Within The Fangs Of Love (ANDLEY)

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The ice cold air was always soothing when it needed to be. The rain had just started falling when I walked out the door. The scene in front of me was troublesome and full of heartbreak.

I can't believe what I just saw. I wrapped my arms tighter into my chest, feeling the bone chilling rain soaking me wet. I didn't care if I got sick though. I don't care about anything at the moment.

Juliet. You fucking bitch. I should have known this would have happened. God, I was such an idiot not to see it before.

I had just walked in on my girlfriend having sex with another man.

I just came home early, wanting to surprise her with an anniversary dinner. It's been six months since we met.

Or, it was...

I angrily kicked the water at my feet. Leaning back into the wall of the alleyway, trying to escape the water filled streets. I felt my skin crawling with the cold, my hair sopping wet, eyeliner running down my face.

Every time I found happiness, it was ripped out of my soul and shattered into tiny pieces. I feel the hot tears waiting to spill over. It's raining, and I'm crying. Not like anyone would notice. I slowly slide to the ground, wishing I didn't exist. I pull out my phone, luckily, the rain hasn't gotten to it yet, so it wasn't wet.

I called Ash, knowing he would be able to help me. The phone rings, and soon after he picks up.

"Hey Andy, what's going on? I thought you were going to surprise Juliet?" he says, noticing the thundering rain in the background.

"Where are you?" It sound like your in the shower!" he yells into the phone, clearly upset.

"Ash, I walked in on her having sex with a guy..." I silently sob to myself, hoping we would hear.

He doesn't say a word, nothing is heard but the sound of the rain. A large 'thump' is heard from the background.

"Ash, what was that?" I cry silently into the phone.

"That was my fist saying 'Hi' to the wall. Now, since it's raining out, and I don't want you to catch pneumonia, where are you!? I'm coming to pick you up." he asks slowly.

"In an alleyway, near that pizza place Jake loves so much..." I trail off, feeling tired and alone.

"I'll be there soon, you can stay at my place for the night!" he says, hanging up.

Not five minutes later, his black truck pulls up beside the curb, and I sprint over, still shaking, my eyes red and puffy from crying, and jump into the car. He gives me a small smile and throws a towel in my face. I pick it up and dry myself off on the way back to his apartment.

He quickly pulls into his apartment complex, and we dart through the heavy rain into the warm, dry building. He leads me to the elevator, where we go up to the fifth floor. He walks down the hallway, stopping at Room 504 and leads me in.

His place is small, but enough to invite about ten friends over without them breaking something. He disappears into the hallway for a few seconds, coming back out with some spare clothes and another towel.

"Bathroom's over there! I'll have a coffee waiting for you when you get out!" he says happily, noticing I'm still shivering from the ice cold wind that had bit at my face earlier. I quickly walk over to the bathroom, hoping in and turning on the warm water.

It feels good to have the water running over my body,  warming me up and keeping me safe in it's steam cocoon. I almost don't want to get out, but eventually, I have to. I turn the water off, slipping on the spare clothes of Ashes and staring at my clean face in the mirror.

No more eyeliner running down my face. My eyes still red and puffy.

God, why did she do it? Am all I used for is bragging rights and money purposes?

I don't want to know. Opening the bathroom door and shutting the light off, I join Ash on his couch, looking over at the two cups of coffee he made. I slowly pick mine up, staring into it for a good minute before taking a small sip.

He gives me a small look, almost as if to say 'Hey, are you okay?'. Well, I'm not. I'm not okay.

I try to hide back tears, but they fall anyway. He pulls me into a bear hug, whispering into my ear.

"It's okay, she doesn't deserve a great guy like you anyway! Your too perfect for bratty bitch like her!"

"Oh, please Ash, I'm hardly perfect..." I trail off between sobs.

"You are to me..." he trails off, a frown playing at his lips. His eyes full of sadness, as if to say 'Why can't you see that...'.

"Thanks for letting me stay the night." I say, wiping tears away from my face with the sleeve of the borrowed shirt.

"No problem! I'd do it for you anytime! Just call before it rains next time, I really don't wanna see you sick." he says, pulling away from me and looking into my eyes. I blush slightly, looking away from him. Why am I blushing?

"I'm too stubborn to be sick, ever." I say, feeling tired again. I take another sip of my coffee, not wanting to go to sleep any time soon.

"Kay, I'll hold you up to that!" he says, and with that, he gets up and takes his empty cup of coffee into the kitchen. I lay back into the couch, wondering about Juliet. What could I have done better to make her not stray away...

Or maybe what she wanted all along was the fame of being a lead singer in a bands girlfriend.

I sigh and feel more tears waiting to fall. Closing my eyes, and letting one last tear fall from my eyes, I finish the cup of coffee, wiping away the tear with the sleeve of the shirt and setting the cup in the sink.

Ashley walks into his room, pointing down the hallway towards the guest room.

"Night Andy!" he says, disappearing into the darkness. I turn all the lights off and head to the room, falling onto the bed and lying on my back, wishing life weren't so difficult.

I think about the band, Juliet, and my own rain filled thoughts for a few minutes, before turning on my side and looking out the window. The tiny water droplets sticking to the window and sliding down slowly.

"Night Ash..." I say into the darkness, afraid that the peace won't last for long.