Samson

Author’s POV

Ian and Matthew drove madly to his house when they learned about his voluntary, impromptu, and definitely-not-allowed and doctor-unapproved discharge. The door to the home was open, so they went straight to his bedroom.

“Fuck.”

Both of them said in unison when they found the room in a mess and Aslan passed out beside it, the bottles around him. They didn’t know that the reason which had him passed out wasn’t from the bottles of alcohol but the loss of his love.

They took him to another room and laid him down. Matthew called an agency to send cleaners. He must have been thoughtful enough to get his home cleaned, he scolded himself. God knows what Aslan must have gone through after seeing his “could be” marital bed. Matthew was feeling bad for Aslan, but his heart was not ready to accept that Elena had betrayed him without any reason.

Ian was removing his friend’s shoes and cursing Elena. “I curse you, El. You will pay for it.” It was not the first time his friend had been betrayed by a beautiful face. The first one….. “Oh forget that bitch,” He told himself.

Matthew filled the bathtub and they both carried Aslan. “Fuck, he is nothing but muscle.” Ian growled. Matthew smirked. Ian was an actor and he himself had a body to die for, but he was leaner. In fact, among the three of them, Ian was the only one who was so diet conscious. Derek was same as Ian. This thought was involuntary but sometimes, Matthew missed Derek. He was a nice lad. Maybe if Aslan had slept with Elle and had abandoned her, Matthew would have done the worst to him than Derek did.

They carefully laid Aslan down in the bathtub, avoiding his shoulder and chest. Aslan groaned, and slowly opened his eyes. He was in pain; not physical. He was feeling like someone was twisting a hand inside him and squeezing his heart. Her laughter was echoing in his mind and her face was the only thing he could see, whether his eyes were closed or open. Fresh tears fell from his eyes as he looked up and found his two friends looking at him with concern.

“I will die, Ian. I will die without her.” He cried.

“No, you fucking won’t.” Matthew scolded. “What are you? eight? Huh? It happens. Understand, may be this is what Gina must have felt.”

Ian was shocked. “Matt, this isn’t the right time to talk about her.”

“Why not? And you,” He turned back to Aslan, “asshole, get your shit together. You are not crying after her any more. We will find her. But promise me, you won’t hurt her.”

Aslan looked at his friend, but never opened his lips. His head was hurting. “Can I get some painkillers? I am dying here.”

“Fuck.” Matthew growled and searched for the first aid. He filled a glass in his bedroom, and came back. Aslan gulped down the pills, and tried to stand up, but he slipped. Ian and Matthew helped him stand up. They made him strip his wet clothes and Ian handed him a bathrobe. Aslan took the bathrobe and fresh tears fell. “I loved Elena in my bathrobes.”

“Holy shit.” Ian cursed. “Is there anything which doesn’t remind you of her?”

“My life is a reminder of her. She changed me, and then she vanished.”

Ian and Matthew looked at each other with concern. The matter was serious than they had thought. Their friend had turned into Romeo, but instead of dying, his Juliet had fled.

The women from the agency had arrived and were cleaning his room when he arrived in his room for clothes. The woman who was in her early thirties, was cleaning his dressing table and was removing Elena’s stuff, and she felt a strong hand on her neck. “Don’t touch her stuff. Ok? Don’t touch a thing. Who is she? Who called her here?”

The woman was whimpering. Matthew helped her get rid of his friend’s iron grip and Ian took Aslan out of the room.

“What the fuck are you doing? Why was she touching her stuff? Who the hell is she?” Aslan kept screaming while Ian pushed him out and Matthew apologized profusely for his misbehavior.

Ian turned Aslan towards him and slapped him across the face. “Shut up. Just shut up. Enough crying for that woman.”

Aslan lost it then. He gripped Ian’s neck, thrust him against the wall and applied all the pressure, but Ian was not someone to budge, He was not as strong as Aslan, but he could take it.

“One wrong word about her, and I will snap your neck.” Aslan seethed.

“What are you waiting for, then? Go ahead. Do it. Kill your friend for a woman who was in your life for a little while. Upset Elle by screwing me just like you upset Gina. Go ahead.” Ian spoke looking Aslan in the eye.

Aslan left his neck and went to his room.

Mathew was still with the woman. Their cleaning was almost done.

“Everyone, out of this room. Now.” Aslan barked. Matthew glared at his friend but guided the women out. Aslan looked around the room, exited it after pushing Matthew out and turned a key into the hole. He turned to his both friends.

“Now, this door will open the day I find Elena. No one, no one is allowed to taint her memories.”

His hard expression worried his friends and made the women cower.

Aslan thought inwardly, “Elena, the day I find you, I will decorate this room myself.”

Author’s POV

Elle served coffees to Matthew and Ian. Ian took his decaf and Matthew his Latte when Elle spoke, “It’s been three days. Aslan has stopped taking calls. He has not even visited home. Do you guys have any idea where he is?”

“He must be drinking somewhere.” Ian retorted. “I don’t know what to do with him.”

“Well, we can tie him up to his bed. At least we will know where he is.” Elle replied as she sipped her wine.

“He is a bloody Samson, who will crush the bed and free himself and will come after us as if we are his Delilah.” Matt spoke.

“But I am still worried about his Delilah.” Elle spoke absent-mindedly. It didn’t sit well with Ian.

“Worried about her? Fuck, she tried to kill Aslan.” Ian was not thinking much about her. The only fact that she left Aslan was enough to frame her as culprit.

“I am just thinking about her last words. What did she mean by them?” She was looking in the distance at nothing in particular, concentrating hard on Elena’s words.

“I agree.” It was Matt. “We know Aslan too well and we also knew how Elena suddenly became a part of his life. But we never tried to find her story. I mean how did she come into his life all of a sudden and our friend decided to get married?”

“And after what happened at Lucci’s, I was hoping for breakup, but instead I learnt that they were getting married. It was fishy.” Elle added.

“You went to Lucci’s?” It was Ian who was looking at his girlfriend with raised brows.

“You are jealous that I went there while Elena witnessed her boyfriend spanking a stripper.”

“Ouch.” Matt acted hurt.

“Yeah.” Elle said, shaking her head.

“And she agreed to marry him?” Ian was confused now.

“Exactly.” Elle put down her wine glass.

“I think the story goes far deeper than we know. And Aslan has all the answers.” Matt thought loudly this time.

“But where the fuck he is?” Ian growled.

“Finding me?” A slurry voice made them turn their heads and for a second, they couldn’t recognize their friend.

Aslan was dressed in a white shirt which was badly crumpled and not so white anymore, his stubble was turning into a beard, his hairs were unruly and matted, and his hand had dried blood, so did his shirt. His eyes had lost their light and were droopy, with dark circles. He had a bottle in his hand and he was stumbling. “Here. I. Am.” He fell on the floor.

The three of them ran to him and Elle took his head in her lap. “Oh, Aslan.”

“What the fuck, man?” Ian took away the bottle and Matt emptied a water bottle on his face. Aslan shook his head and groaned. He sat up, but then fell face down on the floor.

“Looks like we will have to become his nanny again.” Matt said.

They bathed him, Ian shaved him, and Elle arranged the room. They laid him down on the bed.

“Baby, give me your handcuffs.” Ian said to Elle.

“No, I am not giving them up.”

“Hey, I am not asking for the softer ones, but you can give me the metal ones. It’s not like Aslan is taking them away.” Ian convinced Elle. Both of them talking as if Matthew was not even in the room and he was frowning.

“And I am not interested in knowing you guys have different kinds of handcuffs.” Matthew spoke after a while. Elle and Ian smiled and Elle went out of the room to get what her love had asked for.

Minutes later, Aslan was tucked in bed, with handcuffs on his wrist.