudly
“Bingo, now go to Mom” Kevin responded putting him down and pointing down the hall to where Kristen was
“But that was a nice right hook” Kevin laughed as soon as Sam was out of earshot

~ AT THE SAME TIME ~

Brian heard the commotion outside the door, he couldn’t very well block it out. He wondered solitarily what had bought him to this point, he’d loved her more than he ever thought was possible, he was sure he would spend the rest of his life with her and her with him. They had sworn that, and now he finally realized the only hope of that happening lived only in a distant place, his mind.

Till death do us part – inside he felt dead. His heart broken in two, tears softly falling down his pale cheeks. Everything he built had come crumbling down a long time ago - it just took him this long to realize it.

Chapter Fourteen

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