Amy
Amy lingered at the edge of the dance floor, laughing. I stared at her. I sipped my drink. She looked so beautiful in her wedding gown.
Her face was amazingly symmetrical, her slight dark red brows arched gracefully. She had high finely pronounced cheekbones and strong features, a straight nose above a wide full mouth and a delicately rounded chin. Her lashes were long and dark, they brushed her cheeks softly when she looked down. Her perfect porcelain skin was flushed with joy. I couldn’t look away, her face, so mesmerizing, so powerful. Almost too powerful. Too beautiful.
The dress she wore was cut low on her chest, the slight sleeves were slipping off her soft pale shoulders. The dress tightened around her small waist and erupted into a long pearly train. The bodice was covered in sequins, the lights in the room danced on her chest. She was sparkling.
Her full lips were coated in blood-red lipstick. Her rich dark red hair was brushed up elegantly and decorated with silver jewels. She wore long silver earrings that looked like teardrops and on her long thin pale finger, she wore a sparkling silver ring.
I felt my heart fluttering in my chest. I put my drink down on the table and moved through the crowd rapidly. Many people sent me annoyed looks and frown. But I ignored them. I shoved my way to her.
Lily her short, dark-haired friend moved away with her boyfriend. Amy was alone. On her wedding day. She stood alone, staring at the dancing floor, her lips smiling.
My hand reached out before I could stop it. My fingers brushed against her pale shoulder. Amy jumped and whipped around. I stared into her wide surprised eyes. Such beautiful eyes. Light blue, rimmed with back. Eyes I had gotten lost in so many times. Eyes that appeared in my dreams, thoughts, and nightmares.
She smiled at me, I couldn’t help smiling back.
“ Thomas,” she flashed me her pearly whites.
“ Would you like to dance?” I asked holding my elbow out. Amy’s gaze lowered as she stared at my black tuxedo cuff. A single lock of her auburn hair separated from its silver clip and curled against her face.
“ Amy?” I peered down. Her head flashed up and she grinned at me. She wrapped her arm tightly around mine and let me lead her onto the dance floor.
The music changed to a waltz almost the second we started dancing. Amy met my gaze calmly as I wrapped my arm around her slight waist and pulled her body against mine. Her arms folded around my neck, she rested her head on my chest. I held her tighter. She was so perfect, so fragile. I wanted to hold her forever.
I nuzzled my face into her hair, into her neck breathed and in her thick beautiful fragrance.
I could remember our first embrace, our first kiss and the first night we’d spent in bed, our bodies merged, our fingers entwined, just chatting. I could remember the first time we met as if it was yesterday. It had been raining, one of those heavy, soaking freezing rain storms. The city was empty, the thunder erupted overhead. I could barely see anything through my windshield. My mates were roaring drunk in the back seat, I could remember laughing along with them. We were driving home from a rock concert. It had been my turn to stay sober. I wasn’t looking at the road, so I didn’t see her race across.
I’d turn my head just as my car collided with her body. Immediately, I slammed the breaks on. My mates stopped laughing. I’d stared out the windshield squinting at the road in front of me.
“ Tom! Tom, what’s happened, mate?” Jack had demanded poking my shoulder.
“ I think I just hit someone,” I remember murmuring. My own words had snapped me out of my shock. “ Stay in here your morons!” I shot at my friends before shoving the door open.
I raced to the front of the car, the rain pelted down on me. I was soaked in second. But I didn’t care. I was staring at the body lying on the road. Not moving.
I remember she was wearing a dark red dress, at first I had thought it was blood. I’d rushed to her side, and rolled her over. I could remember being struck by her face immediately. Her cheeks here flushed, her eyes closed. Her forehead was bleeding, the blood had mixed with the rainwater and trickled down her face.
I felt my heart tighten. She looked my age, she was beautiful and she wasn’t breathing. My mates started rolling out of the car whispering loudly how I’d killed someone.
I remember panicking. I remember cradling her in my arms, holding her tightly. I’d had a bit of medical training. I forced air into her lungs, pounded on her chest. But she didn’t move. Her head flopped to the side.
“ Mate, I think she’s dead.”
“ You killed her mate,” a friend told me leaning over to see.
“ Yup dead.”
“ As a doorknob!”
“ Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!” I roared at them furiously hammering my fist against her chest.
“ Wake up, please, please wake up!” I had screamed. It happened suddenly. Her eyes flashed open, her lunges filled, she gasped painfully. I held her against my body, stroking her soaking head. She coughed violently and when I drew back I realised she was coughing blood.
She’d looked up at me for the first time. With those piercing blue eyes.
“ I’ll save you!” I promised her, picking her up in my arms and racing her back to my car. I knew it was dangerous to move an injured person, but I wasn’t thinking straight.
I left my mates on the side of the road and drove her to the hospital.
“ I’m Thomas. I’m so sorry. I’m going to save you. Don’t worry. Do you have a family? Should I call someone? Do you have a phone? What’s your name?” I remember babbling. She was tightly wrapped up in the back seat. Clutching her waist, blood dribbled from her pale lips. Water dripped from her hair, soaking the back seat. She moved to a sitting position slowly.
“ I’m Amy,” she took a gasping breath. “ No family. I feel fine. You can drop me off at the next block. It’s close to where I live.”
“ Are you fucking nuts? I just ran into you with my car!”
“ You were going slowly.”
“ You’re hurt.”
“ I’m fine.”
“ Amy!” I cried then took a deep breath and gazed at her through the mirror. ” Were you alone?”
“ Yes.”
“ Why?” she didn’t answer, “ Sorry,” I quickly apologized.
“ No, I don’t like being alone. I was alone all my life. I hate being alone.”
“ I won’t leave you alone.”
“ Drop me off at my place.”
“ No.”
“ I don’t have any health insurance and I’m already in financial difficulties. Please, just take me home!” I’d stared at her through my mirror.
“ No worries. I’ll pay. I ran you over. I’ll pay!”
“ Please, don’t. I don’t take charity,” she’d whispered then winced as they rounded a corner.
“ T’s not charity. I’m taking you to the hospital. No two ways about it!” I’d insisted. She stayed silent and stared out the window. She wiped the blood from her chin and pressed her lips in a firm line.
I stopped in front of the hospital. Immediately nurses came running out with a stretcher. They loaded her on despite her scowl and started rolling her inside. I jogged along beside her. She reached out a grasped my hand. Her eyes were bloodshot.
“ You save my life,” she uttered.
“ I also almost killed you,” I replied immediately. She shook her head.
“ I misjudged your speed. It’s my fault. Thank you. For saving my life,” I smiled. I couldn’t help it. Then she smiled back.
Then the nurses said I couldn’t follow any more and they took her away.
It was only a week later that I got a phone call from her wanting to thank me correctly. We met, and nothing was the same ever again.
Now I breathed in her wonderful scent, gazed at her rich dark red hair, pale skin and brilliant smile. She was perfect. She was the love of my life and I’d known it the second she’d laid her eyes on me. She was the one.
The music was slow and romantic. I held her tighter, she held me tighter. My heart was racing so fast it felt like it was bursting out of my chest. I was sure she could feel it through her dress.
She drew her face back from my chest just enough for our eyes to meet. And she smiled. And the world fell away.
“ Thomas,” she breathed. I nodded eagerly. “ Thank you,” I smiled.
“ I saw you alone. You couldn’t not—,”
“ For everything Thomas,” she placed her finger against my lips and shook her head slowly. I smiled at her. She smiled back.
Someone cleared their throat. Reality came hurtling back to me. A man, shorter than me, stood beaming at Amy.
“ May I cut in?” he asked holding his hand out. Amy winked at me then dove into his arms. I watched as the bride and groom walked across the floor as the guests applauded. I stayed still, staring at her. The love of my life in the arms other another.
“ Thank you, Amy,” I breathed heavily. ” For loving me,” I turned slowly, tears trickling down my cheek. I left the room, the music, the guests and Amy behind.
