That Dreadful Night

Bella wore a black dress. Black always had a slimming effect. She wore gold necklace with matching earrings.

She was dressed very simple but looked extremely beautiful.

Henry was at her door on time. Bella is the one who was never on time.

That night they dined at a restaurant on the beach. They talked about her past. Her mother. Growing up in Nigeria. She learnt a few things about Henry too.

Apart from being a rich spoil kid, Henry never truly had a life. He never really had a childhood.

He was trained to do adult things at the tender age of 8. His father always told him that to be a man he had to learn early and instead of playing he would be at work with his dad.

Henry loved spending time with Isabella. Her spirit was free. When she laughed her soul laughed.

After dinner they walked on the beach, stopping after every few steps, exchanging spit.

"I love you Isabella...", he said. These words shocked her.

She knew Henry liked her a lot. But he said the L.O.V.E word. ��I love you too Henry," she said as her lips trembled.

Looking at her with combination of love and pity in his eyes, Henry said "I don't know where this road will lead or how far it will end...but I know this much is true...I am in love with you and I want you for myself".

Isabella could not respond with words. She embraced him for as long as he could manage.

This very moment was perfect. She never imagined that anyone could make her so happy.

She admitted to Henry that she fell in love with him the very first time they met.

"I always wanted to feel exactly how I am feeling now she admitted. "But I didn't want it to be with a man who's already taken ", she said trying to hold back the tears.

"We will figure it out my love," Henry said using a finger to dry her tears.

"Let's go home. I am cold," Bella said.

But Bella wasn't really cold. She wanted to lay down with Henry.

Henry drove Bella to his apartment. He kept looking at how peaceful and happy she looked. He held and squeezed her hands while he drove.

Bella was very happy indeed but somewhere in her mind she knew she was on the wrong path.

She knew she would be at the losing end of the stick somehow.

When they arrived at Henry's apartment, he noticed a black van packed not too far from his home but he brushed it off as nothing.

His concentration was entirely on Bella. He was trying to find ways to please her. To make her happy. Even if it was temporary.

Henry was a bit tipsy and couldn't take his hands off his woman. She wasn't' helping either especially when she looked so desirable.

"Dance with me like you did the first time we met,", Henry said. "You remembered," she asked, with a big grin on her face.

Henry held her and danced with her again. There was no music in the background. Their body language was enough to create sweet sounds.

Bella and Henry danced. Held each other. Kissed each other. Made love to each other.

They explored every part of Henry's house. Trails of their clothes led to the bedroom where they created memories. Memories that no one could speak about.

"Henry...I don't want this moment to end...I've never loved another the way I love you...I don't understand...", she admitted.

Henry kissed her softly. Exploring EVERY part of her body with his lips. The fire ignited again.

Their passion went on for hours before they both fell sleep soundly in each other's arms.

It was around 3:am when Henry was awakened by the sound of what appeared to be footsteps on the Balcony.

He slowly slipped his hands in the drawer next to his bed, grabbing his pistol.

He had security camera's all over the house. If someone broke in then they surely wouldn't make it alive he thought. Bella woke up by the movement of Henry.

What's the matter?", she whispered. "shhhrrr", Henry said placing his finger on her lip.

He kissed her lips saying "I love you".

Henry moved slowly from the bed while Isabella covered herself with the sheet. Her heart was racing. She was scared. She didn't understand what was happening.

She also heard footsteps in the house. She thought it could have been Williams, Henry's partner.

But from the way Henry was moving, she knew it was more than that.

Henry asked Bella to stay put while he tiptoed to the living room, leaving her in the bedroom.

He didn't see anyone but he knew someone was there.

As he made his way back to the bedroom someone smashed through the bedroom glass window, entering from a sling.

The man was dressed in black and his face was covered with a mask.

Shots were fired on the bed as Bella screamed from the top of her lungs. "Henryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!.

Henry fired shots at the intruder too. He was down. Henry rushed on him, finishing him on the bedroom floor, causing blood to splash all over the walls.

He looked across at Isabella on the bed covered in blood. She wasn't moving.

Henry rushed to her, pulling the sheets, looking frantically for the gunshot wound. She was shot in the chest.

He grabbed his cellphone and called 9-11 while holding his woman in one had.

"Stay with me baby...Stay with me...", he sobbed as Bella's eyelids fluttered.

She was barely breathing. Gasping for air every couple of seconds. Blood was oozing from her mouth.

Henry tried to stop the bleeding by compressing the wound.

"Isabella this is all my fault...I'm sorry...Lord help me", Henry screamed holding her lifeless body in his hands.

"Stay Bella...I'm here. I'm not moving. I'm not going...You can't die on me...This is not happening" he cried.

Henry moved closer to the dead man's body while holding Bella's motionless body in his arms.

The man was clearly dead, drowning in a pool of his own blood on the floor.

He uncovered his face. Henry had never seen this man before.

He reached in the man's pocket to find any clue of who he could have been but only found only a cellphone.

He dialed the last number from the man's mobile. Sarah was on the other end. Henry hung up in devastation.