The Lions Den

Chapter Thirty-Six: When The Lioness Puts the Gazelle at the Lions Feet

(Songs for the chapter: Should've Known Better- Monica // In My Mind- Heather Hadley)

Kashera

As I stood on the dock overlooking Lake Lanier, I wrapped my arms around myself protectively as I waited for him to appear. My emotions had been all over the place since I left that damned house on the compound and disconnected from everyone except for Marcus whose house I'd taken refuge at. I hadn't talked to anyone else but him, which was still barely, since then. My phone was shut off with no sense of urgency to turn it on. I made Marcus turn away Brooklyn much to her astonishment, and we had yet to tell my mother everything that had transpired following my release from the hospital.

I stayed locked away in my appointed guest room looking at the walls or sleeping with blank dreams filled with nothingness just as I was. Sometime earlier today, as I fought against succumbing for the thousandth time to my hopeless tears I stared at the envelope that was left for me by him.

Looking at the taunting thick manilla envelope packed with God's knows what, my stomach twisted and my eyes pricked. I kept looking at it constantly almost as if it was calling out my name in a mean-spirited tease. With a deep sigh, I slowly rolled out of the bed and inched my way to it as if it would attack me if I dared to move too fast. With trembling hands I snatched it off the mahogany dresser and held the envelope in my hand. It felt as if I held a hundred pound weight that pulled me to the ground in the palms of my hands as I sank the the floor in a quiet heap.

My mind was racing helplessly trying to figure out what the hell was inside of the envelope that he so dutifully ensured I'd had. When I opened it up and dumped the contents onto the floor in front of me, my free hand flew to my mouth as I raced to the adjourned bathroom to empty the content of my stomach. When I finished, I laid my arm on the edge and put my head down as reckless cries left my mouth.

"Kash!" Marcus called as he raced into the bathroom and slid onto the floor with me. He simply sighed as he held me as I cried my eyes out. I didn't even have to look for two seconds to know the contents of all that was in the envelope.

It was so cruel of him to send those photos to me even though I knew without a shadow of a doubt she was the one who'd made him do it. Knowing that she'd been at the house where I used to lay my head with him every night twisted my heart in a suffocating knot. There may have only been one picture at the house on the compound, but our- his- house held plenty more. I'd taken the photos we'd had on each others phones and printed them out earnestly trying to add touches of our love throughout our space of solace. I walked around that house every morning and night with a smile on my face looking over the touching photos of us individually, together, and with our families. I got excited thinking about the future additions that were going to hang on the walls at our new home one day, proud of the tradition I had innocently started between us.