"-last thing I see. I want you to know it's enough for me. 'Cause all that you are is all that I'll ever need. I'm so in love, so in lo-"
"So in love my arse," he grumbled under his breath while turning the radio off. Such sweet songs had always managed to spoil away his mood, considering his own love-life was much more in the trash-worthy category.
It was way past midnight now, and he still had not gone back home. Home - if it could even be called that. His home was a place he retired to when, and only when, he was exhausted beyond measures and his boss won't allow him to kip it in the garage.
Sighing he rolled down the windows and allowed cool air to rush inside the taxi. He read the time off his worn-out wrist watch to see how many more hours he could squeeze in before he'd have to head back to the garage.
It read 2:30. "An hour or two more then," he mused to himself.
He stuck his head out the window to check himself in the side mirror. His eyes were bloodshot, a clear indication of lack of sleep; and his face was covered with a week's old stubble and wrinkles - not from old age though, he was barely thirty. The lines masking his face were a proof of hard work that had not been justly rewarded, rather than age-old wisdom.
Rubbing a tired hand down his face, he willed himself to smile and then took the taxi out of parking.
About twenty minutes later, driving down a specifically lit-up street, he had almost given up hope on finding a passenger.
"One would've thought there'd be drunken people looking for a safe ride home on New Year's Eve," he angrily muttered under his breath. Just as he was about to take a turn to the next block, he saw a couple waving him down. Thanking his lucky stars that had, for once, decided to actually provide him with luck, he quickly turned back around and towards the couple. However, his smile soon turned into a grimace.
His soon-to-be passengers consisted of a black-haired girl and a brown-haired guy. They were both dressed up in rather fancy clothing. Probably out from an equally fancy party, he darkly thought to himself. They were both obviously drunk, but not so much as to completely be out of it. Though what caused the frown to appear on his face was the fact that they looked oh so in love with each other as they stood there, contently waiting for their hailed taxi.
The guy opened the door, "In you go, my dear."
"Such a gentleman you are," remarked the girl with barely concealed mirth before sliding inside the taxi. The brunet followed her and closed the door after himself.
"Where to?" he asked.
"Uh... just up to 6th lake avenue, mate."
Cool air rushed in through the opened windows, but it wasn't enough to calm his nerves. He couldn't help but glance back at the couple through the rear-view mirror and feel envious. The gold bands round their ring fingers indicated they were married. And the giggling and hushed, soft voices indicated that they were in fact very much in love too.
All the while the only thing he could wonder was that why couldn't he be as happy as them? They were obviously younger than him and yet had been able to find true love, while he was stuck in the same old swamp he'd always been in.
His knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel to keep a lid on his emotions. Already he had been feeling down tonight, seeing people celebrating the New Year all around him while he was barely floating in the sea of his never-ending sorrows. Then just as if the Universe was trying to rub it in his face, this happy... this... this perfect dream couple popped right in front of him.
Buildings, street lights, cars, everything raced past his side vision in a quick blur. He felt so numb and yet so angry, all at the same time, that it was getting hard to concentrate on actually driving.
"Slow it down a bit, mate. We'd like to reach home with our bodies intact," the guy commented from the back seat.
As if breaking free from a trance, his head snapped towards the speedometer. He was going well above the speed limit and it was a miracle in itself that he had not been pulled over yet.
However, the very next second his thoughts took a complete 180 degree turn, deciding that having been pulled over would've definitely been better.
It all happened in a blur then: unintentionally crossing the red-light and then being caught in the spotlight - or rather the headlight of the coming trolley.
"Shit!" he cursed.
It was too late though, and he knew it. He tried to swerve the car but he wasn't fast enough.
The trolley collided with the taxi from the side, smack in the middle of the front and back door. In slow motion, the impact caused the taxi to roll over and take a few turns before finally crashing into a nearby tree.
Blood trickled down his face as he hung upside-down, strapped to the seat with the seatbelt. He glanced in the rear-view mirror and saw the brunet lying unconscious, already in a puddle of red. The girl was on top of him and his arms were still tightly wound around her waist. With a mixture of awe and horror he realised that the guy had protected his wife from the fall when the car had rolled over.
His last thoughts then, before he too went into a possible eternal slumber, did not consist of his own wife or his own horrible life, but of the crushing realisation that he had possibly ruined someone else's.
___________________________________________
OH MY GOD I MISSED YOU ALL SO MUCH! IT'S BEEN SO LONG! BUT PLEASE DON'T HATE ME!! I WAS BUSY GIVING MY A LEVELS PAPERS!!
*hides behind a barricade and offers candy*
truce? *smiles hopefully*
Okay so business-talk-time, this is the prologue. I'm really hoping for all yours' support for this story because I've been engrossed in writing this for quite some time now. Had it not been for my A levels papers, I would've uploaded this long ago. Honestly speaking, I'm so desperately in love with this story that it's not even funny anymore!
Anyways, please do vote and comment. I'm uploading chapter one right along with the prologue so that you guys can get a hint of the actual story. I'm hoping, and praying, that this story won't disappoint you.
Vote, comment and share, my beauties.
P.S I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ABOUT FRIENDS WITH STRANGE BENEFITS! The problem is that my writing has actually improved by a load since when I started writing it. The latest chapters of it are good but the starting ones (up till about chapter 10 or so) aren't that good. And honestly speaking, it's a bit embarrassing. Especially when new people in book clubs or such read it and point out the errors I know it has. I love Alli and Alex and it just breaks my heart that the stupid grammar and structure of my writing over-shadow the characters. So, I've planned to re-write the starting chapters. It won't take long, a month at the worst, and then I'll be uploading new chapters. However I do request that you guys read it from the start again. Pretty please? AND I LOVE YOU ALL FOR READING AND LOVING IT THOUGH, DESPITE THE MILLIONS OF FAULTS IT HELD. I AM IN NO WAY UNDERESTIMATING YOU GUYS! THE RANDOM MESSAGES I KEPT ON GETTING THROUGH THE PAST MONTH ON WHEN I WAS GOING TO UPDATE FSWB AND HOW YOU LOVE IT, IS WHAT KEPT ME GOING AND PICKED BACK UP MY DESTROYED CONFIDENCE! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, GUYS! THANK YOU!
love,
-zainab.
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The Boy She Left Behind ✓
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