Page 6 of Kobra's Opal

I spotted her swaying body walking up the street, and I put my foot down, roaring up a block before pulling in and parking the bike.

She was avoiding me. I had gone to her house three times. Lights were always off and no sign of life. That told me she was staying somewhere else, so she didn’t have to deal with me arriving on her doorstep again.

People stepped out of my walk as I walked down the street, heading towards her. I was used to people stepping out of my way. As if they could catch my criminal record, or something. She was looking down at her phone, when I saw her walking towards me, on autopilot.

I paused, standing directly in her path. Her eyes flickered off her phone and up, as if she sensed someone was in her way. Then her eyes did a double take.

Did she really think she could avoid me forever?

I told her when I collected Holly’s things. I didn’t deny the pull to her anymore. Yet her eyes are on me like she is shocked I tracked her down.

“Opal,” I said, standing in front of her. I glanced at her phone, then back into her sea-blue eyes. “You busy?”

I watched her expression and I think she was debating to come up with an excuse.

I arched my eyebrows when she didn’t answer.

“What do you want Kobra?” She sighed asking, lowering her phone down. Her tone told me she wasn’t in a mood for a fight. In fact, everything about her right now. From the way she was standing to the hollowness in her eyes—told me something was wrong.

“What’s wrong?” I immediately asked. “And don’t lie.” I added.

I see the ghosts of her problems haunt her face for a moment. Then I see the tears slowly build in her eyes. She fights them back, but I know my girl—she’s breaking and while I didn’t know what was causing her to break. I just hoped it wasn’t me.

“Opal, do you wanna talk about it?” I offered again to listen to her. Like I had the night I collected Holly’s things. I could tell something was eating at her. Scaring her, even. Opal pushes people away, she doesn’t let people in easily.

She always struggled to trust people. I can’t say that I had done anything worth gaining her trust again. But she knows deep down I don’t judge.

Glancing at the café we had stopped out the front of. I gripped her arm and pulled her in. Heading to the back of the small café, into a booth.

“Kobra,” She sighed. But I gave her a pointed look, and so she moved into the booth.

“We’re talking about it.” I said firmly and slid in opposite her. “Ya can’t keep letting whatever it is, eat at you, darling. You look like your drowning.”

She held back tears.

“So tell me, what is the problem that you are drowning in?” I paused for a moment. “Is it our son?”

“No, he is fine,” she was quick to say. “He’s actually really well. Growing and each time I visit he’s learnt something new.” Her eyes dropped to the coaster in front of her.

“Then what is it?”

Her eyes flickered to mine. Her mouth tremored slightly and then she sighed.

“I thought I had my life together, and I don’t.” she placed her phone down on the table. “I’m losing everything that makes me, me. So I can be this woman.” Her words confused me, but I didn’t question her about it. “I’m nothing Kobra.” Her eyes flashed back to mine. “I’m a hooker who couldn’t even look after her own son. I have no one.” Tears swelled in her eyes. “Not one person cares if I wake up tomorrow or not. Not even my own mother.” She added with a scoff.

I see her breaking and I don’t know how to keep her together. I glanced at the tattoo peaking out from her top, my name. Did she really think she had no one? My name was tattooed on her chest. She always had me. In saying that, I hadn’t been around or even a fixture in her life for nearly six years.

I pushed her away. Only to try to get her back, then to let her walk out of my life. But now as I sat here. I realised the damage I had done to her, by letting her walk out.

“Opal,”

“Don’t,” She cut me off. “Don’t give me empty promises of you being here for me. We both know you and I aren’t. . .” she glanced up at me. “we aren’t right together.”

“There is a lot of shit I don’t know and get right. But,” I locked my eyes with hers. “you and I. We’re right, Opal. We just haven’t had the right timing.”

“Timing? Is that what you call it?” She titled her head, her voice going up with anger. “You left me at a train station. Then a year later. I tell you about our son. I needed you to fight for us. You let me walk away.” She summed up our tainted history. “You and I will never have the right timing. History proves that.”

“Bullshit. All our history proves, is we love each other and I fuck up repeatedly.” I wasn’t letting her put up that shield of fake coldness towards me. “You love me, Opal, and ya will always love me.”

---