Pain In Love

Quote:

"I knew the pain I felt now was here to stay.

In many forms.

Through many nights."

-Melita Tessy

If there's one thing I detest more than anything, it's school. I hate it with every fiber of my being, but not for the reasons you might think. My hatred has a name-Damien Pierce. My twin sister's ex-boyfriend.

He loathes me, and I think I know why. Not that it makes it easier to bear. Deep down, I believe I deserve love, but my mind whispers otherwise. After all, I caused my twin's death. Or should I say, I murdered her?

Why would I say that? It all began back when Emerald was still alive, and Damien was hers.

Before we dive into that mess, have you ever wondered if your life was a book or a movie? I think about it all the time. If my life were a story, the author must be one twisted genius. So, here's my official introduction: My name is Ruby Chantel Parker, and my twin was Emerald Winnie Parker. Beautiful names, right?

Our middle names were inspired by the model Winnie Harlow, thanks to our mother's obsession with her. But enough about names-this is my story.

Flashback: Three Years Ago

"Hey, Rubes! Guess what? Damien and I started dating!" Emerald's voice rang out as she joined me on the porch.

"What?" I blinked, not trusting my ears.

"Don't be like that! Be happy for me." Her smile faltered for a moment, then brightened again. "I know you don't like Damien. You think he's a player. But he's changed, Rubes. He's different now-because of me."

I forced a smile. "That's... great, Emmy."

Andrea, my best friend, gave me a questioning look, mouthing, Are you okay? I nodded, offering a tight-lipped smile.

That summer afternoon, we were all headed to the beach-Damien, Andrea, Justin, Richard, Emerald, and me. But my excitement had evaporated. I went along anyway, not wanting to seem like I was breaking up the group.

I had to watch my sister fawn over the boy I loved. I had to choke down my feelings and pretend it didn't hurt.

Later, we went bowling, and Emmy, feeling tired, asked me to partner with Damien. My nerves were a tangled mess. For a fleeting moment, bowling with him felt like leaping off a waterfall into refreshing water on a scorching summer day. But that fleeting happiness? It vanished as quickly as it came.

Damien turned to me during a quiet moment and asked, "Why do you hate me? Why didn't you just tell me what you thought instead of going to Emerald?"

I opened my mouth, but before I could respond, Emerald appeared. "Hey, guys, it's getting late. Let's head home before it gets too dark."

And just like that, the moment was gone.

Present Day

I snapped out of my memories when I saw Damien standing in front of me. He was flanked by his new friends-loud, obnoxious boys who never missed a chance to corner and torment me. Since Emmy died, Damien had become colder, angrier, and more brooding. He bullied me relentlessly, yet my stupid heart refused to hate him.

Andrea said it was unhealthy, that I should let go of my feelings for him. But how do you stop loving someone who's both your tormentor and the love of your life?

Today, Damien didn't say anything as his friends threw their usual jabs. He just stood there, looking distant, broody. And then it hit me-today was the anniversary of Emmy's death. The realization made my knees weak.

Somehow, I managed to escape and run home.

Flashback: A Year Ago

I sat at Emmy's grave, tears streaming down my face. "I'm so sorry, Em. I miss you so much. Damien's been awful, and I just... I don't know what to do anymore."

The sound of snapping twigs broke my thoughts.

I turned to see Damien. He looked disheveled, his steps unsteady. His eyes burned with anger as he spotted me.

"What gives you the right to be here?" he spat, his voice venomous. "You killed her, Ruby. You killed Emerald. And now you come here like you care?"

"Damien, I-"

"I hate you. Do you hear me? I hate you so much. You're a murderer, Ruby. You should just kill yourself and make the world a better place."

He stepped toward me, and I instinctively moved back. This went on until I hit a tree. His hands wrapped around my throat, squeezing tighter and tighter.

"Eli, please!" I choked. "You're hurting me. I swear, I'll never come here again. I won't even say her name. Please, stop!"

For a moment, his grip loosened. Then his eyes darkened again.

"Don't call me that," he hissed. "If you ever call me that again, I'll kill you. Do you understand?"

I nodded, gasping for air as he finally let me go.

Present Day

The buzzing of my phone dragged me out of the memory. I grabbed it to find 12 missed calls and six texts from Andrea. But what stopped me cold was the single text from Damien.

Eli: "Hey, slut. I hope you're ready to kill yourself. And I hope you go to hell."

My heart shattered. Tears streamed down my face as I collapsed to the floor.

"Damien... if I die, will you really be happy