Never Get to Heaven • cl16

• prologue •

Bea had been wandering for a while. She hadn't paid attention to how much time had passed; solely focussing on putting one foot in front of the other. Left, right, left, right...

She lit a cigarette, unsure how many she had smoked since she started walking, and knew that when she returned home, there would more than likely be a snarky comment made by her boyfriend. He hated how much she smoked, especially when she was stressed. Bea had started to realise that there were many things that her boyfriend didn't particularly like about her, including the way she dressed, her job, her smoking, and even her choice of friends. While he never outright said all of this to her, his little comments and 'advice' had begun to grate her.

Bea met her boyfriend, Adam, in her final year at university. He studied to be a lawyer while she completed a fine arts degree. Everyone believed they were the perfect fit; her friends and family were so excited that she had met someone who was head over heels for her.

Bea felt the knot tightening in her stomach as she reminisced about the early days of her relationship. Everything was so perfect.

They instantly connected when they first met at a mutual friend's birthday party. They had spent the whole night talking, laughing and dancing. Adam's French wasn't the best, so the couple spoke in English all night, with Adam playfully making fun of her accent. Bea hadn't been drinking that night, but Adam had, and he ended up blacking out drunk. She reassured his friends that she would walk him back to his apartment as they lived pretty close to each other; as she got him to his front door, Adam tried to kiss her. She laughed, put her number into his phone and told him if he wanted to kiss her so badly, he should take her on a date first. He called her when he woke up; they've been stuck together ever since.

She fell for him hard, ignoring any red flags along the way.

They moved in together shortly after graduation to Monaco rather than staying in Lyon, where they studied. Adam took a traineeship at a top law firm; however, Bea felt a little lost. Moving away from her friends and the city she loved was difficult, and she quickly felt lonely. She had loved her degree and creating art but struggled to find work after graduating and quickly lost motivation. Her mother offered her an admin job at her real estate company to keep her afloat, and Bea continued painting in her spare time, producing a few commissioned paintings here and there.

Adam had wanted her to return to school, get a 'real degree,' and get a 'real job,' as he called it, but Bea knew that wouldn't make her happy. They often disagreed over this, such as today, which caused Bea to storm out of the apartment. She couldn't bear to hear the same conversation over and over again.

She felt her phone buzz in her pocket and took it out to see Adam's name on her screen. She sighed and declined the call.

Eight missed calls and text messages.

Adam:
Where are you?
Bea?
Hello???
Answer me. You can't still be annoyed? Stop being so stupid
Beatrice, come home right now! I'm serious

When she looked up, she was at the top of a hill and sat on a nearby bench to watch the sunset. The pink and orange hues were mesmerising, and she found herself daydreaming. She could see people still bustling below her, busy with their little lives. She wished she could disappear for a little while.

Bea decided to phone Joanna, her best friend from university who was still living in Lyon.

Beatrice! Long time no speak!
How are you, my love?

Bea smiled at the sound of her best friend's voice.

Much better now that I'm talking to you!