Valentine's Heartbreak

So I'm a month behind in writing this piece of the story... Anyway, this is the continuation of the story that began here and here)

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Julianne rose on shaky legs. Her eyes stung from lack of sleep and unshed tears. A wave of nausea washed over her when she realized the date.

February 14.

She reached for the book on her night stand. The edges were tattered and slightly torn. Julianne pressed the well-worn pages to her heart as she made her way downstairs.

The remnants of a fire still flickered in the hearth. Staring at the flames, the tears finally began to side down Julianne's cheeks. Clutching the book to her chest, she made her way to the bar. Her usual glass of Chardonnay wouldn't be strong enough tonight. Instead, she reached onto the top shelf, fingers grasping for something far stronger.

She found the bottle of Johnny Walker Blue and poured herself a very tall one. Slugging back the first shot for liquid courage, Julianne began to read the words she had memorized long ago...

Not that she needed the words. The world might view their creation as a steamy piece of fiction, but this was the story of her life. Of the relationship that defined her. Of the love of her life.
He started it with the first chapter, describing for her, in graphic detail, how he envisioned their first encounter in over five years. The story built on itself, each of them taking turns telling their story.

In the beginning, words were all they had. But, in spite of all the obstacles before them, they rekindled their relationship one very memorable valentines day several years ago. Despite the rings which attached them to others, there was no denying they were still very much in love with each other.

She fell asleep in his arms, sated and positively blissful, after hours in bed with the love of her life. When he left her side hours later, her body immediately registered the loss. She found him in her office, hunched over her desk, writing furiously.

That night he started a new tradition. Every year, they were together on Valentine's Day and each year they wrote another chapter of their story. Sometimes they were his deeply erotic words poured onto the page just for her. Other times she filled the pages with sensual images for him. But her favorite times were when they wrote the chapters together.

More tears slid down her cheeks as she settled herself at the desk, running her fingers over the cherry wood as her lover had once done. Turning to the next available page, Julianne pulled out a pen and began to write.

I can hardly believe that we won't be together tonight. It has been months and my heart still hasn't mended, my body hasn't stopped aching for your touch. And I still can't wrap my head around the idea that we will never be together again.

Sobs overtook her. Taking a large slug of Blue, she allowed herself to fully indulge in her misery.
"Kevin," she whispered. "I am so sorry. For my part in all this. For not being strong enough to stop it."

Julianne closed her eyes against the world and prayed - that the pain would go away and that Summers would catch the son of a bitch before he completed his plan.

Gathering the tattered pages and her resolve, Julianne rose on unsteady feet. Her eyes burned with lack of sleep and unshed tears. And she thought, not for the first time, of the bottle of sleeping pills in her medicine cabinet.

Sleep. It sounded so good...to finally be at peace and be with her Kevin again. But she would go on. She was not meant to be the Calendar Killer's next victim.