LOVING HIM TO DEATH

“No… no, no, no!”

I stumbled back, my hands trembling.

Panic and fear gripped me.

The AC suddenly felt so chilly and the room almost freezing.

My head was spinning as thoughts ran through them, even though I couldn’t focus on a particular thing.

“Calm down, Liz…. calm down. There is no need to panic,” I said to myself as my stomach hurled, churning loudly as if I was going to burp.

I found my phone and tried to dial 911 but stopped.

Was this the right thing to do?

With unsteady steps, I wavered to the bar and poured myself a shot of vodka.

The alcohol hit hard and sharp.

I steadied myself by the table and poured one more shot.

Then I stared back at the body.

I had a dead man in the room that the hotel knew I was sharing with him.

There was no way I was going to be in trouble.

Calling the police was going to be a very bad idea.

I went back to him and checked for a pulse.

Just as I had suspected.

Nothing.

His body was still warm.

Had he had a heart attack?

No!

He wasn’t the type to have a heart attack.

He was young and strong.

Why would he have a heart attack?

I looked around for his phone.

I unlocked it. I knew his passcode.

I read through his messages.

There had been no upsetting messages.

No funny calls.

Had he eaten something?

Maybe I should call the police, I thought to myself again.

I walked to the wardrobe and pulled out a dress.

Hastily dressing up, my mind raced on what my next action was going to be.

I knew I loved Lionel, but not too much to go to prison or become a laughing stock because of him.

How would my parents look at me if they found out?

If the news got out.

Lionel Baron was a powerful and very wealthy man.

His death was sure to make the news, and everyone would definitely want to know who had been with him last.

The situation looked worse than his wild eyes that stared back at me.

My nerves began to jitter again and I pulled myself another shot before I dialed the only person who could help me.

“I’m fucked,” I said as she picked the call.

“Calmly tell me everything.”

“There is no time. I need a distraction to get the hell out of this hotel room,” I said.

“Why? What’s going on?” she asked, sounding very calm and collected.

I was furious.

I didn’t want to hear her robotic voice and definitely didn’t want to deal with her calm demeanor right now.

The drinks were the only thing keeping me from jumping through the window or fleeing down the stairs out of that hotel room.

“Everything. I…. can’t quite explain it, but I need to leave this room right now. I need to breathe. I may go crazy if I stay one more minute here,” I rapped out.

“Where is Lionel?” she asked.

Lionel? The sound of his name in her voice released it all.

The tears!

“Liz? Where is he?” she asked again.

“Here. He is here…. dead!” I sniffed.

A very long pause.

“You killed him?”