What's in Denver?

Sophia

“What is it with you strangling me every time you see me? Is that a fetish or something?” I squeaked; every word I uttered felt like sandpaper on my constricted throat, causing tears to blur my vision, but I didn’t back off.

Not this time.

I watched him straight in the eyes, and I didn’t waver. No matter the rage and hate that blazed in his grey, stormy eyes, I held his gaze with all the courage I could muster, and it angered him even more.

He shoved me inside and advanced after me, and as soon as he crossed the threshold, Kieran slammed the door behind us and forced me further in until we reached the living room, which was just a few steps, really, but now it seemed to be a hundred-mile-long journey.

“What do you want?” I spat, whispering.

Kieran’s nostrils flared, his jaw clenched, and I was sure he was holding himself back from snapping my neck. I wasn’t afraid of dying, though. At least it would serve a good purpose. Kieran would go to prison, and Ellie and her baby would be safe. My life wasn’t valuable, anyway. That’s why I never lifted a finger to fight him off. I didn’t even wiggle. I just kept staring into his flaming pools of darkness.

“I told you to break them up!” he hissed.

“And I told you I had no intention of… doing such a thing… you sick…” I failed to say anything else as the darkness overpowered me.

I fell over the edge of the abyss, but I never touched the bottom of the pit. Kieran’s hand around my neck loosened and my knees gave up. The hardwood floor greeted me, and its life refreshing coldness made a searing pain spread from my kneecaps throughout my entire body.

My shrunken lungs burned, demanding air, and I started coughing like crazy, trying to catch my breath.

Minutes passed, maybe hours, before my heart stopped pumping frantically. My brain was too foggy, and my ears were ringing from the rush of blood to my head. I crouched, my palms pressed against the floor, supporting my weight.

I hated him so much that I could burn in that hate’s eternal fire.

I almost died. I fucking almost died!

I didn’t know where he was, whether he was still in my apartment or if he had already left. I didn’t know what he wanted, why he came here in the first place, or why he left me alive when the last thing I recognized in his eyes was death.

I let myself fall on the smooth parquet because I couldn’t keep myself upright any longer, and slowly, with a lot of effort, I turned and laid on my back. That position suited my lungs, and as my body recovered from the shock of almost dying, I had the strangest thought stuck in my head...

All those people talking about near-death experiences and how they saw the light at the end of the tunnel, familiar faces calling out to them… well, I saw nothing of sorts. I just felt peace. I wasn’t scared at all. All that surrounded me was an endless ocean of peace that I was ready to dive into and accept what it was promising.

My still ringing ears picked up some murmuring, but it was easy to ignore. I didn’t care.

“Hey! Do you hear me?” It was clear now, and I recognized the angry voice immediately. I could never mistake that hatred-laced grunt for anyone else.

“Where are you going?” I heard Kieran ask.

I didn’t know what he was referring to. I could get nowhere in the state I was in.

But later, when I recover a bit… a few more moments…

“To the police,” I got no answer. “I’ll charge you with attempted murder.” With every passing second, my mind cleared up, and I realized what I had to do.

I gathered all my strength and rose into a sitting position before I slowly rolled onto my knees and, holding myself against the back of the couch, straightened and arose to my still wobbly feet.

Kieran’s dark chuckle surprised me.

“I asked where you’re going?” He sounded even more impatient.

“And I already told you! To the police!” But first, I had to get some water to soothe my burning throat.

I headed towards the kitchen, supporting myself against the wall, and with each step, my strength returned as anger built up in me.

Getting a glass would be too much trouble, so I bent and gulped straight from the tap. I gulped, and the cold liquid that slid down my throat brought the relief I was desperately looking for. I drank more and more, letting the water calm my body and nerves.

“What’s in Denver?” I was startled by this question, and my head involuntarily snapped towards him.

I had no idea what he was talking about. What’s in Denver? My facial expression must’ve been clear enough because Kieran scoffed and elaborated.

“It’s open in your search tab,” he shook his head, staring at me as if I were the dumbest person on the planet.

“Oh, that…” I turned around and leaned my lower back against the counter. I wanted him out of here. He was crowding my space, taking away my air more than his hand when it was wrapped around my throat.

But suddenly and unexpectedly, all my breaks failed simultaneously, and I couldn’t hold myself together any longer. I told him the truth that I had been itching to get out for too long now. I’ve been hiding it, and I couldn’t do it anymore.

Yes, I was well aware that Kieran King was the last person I should confide in on this planet, but there was no stopping; my mouth spoke as if it had its own will.

“I’m moving.”

“What?” his eyebrows furrowed. He didn’t expect an answer like that.

“You heard me. I couldn’t get a job here in the city, so I widened my search to the entire country. I will go wherever I find something.” A shadow ran over his face, but it was gone before I blinked, so I couldn’t be sure I saw it right… Because in that split second, I saw guilt in him, but I failed to understand why King would feel guilty about. Was he capable of such?

“You will leave your sister?”

“My sister is a grown woman. And I will always be there for her whenever she needs me. On top of that, she will be getting married soon. She won’t need me when she has her husband. He will protect her from you, and it will be a simple task when you’re locked up.”

“If you stayed, you wouldn’t have to work. I bet Philip wouldn’t mind taking care of his sister-in-law, and God knows he has enough money to support you for life….” Kieran’s jaw clenched in obvious displeasure, and I snapped back at him.

“You degenerated freak! I don’t care about your money! Get that through your thick skull already! I have survived for years without it, and I shall continue to do so. The only thing I care about is my sister’s happiness, and by some weird chance, it’s your brother that makes her happy, and you know what? She makes him happy, too.” I inhaled deeply and exhaled the breath that liberated my body from the stress.

“Why can’t you accept it and let them be happy with each other? Hah? I understand you deem my sister unworthy of your status and power, but stop being selfish and think about your brother’s happiness. Think about their child - your nephew.

She won’t bother you; she won’t step on your toes. Ellie is not that kind of person, and you’d realize that if you gave her a chance.” I pleaded. I wasn’t above it, not when my family was involved.

I didn’t know if something I said struck a chord or not, but the energy around Kieran changed drastically. Somehow, unexplainably, I didn’t feel threatened. What’s more, I felt peace. Once again, this man sent me into a state of nirvana, but he had no intention of killing me this time.

“Sophia…” he said my name for the first time, and the confusion he caused in me spiraled. The way it sounded when he said it, every syllable that rolled off his tongue.

“I...” but he never got the chance to finish his sentence. I would never know what he wanted to say at that moment.

The entrance door of our apartment opened and closed, and we both heard the characteristic giggling of the newly engaged couple just a second before we saw them. Philip and Ellie were evidently surprised by the sight they saw, and only then did I realize how close Kieran and I were.

“Brother? What are you doing here?” Philip asked, a devilish smirk adorning his face.

Oh, no!