Mistake (12 page)

CHAPTER
30

     Beth was feeling happier than she had in days. She drove to Andrew’s house, parked in the driveway and hurried to the door. As she approached, the door opened and Andrew stood waiting for her holding a dozen red roses.

    “This is so romantic,” Beth commented as Andrew handed her the roses and embraced her.”

     “I only want to make you happy. I love you. You’re the only one for me,” he said as they walked arm in arm toward the living room. “I have all the brochures on the table and some light wine for us to drink while we peruse them. Does this make you happy?”

     “Oh yes it does,” Beth said as she kissed him lightly on the lips and rushed over to see all the brochures lining the table. “Oh my goodness, so many choices, the Bahamas, Italy, Paris, Maldives, Bora Bora. Oh Andrew this is fabulous. Really, we can go to any of these places?”

     “The choice is yours. Your happiness is my only concern my love.”

     Beth sat on the couch and began flipping through the brochures as Andrew poured wine into two glasses and handed her one. He sat next to her on the couch sipping his wine and enjoying her excitement.

     “Look at this Andrew. Bora Bora. I have always wanted to go there, and look Fiji. You’re so wonderful,” Beth said hugging him excitedly.

     “I love seeing you happy. I couldn’t live with myself if you were unhappy,” he said taking her chin into his hand and kissing her lips. “I love you so much. I don’t think I could ever be without you.”

     “I love you too Andrew. More than you know.”

     Andrew kissed her deeply. He drew her close to him. He drew her so close Beth felt as if she couldn’t breathe. She returned his passionate kiss and loosened his hold on her.

     “Wow Andrew, I couldn’t breathe,” she said standing.

     “Beth I love you so much. I need you. I only want you,” he professed as he closed the distance between them and took her in his arms and began ravishing her lips and her neck. He held her so tightly Beth thought her insides would be crushed.

     “Andrew, Let go. You’re hurting me.”

     “I don’t want to hurt you. I only want to love you. Please Beth let me make love to you, please,” he pleaded.

     “Not until we are married,” she said in a strangled voice trying release his grip.

     “I need you now Beth. I can’t wait. I need you now. Please Beth let me love you. I only want to love you. No one else,” he pleaded as he lifted Beth from the floor and threw her over his shoulder.

     “No,” Beth screamed as she kicked and beat her fists on his back.

     “Stop, No, let me go,” she screamed as she tried to fight her way out of his grip.

     The breath was knocked from her lungs as Andrew threw her to the bed and clawed at her clothes.

     “Stop Andrew. Stop, please. You’re scaring me,” she begged as she tried to free herself from his overwhelming grip.

     “I need your love Beth. I need you,” he told her breathlessly as he tried to hold her down and rip her clothes from her body.

     Beth was overcome by his overwhelming need and want for her. It repulsed her and frightened her. She screamed at him to stop over and over but he wasn’t hearing, wasn’t seeing anything other than his love and need for her.

     “Just you. No one else Beth,” he said as he ripped her shirt and her bra off and began devouring her breasts.

     “Please stop,” she said in a whimper as she reached to the table for the wine bottle and hit him on the head.

     Beth watched in horror as Andrew’s eyes seem to go blank and his body fell limply on top of her. She pushed him off, grabbed the remnants of her shirt and put it on. She ran for the door and left without a backward glance. Beth jumped into her car, started it and floored the accelerator.

     
What have I done? Oh God what have I done,
she thought as the tears flowed down her cheeks landing in her lap. Her hands were shaking; her body was shaking uncontrollably as she drove and cried. When she thought she had driven far enough away she pulled over into the mall parking lot and tried to compose herself.

     She nearly jumped out of her skin as a knock came on her car window. “Miss, are you okay?” a man asked.

     Beth shook her head. “Fine she said and watched as the man got into his car and pulled off. She jumped again as her cell chimed and Andrew’s smiling face graced the screen. She was afraid to answer.
But suppose he’s really hurt and needs someone,
she said to herself.
This is all my fault,
she chided herself. She answered the call to be sure Andrew was okay.

     “Hello,” she said quietly.

     “Beth, please come back. I’m sorry I made you unhappy. I love you Beth. Come back.”

     “I can’t,” Beth said and disconnected the call.

     Now afraid and unsure what to do she thought about the golden book and reached frantically for her purse.

     “I’ll go see Mrs. Greene. She will know what to do.
Where is her address? I know it’s in here,”
she murmured frantically to herself as she rooted through her purse. “Yes,” she said as she found the address and restarted the car heading for Mrs. Greene’s house.

CHAPTER
31

     Beth parked in front of Mrs. Greene’s house and ran to the door anxiously and rang the bell and waited and waited. She rang again and waited. When no answer came her head bowed to her chest as tears littered the walkway as she made the sad walk toward her car.

     “Beth,” she heard a voice call out to her. She turned to see Mrs. Greene standing in the doorway. “Come back, I’m here.”

     Beth turned and with quick steps filled with hope she ascended the steps.

     “I need to talk to you, please, do you have time?” she asked anxiously.

     “I always have time for you Beth. Please call me Gabriella. Come in, Come in. I was about to have some tea. Please join me,” she said gesturing Beth into the house. “My favorite nurse and my favorite person, why are you so filled with pain?”

     “That’s why I’m here. I didn’t know where else to go,” she answered pulling her shirt closed around her.

     “Have a seat on the couch and I’ll get our tea.”

     Gabriella shuffled off to the kitchen to retrieve the tea as Beth looked around and took in the room. The walls were crowded with pictures and paintings save one. A bookshelf lined one wall from ceiling to floor. She went to the case, ran her hand over the spines as she perused the titles, all seeming to have a following in black magic, sorcery, witchery, spells, voodoo, hoodoo and more. Her attention was again drawn to the picture which hung lonesome on a wall of its own.

     Beth approached the picture which stood tall on the wall and came to rest on the cellarette beneath it. In front of the picture a golden antiquarian book stand rested without a book. Beth felt as if eyes were beaming on her as her gaze was drawn upward and locked with the brown eyes circled in gold of the woman in the picture. Her attention was drawn away and captured by the sovereign looking man who stood next to the woman facing her with his hand resting leisurely on her waist. His attention seemed to be consumed by the woman next to him. The woman’s attention seemed to be consumed with Beth…

     “I see you are enjoying the artwork,” Gabriella said.

     “Yes, this is a lovely painting. Who are they?” Beth asked as she accepted the teacup from Gabriella.

     “One day soon, at another visit I will tell you their story. Today we focus on your story. What has happened Beth?” Gabriella asked as she gestured Beth to sit.

     “I need your help Gabriella. I don’t know where else to turn,” Beth answered as Gabriella’s eyes focused on Beth, prodding her onward.

     “I read the book you gave me.”

     “How wonderful,” Gabriella exclaimed. “You read it to the end?” she questioned.

     “Not exactly,” Beth answered with uneasiness in her voice.

     “Not exactly?” Gabriella Questioned.

     “I read to the part in the story where Theron fell in love with Zara and only wanted her.”

     “Beth, it was imperative that you read to the end. I spoke it more than once. What made you stop?”

     “I wanted Andrew to only want me. I felt an unsurpassable need to do what Zara had done with Theron, to claim my Andrew,” Beth admitted with apologetic eyes.

     “Beth dear, the deed is overwhelming and unyielding and possibly uncontrollable if it is executed without the full knowledge of the book. The consequences are unpredictable and could be devastating if the deed is executed without knowledge,” Gabriella explained as she sipped at her tea.

     Beth no longer wanting tea sat hers on the coffee table and blurted out, “He tried to rape me…” Her cell rang and she pulled it from her purse and saw Andrew’s smiling face.

     “Beth, the man who smiles at you on your phone, is he the one we are speaking about, the one who encouraged your heart to execute the dead?”

     “Yes,” she said lowering her head as tears began to well up in her eyes.

     “Rape is a serious accusation Beth. Do you think he would have responded in the way he did, had you not executed this deed?”

     “I don’t know.”

     “What do you plan to do? Will you report this to the police?”

     “I don’t know.”

     “Beth, before you do anything, go home, read the book to the end.

     “But why did you give me the book?”

     “Read the book to the end; then we can talk.”

CHAPTER
32

     Beth sat on the side of her bed, opened the bedside drawer and peered in at the golden book. Her eyes filled with events of the day as she studied the cover. The clock on her table said 8 O’clock. She had a long eerie day and needed a shower to wash away the pain. Closing the drawer, leaving the book inside, Beth stripped her clothing off and headed for the shower.

     At the stroke of nine Beth was in her pajamas with the lamp shining on the pages of the golden book, her iPod playing classical music and her eyes ready to read.

After the dance was over, Zara went to Theron and offered him the drink. Theron consumed the drink offered by the lovely Zara. She watched as he walked away after handing her back the glass.

     Tears began to drizzle down Zara’s face as the deed failed. Theron turned to see the tears. He ran to her and embraced Zara. “Please my love; do not cry for I love only you. I only want to please you my love.”

     Beth flipped the page.

     
Zara’s eyes filled with happiness as Theron proclaimed his love for only her. She returned his loving embrace and accepted the love he had only for her. Theron gathered her in his arms proclaiming never to leave her side. His declaration filled Zara with elation.

     Theron was true to his word, never leaving her side. He took every step with Zara. He consumed every meal with her. His eyes were always on her; his touch always on her skin. He made love to her endlessly. Zara began to feel overwhelmed by his attention. She was not able to make a move without Theron.

     He was there every moment professing his love. Zara began to feel as if she were suffocating by Theron’s smothering love. He never looked at another; he never spoke to another. His eyes only beheld Zara’s.

     In the bedroom, Theron felt his need and want for Zara overtake him. He needed her as surely as he needed air. He reached for her, clawed at her as she resisted his advances. He couldn’t stop himself, for his need for Zara was uncontrollable. Zara begged for time alone, but Theron was unhearing. He was fueled by only his need for his sweet Zara.

     Please Theron, she pleaded, one moment alone with my thoughts. I need you, he protested, only you Zara as he tried to disrobe her to shower her with his undying love for her.

     Theron, please, it would give me great pleasure if you would rest and let me prepare myself for you, Zara pleaded. Theron relaxed and laid back on the bed, closing his eyes, for he wanted nothing more than to please his beautiful Zara. She paced as she wondered what she had done.

     Zara returned to find her Theron sleeping. She watched as his chest rose and fell with each breath. She surveyed the strong majestic figure of the man she wanted for herself alone, who lay sleeping peacefully. She desperately wanted to free him from the bondage of her love. She needed to free him so he would be free to love her as he wished.

     Zara lifted her hands clutching the knife over her head and buried it deep into Theron’s heart.

     “
Nooo,” Beth screamed. “Nooo,” as the tears flowed to her bed.

     A light tap echoed off her closed door. “Beth are you okay,” her mother asked.

     “Yes, I was just talking on the phone,” she lied.

     “Andrew stopped by earlier looking for you.”

     “Alright, I’ll call him tomorrow.”

     Her mother left the closed door as Beth jumped from her bed. She hurriedly threw together an overnight bag and changed into jeans and a sweatshirt. She knew as sure as she would take her next breath that Andrew would return.

     “Mother, I’m going to spend the night with Lil,” she called out as she headed for her ten year old Honda. She sped off with no real destination in mind as Andrew’s black Porsche passed her going in the opposite direction. Not sure he saw her; she made a quick turn at the next corner and sped down the block. Looking in the rearview mirror she didn’t see Andrew.

     Beth drove downtown, parked her car out of sight and went into the Hideaway Hotel where she paid for one night’s stay. She took the elevator to fifth floor, existed with her overnight bag in tow and opened the door to room 525. Her cell rang displaying Andrew’s smiling face. Sadness filled her as she watched his smile with each ring until the ringing stopped and his smiling face faded into a dark screen.