Love's Labours Lost II

Love's Labours Lost II(Courtney Meakin) Love’s Labour’s Lost

She was beautiful and Nathan looked at her in adoration. The light shone down on Helen’s hair, it was ice white, and it shone in the dark evening light. Perfection was not the word. She was wearing a flowing white wedding dress and a golden tiara which was striking against her smoky eyes. She was walking towards him to the pace of the slow eerie music. He was blissfully happy. He fell more in love every time their eyes locked.

They took their vows never letting their gaze falter. “I, Nathan Sinclaire, take you, Helen Dolan, to be my wedded wife. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part.” He promised an eternity together without faltering. He wanted to spend his life with her. She was…his angel, his saving grace, his only love.

Nathan looked up into the smiling eyes of his best man, and best friend, Jev. He owed everything to Jev, he had convinced him to go to Helen, his first and only love from his days at college. Jev had spotted him £100 and travelled with him to California, to find Helen and to win her back. Jev had been behind him ever since their first day in nursery. He was confident that Jev would always have his back. Always.

Adam watched as she stepped into the carriage. She was an angel. She laid her head on his shoulder and a warm surge of love and hope for a bright future washed over them both.

…five years later…

Nathan stared at the cctv screen. An empty hallway stared back. 10:45 blinked at him on the screen. He let out a sigh and got up, out of his chair to do one more round. Nathan hated his job. It was mind numbing. The sleep deprivation was painful, and so was his wage. But he didn’t care, it was all for Helen. To keep the little flat they shared together, and to keep Helen happy. She loved to shop and filled the little flat with designer stuff they would never need, and never use. Her collection of shoes was bordering on ridiculous.

But he loved her. He called it, his labour of love.

He finally got back to the cramped surveillance room just as the digital clock flicked over to 10:00. An hour earlier than usual, he had kept it a secret to surprise Helen. It would take half an hour to get home and the drive was painful after hours of watching a grey, unchanging screen. He would think of Helen, the thought of her sinking into his arms the way she did every night.

After that slow tiring drive his brain was working so slowly he didn’t even notice Jev’s jet black Porsche parked on the pavement outside the flat. Nathan hauled himself up the stairs two at a time his muscles burning and tired. So tired he didn’t even noticed Jev’s polished black shoes tucked neatly behind the door, or Jev’s coat hanging on the coat peg, or Jev’s shirt thrown carelessly over the sofa.

He threw the light on as he wandered into the bedroom. Nathan stopped. He froze. His face was horror stricken “Nathan…” Helen and Jev said in unison still wrapped in an embrace.

Nathan left the flat, calmly and quietly, only pausing to pick one object from the drawer and he strode out. He drove for hours before he found himself at Drayton Beach. He knew it well from his childhood. Tears rolled from Nathan’s eyes as a cold realisation washed over him. Everything he had done in life was for Helen, every second he had worked was for her and he had trusted Jev with his life. Now he had lost all reason. He thought ironically about a quote he had heard somewhere, a long time ago, ‘there is no evil angel but love’ and he grimaced at the truth of it.

Nathan raised the pistol up to his head. He put his finger on the trigger. He smiled oddly and said in a weak, defeated voice “till death do us part”

And squeezed.