Previously on Love Conflicted…

Read Part 3 HERE

The apartment is dark. To the naked eye, you cannot be sure what time of day it really is. The curtains are drawn. The lights are off. There is a silence unlike any other. Oddly enough the only sound that can be heard is the ticking of her wall clock in the kitchen, and the beeping of the landline signally she has a voice message.

Maggie lays on her bed staring up at the ceiling fan spinning slowly above her.

Losing herself in time as it ticks by; minute after minute, hour after hour, day after day.

It’s been a week since she heard the news about Ricky and digesting that reality still hasn’t happened for her. She feels it never will.

Riddling her mind with what if’s and happy memories. Last moments and conversations.

“What was the last thing I ever said to him?” She thinks.

Maggie sits up. She makes her way, begrudgingly into the kitchen. Her movements are sluggish at best, and she seems to be in a fog. The only literal comparison to such behavior would be the acts of a zombie.

The kitchen comes into view, as Maggie finally reaches into her fridge and sets to eating her first meal in days.

It’s as if in all the heartbreak, she’s withdrawn from life.

Maggie’s house phone begins to ring….and ring…and ring.

She pays no mind to it as she continues to eat her bowl of cereal. The only thing she could muster up “making.”

Her voice mail cuts into the silence.

“Hi it’s Maggie, leave me a message, if you want, or if you don’t, that’s cool too, bye.”

*Beep*

“Hi Mags, it’s Lily again. I haven’t heard from you for quite a bit and you’re not one to disappear on us. The boss has been asking why you haven’t been to work. I assume you’re sick or something. That stomach flu thing has been going around. Anyway I’m worried about you, please just give me a call back.”

Maggie’s job and her friends have been leaving countless messages, wondering where she’s been.

Maggie finishes up her cereal and throws her bowl in the sink, she then slinks back to her bed. And curls up into a ball, drowning herself in her comforter, much like the drowning her heart feels since losing Ricky so suddenly.

Maggie’s cellphone buzzes for the millionth time, it seems. She glances over to it, as it sits on her bedside table.

Maggie reaches for it and goes to her picture gallery, instinctually.

As she scrolls through her pictures, memories of Ricky overpower her. But she doesn’t care; she needed to see him, see them together. She needed to feel close to him.

She tears up and then comes across a video. She hits play.

Ricky comes into Maggie’s living room, shirtless, and holding a cup of coffee.

Maggie: Sleeping beauty is finally up! Good morning my love.

It’s evident that Ricky feels at home there, with Maggie.

It’s evident that their relationship was a very serious one.

Ricky: What are you doing? Are you video-ing me?

Maggie is off screen, just the voice behind the camera phone.

Maggie: (laughs) Yes.

Ricky: Aww man, why?

Maggie: Because you’re cute.

Ricky: Oh really? You think I’m cute?

Maggie: Yup.

Ricky: Well I think you’re cuter.

Maggie: Oh. Just cute?

Ricky: (pretends to think about it as he walks closer to her.) I think you’re sexy. How bout that? Does that work for you?

Maggie: Maybe.

Ricky: (flirtatiously) Shut that thing off and come here.

Maggie: (giggles) No.

Ricky: (glares at her) Yes. Come here.

Ricky starts walking toward the camera

Maggie: You’re gonna have to catch me first.

Maggie laughs backing away.

Ricky laughs following her.

Ricky: Girl, you know I will chase you, come here!

She shrieks, trying to run but he grabs her.

The camera phone knocks onto the couch and it’s angled to the ceiling.

You hear him kiss her as she laughs.

The video cuts there.

Maggie stares at the video, tears streaming down her face.

She gets up out of bed and walks into her living room.

“He was just here. He was so young and full of life. He was so loving. He was the love of my life. And I miss him terribly.” She thinks.

Maggie sits on her couch and hugs a pillow close to her, looking around, remembering the events after that video cut off.

She cries until her eyes run dry. Lately that’s nothing new for her.

Her house phone rings again…straight to voicemail, as usual.

“Hey it’s Lily,… for the hundredth…probably millionth time, are you as sick of receiving these messages as I am of leaving them. I’m coming over.”

Maggie covers herself with a blanket and drifts off to sleep.

It seems like these days, sleep is her only escape. And even then Ricky finds his way into her dreams.

A little while later, a knock is heard at her door.

Maggie huffs and drags herself over to it.

She opens the door to find her best friend and co-worker; Lily.

Lily: Oh my god, so you are alive! Where the hell have you been? I have been worried sick!

Lily takes one look at a puffy eyed, raggedly dressed Maggie and knows something is wrong.

Lily: Oh no. What happened?

Maggie: Ricky’s dead. And I thought I was pregnant with his child, but turns out, I’m not.

Lily looks dumbfounded.

To be continued…

* I do not take credit for any images used in my edits or otherwise,

nor do I take credit for any gifs used.*

P.S. I apologize for my crappy manips, haha, I tried!…I needed some visuals of these two together because I think they would be stunning onscreen together! 😉 And I felt like Candice Accola is the perfect “best friend” so she’s my #dreamcast “Lily.”

-<3-