His first love

Alina

"Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad." My voice trembled as I knelt on the damp grass of the cemetery.

I placed a bouquet of white lilies on the two marble headstones in front of me.

Richard and Cynthia Sterling.

I traced the letters of their names with my fingers. I had so much to tell them. I wanted to tell them about the baby. I wanted to tell them that their little girl was going to be a mother.

But the words stuck in my throat.

How could I tell them that the man they saved, the man they died for, didn't love me? How could I tell them that the father of my child didn’t even want the child?

I didn't know how much time had passed. But when I looked around, the sky was dark with heavy clouds, in the distance, thunders were blazing.

I wiped a tear from my cheek and stood up. I didn't want to leave but I couldn't afford to get sick.

I turned around to head back to the main path.

As soon as I looked forward, my heart stopped.

About fifty feet away, walking under the shadow of an old tree, was a tall man in a black coat.

Next to him was a woman with golden hair, clinging to his arm as if she couldn't stand on her own.

Liam. And Amily.

I froze. I wanted to run. I wanted to hide behind a tombstone. But my feet were glued to the ground.

Liam looked up. His eyes locked onto mine.

For a second, I saw shock on his face.

Then, it turned into anger. Pure, cold anger.

He said something to Amily, then strode toward me. His long legs ate up the distance between us.

Amily followed him, looking confused but effortlessly beautiful in her black dress.

"I didn't think you would stoop this low, Julie.” Liam spat as he reached me.

I took a step back and clutched my purse to my chest. I had no idea what he was saying. "Liam, I…"

"Are you following me?" He asked. His eyes were dark, scanning my face with disgust. "Did you check my location? Is that it? You saw I was out, so you tracked me down like some jealous, crazy ex-girlfriend?"

"No!" I shook my head frantically. "I didn't know you were here! I swear!"

"Oh, please," Liam scoffed. "You expect me to believe that? We are in a cemetery, Julie. You hate places like this. You are only here because you are obsessed with controlling me."

"Liam, stop." Amily said softly as she stepped up beside him and placed a gentle hand on his chest.

I looked at her hand. It looked so natural there. Like it belonged.

"She probably just misunderstood." Amily said, looking at me with wide, innocent eyes. "Julie, we aren't doing anything wrong. We are just visiting a friend of mine who passed away years ago. Liam was kind enough to drive me. That's all."

She smiled at me. It was a kind smile but it made my stomach turn.

She was the nice one. She was the angel. And I was the crazy, jealous wife.

"I…” I had to take a deep breath to speak. “I don't care why you are here." I paused and swallowed the lump on throat. "And I wasn't following you. I was just leaving."

I tried to walk past them.

Liam grabbed my arm. "Don't lie to me." He growled. "You don't get to act the victim. You followed me."

"I didn't!" I cried out.

"Come here." He started dragging me. He pulled me toward a grave a few yards away the one they had been standing near.

"Liam, you are hurting me!" I gasped, trying to pry his fingers off my arm. I was terrified he would hurt the baby.

"Look!" He pointed at the headstone. "'Sarah Jenkins.' Amily's childhood friend. That is why we are here. See? Nothing wrong here. Just me being a decent human being to a grieving friend. Something you clearly don't understand."

"I believe you!" I yelled. But tears were already stinging my eyes. "Just let me go!" I tried to yank my arm back with all my strength.

Liam let go suddenly. I stumbled back, losing my balance. My elbow swung out wildly and hit Amily square in the chest.

"Oh!" Amily gasped. She stumbled back in her high heels, tripping over a tree root. She fell onto the grass.

"Amily!" Liam roared.

He rushed to her side and knelt down instantly. He looked at her like she was made of glass.

"Are you okay?" His voice was filled with a panic I had never heard him use for me.

"I am fine." Amily winced as she rubbed her arm. "It was an accident. She didn't mean it."

Liam stood up slowly. He turned to face me. If looks could kill, I would be buried right next to my parents.

"Apologize." He commanded, leaving no room for argument.

I stood there, trembling. I was the one he had dragged. I was the one he had bruised. But he was looking at me like I was a monster.

"It was an accident." I whispered. "You grabbed me..."

"You hurt her." Liam stepped closer, towering over me. "Because you are jealous. Because you are petty. Apologize to her. Now."

I looked at Amily who was watching us from the ground with pity in her eyes. I looked at Liam, the father of my child, looking at me with pure hatred.

Something inside me broke.

"No." I said.

Liam looked stunned. "What did you say?"

"I said no." I wrapped my coat tighter around myself. "I am not apologizing. I am going home."

I turned my back on him and started walking. I walked fast, my head down, tears streaming down my face.

I just wanted to get to my car. I just wanted to escape.

"Walk away then!" Liam shouted after me. His voice echoed through the silent cemetery. "Run away like a coward! You have no respect, Julie! You have no heart! You follow us here and ruin a moment of grief just to make a scene!"

I stopped.

The wind blew my hair across my face.

You have no heart.

I couldn't take it anymore.

I wiped my face with the back of my hand. I took a deep breath that rattled in my chest. Then, I turned around.

Liam was helping Amily up. He looked at me, annoyed that I had stopped.

"What now?" He snapped. "Are you going to throw another tantrum?"

I stared at him. I stared at the man my parents had died saving.

I raised a shaking hand and pointed to the two grey headstones behind me, the ones I had been kneeling in front of when he found me. The ones with the fresh white lilies.

"I wasn't following you, Liam." I said calmly, making sure my words reached him.

Hearing what I said, Liam frowned.

"I didn't know you were here.” I continued, my voice breaking on a sob. "I was here to visit my parents."

He went still. His eyes flicked to the headstones I was pointing at. He read the names.

Richard and Cynthia Sterling.

The color drained from his face.

He had forgotten. He had forgotten where they were buried. He had forgotten that today was the anniversary of the day they saved his life.

"They are buried right there." I whispered. "I just wanted to say hello to my mom and dad."

I didn't wait for his answer. I didn't wait to see the guilt if he was even capable of feeling it wash over him.

I turned back around and walked away, leaving my husband and his first love standing in the silence of my grief.