“Oh, God.” Adele’s voice cracks, her arms trembling, the gun wavering. “This isn’t going to work, Andrew. I can’t shoot you. I love you too much.”
That’s what I hoped for, though I hate her choice of words. She doesn’t love me; she has some sort of weird obsession with me. “Then hand the gun over.”
“I can’t. I have to do this.” She drops her arms, the gun hanging from her fingers at her side. “You give me no choice.”
Fable presses closer to me, resting her head against my back. All I can think about is her safety. Forget me, forget Adele, forget everything and everyone else. I need Fable to be okay.
“Give you no choice for what?” I ask Adele.
“To do this. It’s all your fault, Andrew. Never forget that.” Adele places the barrel of the gun in her mouth.
And pulls the trigger.
Fable
Drew turns to me, buries his head against my hair as he clutches me so tight, I can’t breathe. Seconds later, I hear the sound of a gunshot. It’s so loud my ears are ringing. I can’t hear a thing. All I feel is Drew wrapped tight around me, his chest heaving, his arms shaking as they hold me close.
“Fuck me, she just shot herself,” I think I hear him say and I try to pull away from him.
But he won’t let me go.
People start coming out of their apartments, the sound of gunfire no doubt drawing their attention. The ringing in my ears slowly lessens. I hear gasps, one woman yelling to call the cops.
Still Drew won’t let me go.
“Don’t look,” he whispers close to my ear. “You don’t want to see her. Don’t look, Fable.”
Worry clutches at my chest. Did he witness her doing it? I don’t think so. He turned and grabbed me just before the gun went off. But I don’t know.God, I hope he didn’t see.
I don’t think my Drew can take much more tragedy and sorrow. He’s already endured enough.
Someone approaches us. I can hear footsteps and I glance up, catching sight of a guy who looks around our age. “Are you all right?” he asks.
Drew lifts his head and I glance up at him. I see the anguish, the sorrow etched all over his face. I also see tiny splatters of blood dotting his shoulders.Oh, God. “We’re okay. Did someone call an ambulance?”
“Dude.” The man tips his head to look past us and immediately looks away. “There’s no need for an ambulance. There’s no saving her.”
I tighten my grip around Drew’s waist. “Has someone called the police?”
“Yeah, they should be on their way,” the man says, his face grim.
As if on cue, I hear the sirens in the near distance, coming closer and closer. They’re going to want to talk to us. I so don’t want to deal. I need to drop off my apartment deposit today. I need to go to work. Normal, everyday stuff.
But my life is far from normal. I could’ve been killed. I could be the one lying on the ground, blood pouring out of my body.
Drew saved me. He stepped in front of me and told Adele to shoot him. I can’t believe he did that. That he would sacrifice himself for me…blows my mind.
Makes me realize just how much he loves me.
He finally relaxes his hold on me, and I pull away from him slightly so I can see his face. “Did you see her do it?” I ask. I have to know.
Slowly he shakes his head, his gaze never leaving mine. “I saw her put the gun in her mouth but I turned just as she waspulling the trigger. I couldn’t watch that.” He exhales on a shaky breath. “I hated her, Fable. But I couldn’t stand there and watch her blow her brains out.”
I close my eyes and press my forehead to his firm chest. “Thank you,” I whisper. “You saved me.”
“I’ll always save you. You never have to worry about that.”
I finally, finally believe him.
