I Still Love You - Part 3

    She watched with excitement as he dressed. Oh, how thoughtful he was; going to such great lengths to prepare for her arrival! As he sat next to the door, she felt the insatiable urge to reveal herself; to cry out declarations of love, arms outstretched to welcome her lover's eager embrace. But that was not the way things are done, so she told herself. She would have to wait so that he could have a chance to be on the other end of the game he had played so many times. She couldn't wait to see the look of surprise on his face as he realized who his secret admirer was. With no small effort, she suppressed a giggle.

    So she waited, simply watching him by the door. She could never get sick of gazing upon his handsome features. Before she knew it, quite a bit of time had passed. He sighed and sulked away to the bedroom to undress, a look of disappointment marring his Adonis-like face. She felt a slight pang of regret at having caused him any sadness. But she quickly reminded herself that the joy at the end of the game would more than make up for it.

    Once he was thoroughly occupied with disrobing, she stepped out of her hiding place. And what a clever hide it was! Even if he opened the door to the closet where she hid, there was no way he would notice her unless he was actively searching for her; people like her have a lot of talent in the art of evading others' notice. She crept over to the door, lifted the ornate brass mail slot, then let it plink back down as she dropped a small box of chocolates; a token of affection for her lover.

    Having successfully created the illusion of a delivery from outside the apartment, she slunk back into the closet. She knew that he loved these chocolates, and she trembled with anticipation at the delight on his face as he ate them. She grew a wide grin as he picked them up, paused as if in thought, and then gave a slight smile as he regarded the little box.

    But her joy turned to apprehension as he thoughtlessly deposited the chocolates on his desk, choosing instead to focus on some nonsense on his computer. How rude! She put a lot of thought into that gift! She thought it would be extra special, considering the way he crammed those same chocolates down her throat so many years back; considering the wild, lunatic way he laughed at the pain and fear in her eyes as she choked on them. Yet despite his insistence that she ate them all so quickly, he couldn't be bothered to take even one bite before diverting his attention to that awful glowing screen! How hypocritical and thoroughly ungentlemanly of him!

    She stood in the closet, peering at him through the crack in the doorway for what must have been hours. In her state of irritation, she could have stared daggers at him for an eternity. Eventually, she heard the unruly rumble of his empty stomach. Well, what does he expect? When he ignores perfectly good candy, given to him out of sheer kindness, of course he will have an empty stomach!

    He rose and immediately eyed the single rose that she had given him earlier. Surely that will remind him of the feelings of his beloved! Surely that will make him see how much sadness he is causing by neglecting her gift! He grimaced, not out of regret but out of fear. His eyes widened as a look of understanding materialized on his face. She panicked. Had he somehow seen her? No! This cannot be! It is too early!

    To her relief, his fearful gaze turned to the window. He was so close to discovering her, yet he fell so short! He continued to gawk out the window for a while before closing the curtains with a shudder. He took a deep breath to compose himself as he headed toward the kitchen, further ignoring the chocolates. She felt a maddening compulsion to burst from the closet and strangle him with her withered hands. But no, she must remain strong and see the game to its rightful end.

    She eyed him, seething with rage, as he prepared some nonsensical health dish. Really, now! No one actually likes that stuff. But everyone loves chocolate, even to the point of dying for just one little taste; or in her case, one big, suffocating taste. She glared at him so hard that her dry, shriveled eyes stung; willing him to give up on that nasty plate of dead plants and try the chocolates she picked out just for him.

    Still apprehensive, he closed the door behind him before he sat back down at his computer. Frustrated, she slipped from the closet and crept soundlessly up to his door, pressing what was left of her ear to the cold wood. All she could hear was the bickering of two men from the computer speakers as well as the occasional scrape of a steel fork on porcelain. She gritted her blackened teeth and mentally begged him to try the chocolates instead.

    As if he were in tune with her thoughts, as lovers often are, he stopped eating. She heard the clank of the plate being set aside. She narrowed her eyes as she listened. She should be hearing the sounds of ripping cellophane, but he was still hesitating for some reason. What a churl! Making her wait in such dreadful anticipation! Her thoughts darkened; she imagined herself bursting through the door and forcing the chocolates down his throat, just as he did to her so many years ago. Yet she steeled herself and remained quiet.

    Her patience was eventually rewarded by the harsh static of crinkling plastic, followed by the dull tearing of cardboard. She listened intently, feeling another stab of rage as he hesitated yet again. What was she to do with this impossible man? But her anger melted away as she heard the soft sounds of chewing. One after another, she heard the chocolates disappear. He is still a gentleman after all! He just requires a little patience every now and then. Her anger long forgotten, sheer joy welled up within her; the like of which she hadn't felt in ages. In her elation, she forgot all semblance of stealth, and she skittered down the hallway and exited out the front door.

*--*

    Over the next few days, the excitement was almost too much for her to bear; she could easily see why he had played this game with so many women. She immediately set about preparing the next part of the festivities; an unassuming box that contained two things: a short, cute message of love and a bracelet; one that he had previously given her. Of course, she would want it back when she revealed herself. But she could bear to part with it for a moment; surely he would be touched as he recalled their first Valentine's Day together; the day he first gave it to her.

    Unfortunately, she found she could not get back into his apartment. He had locked the accursed doors and windows tight. She let out a hoarse chuckle. How cute! He was playing hard to get! But that was fine; she would simply have to leave it at the doorstep and see if she could peek in on him from somewhere.

    She was in luck. There was indeed a tiny space in the window that was not obscured by the hateful curtains that sought to bar her from the sight of her lover. But after he returned from work and found the parcel, she was again met with a familiar stab of rage as she saw that once again, he had tossed her gift aside and ignored it completely. He seemed unsettled, however. Obviously the guilt was getting to him. She bit her cracked lip in anticipation and pressed her face against the glass.

    But all of her mixed feelings melted into cold panic as he fell from his chair in utter fright. Oh no! He had heard her! As he recovered, he made a start toward the window, and she was sure that she would be caught. What misfortune! It was not far enough into the game for him to see her! She had to run! As she turned, the metal grating creaked; a high mewling squeal.

    "Oh, just a cat." she heard her lover sigh in relief. What luck!

    She risked a harsh, raspy, relieved sigh of her own and turned back to the window. She forced down a squeal of surprised glee as she saw the impatient way he fumbled with the package, eager to see her present. She giggled with girlish delight at the way he pawed at the packaging, searching for the cleverly hidden gift. When he found it, he grasped it in his fist and stared intently at it, brow deeply wrinkled in thought. Surely he had a good idea of who his secret admirer was. Surely he would know that his first and truest love had finally come home to him. The time was tantalizingly close to reveal herself, but again she waited.

*--*

    She waited until he left for work before searching the outside for a spare key. Not much could be done if she could not even get into the place. But luck was again on her side as she happened upon a hollow plastic rock piled amongst real stones in the nearby pot of an artificial plant. She withdrew the brass key and let herself in. She breathed in the scent of the apartment through the hole where her nose once was. She was finally home for good this time.

    Eager to give her lover a warm welcome home from work, she explored the kitchen, picking through the healthy rubbish for anything she could use. It took quite a great deal of creativity on her part; she was mainly accustomed to preparing sweets, but it was all worth it for the joy she would surely see on his face. From a selection of fruit and faux dairy, she managed to craft two exquisite fruit parfaits for them to enjoy together.

    She set them on the kitchen table and seated herself facing the front door. How overjoyed he will be when he gets that first sight of his long-lost love! She had seen him give that same joy to so many women since that day he watched her choke to death on those chocolates. She knew that it brought him great joy as well. He had trembled with excitement as he watched the women in their homes, unbeknownst to them. He had laughed as one woman vaporized in a mist of gore as she was blown away by the bomb disguised as an innocent gift. He had laughed as another bled to death, throat cut open with a broken glass. He had laughed as so many others died. She knew that he did not enjoy hurting them, just as he did not enjoy hurting her. She knew he was simply saving them from the pain of living in this world; he had loved them so much that he couldn't bear to see them suffer the toils of life. She knew that his laughter was because of how he truly loved seeing the joy on the faces of his lovers as they escaped this cruel, painful world. And now he would be able to experience that same joy himself. How fun!

*--*