Nameless
I've been married to my wife, Shannon Ruppert, for ten years, but we've slept in separate beds the entire time.
The day our house catches fire, the flames are so intense that no one dares to approach.
Still, I rush inside, knowing the ceiling could collapse at any moment. Ignoring the pain as my skin burns, I strain to lift the wardrobe pinning her down.
The firefighter who rushes in tells us that, given the severity of the fire, they can only get one of us out.
Without hesitation, Shannon points to Charles Rice, her first love. "I want him to live!"
I feel no anger or resentment. I just ask the question I've never dared to ask. "For the past ten years, you wouldn't let me touch you. Was it because of him?"
Shannon lowers her head and won't look at me. Finally, she lets out a quiet sigh. "I'm sorry. If there is a next life, I'll be a good wife to you."
I smile. Only after hearing the answer from her own lips can I finally let go. If I can't win her heart in this life, I won't want it in the next.
As Shannon stares at me in shock, I hold on to her and jump from the sixth-floor window, positioning myself beneath her to break her fall.
When I open my eyes, I'm back on my way to college for my freshman year.
Without a second thought, I use my dad's connections to transfer to a college as far away from Shannon as possible.
But as I board the high-speed train to Belham University, a girl's voice suddenly rings out from outside the train.
"Matthew, our story isn't over! It never will be!"
I turn and look out the window. Shannon is driving a sports car alongside the speeding train.