Page 83 of Saving The Shortstop

“Shut up!” he growls, smacking the gun against her head, bringing another cry from her perfect lips. “Shut the fuck up, Rivers! You don’t get to play hero here!”

I hold my hands up again. Even though my instinct is to help her, I can’t.

Sirens begin to scream, and his eyes grow wide.

“You called the police?” Now, it’s me the gun is pointed at as he waves it around angrily. “You really fucked up now.”

“No, I didn’t,” I say, shaking my head.

“Now she has to die,” he says, gritting his teeth. “We both do. It’s the only way!” I’ve always known there was something in his eyes that I didn’t trust, but right now, what lies inside his gaze is terrifying.

Black. Endless nothingness.

There’s not even a glimpse of a person inside of them right now. He’s gone.

“No, it’s not,” I tell him. “You can let her go. You can let her go, Tabor, and get the help you need.”

He steps forward, pressing the barrel of the gun into my forehead roughly, still squeezing her body with so much force that I’m sure she’ll be bruised.

Out the window, I see a police car pull in, followed by a few more. Wherever in the house Gigi is now, I’m sure she can hear enough to fill the cops in on how bad of a situation it really is. The distraction isn’t much, his eyes only straying from mine to peek outside for a split second, but it’s enough for what happens next.

I grab the gun that’s pressed into my head and aim it upward, and the movement alone has his finger pressing the trigger. As a shot is fired, Haven screams. Refusing to let her go gives him a disadvantage, because he can’t use both hands to fight back.

Tabor is one of the strongest guys that we had on the team this year, but behind my grip is rage fueled by fear. Fear that he’s going to hurt Haven. I don’t give a fuck about myself right now, but her? She has to get out of this.

The sound of an intercom with a police officer giving commands doesn’t seem to startle him, his only concern being to keep the gun in his hand. But after a short fight, I get the gun in my hand, and now, it’s Tabor who has a barrel pressed to his forehead.

“Hands behind your head, Timmons,” I say, pressing harder. “Let her go and do as I say.”

He doesn’t release his hold on her; instead, he moves his arm to her neck, putting her in a chokehold against him. It’s not enough to hurt her, but it’s his way of telling me he’s not giving up yet.

“Pull the trigger, Rivers,” he growls. “You don’t fucking dare to. You don’t have it in you.”

“Let. Her. Go,” I say, the ability to keep my tone even getting harder by the second. I know the police are outside, following their protocol for a hostage situation. And even though they could rush in and kill him now, I don’t want Haven to live with the same darkness I do. Watching someone die this way … it sticks with you.

“I know you’re hurting,” I say, my voice lower now. “And I know you think this will make it all better, but I’m telling you … it won’t. Hurting someone else isn’t going to help you, Tabor.” An image of my father with blood gushing from his body flashes through my brain. “You need help.” My hand shakes slightly. “Haven wants you to get help.”

For the first time since I got here, I see a glimpse of humanity. It’s small, barely there, but that tiny bit of sadness tells me this is working.

“I do …” Her voice is weak, and the sound of her teeth chattering makes this almost impossible to do without wanting to just kill him. “This isn’t you, Tabor,” she whispers sadly. “We’ve spent enough time together for me to know that you …” She stops, sniffling. “Wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

For what seems like forever, he just stands there, keeping his hold on her body. But when a single tear floats down his cheek, his bottom lip trembles. “I didn’t want to hurt you,” his voice barely croaks. “I just wanted … to be together.”

“I know,” she whispers, nodding subtly. “Please, Tabor. Let them help you.”

I watch a twenty-one-year-old man revert back to a child as he looks down, his shoulders shaking while he falls apart. When he drops his hold from her neck, and her body crashes against mine, I feel like I take my first solid breath since getting the phone call from Gigi.

From the corner of my eye, I see Gigi peeking down the hallway.

“Go with Gigi,” I whisper to Haven, not wanting to let her go, but when Tabor walks outside, I don’t know what will happen.

As she rushes down the hall toward Gigi, and Gigi throws her arms around her and they both cry together, I slowly lower the gun, putting it in my pocket and keeping my eyes on Tabor’s.

“Just walk outside with your hands above your head and you’ll be fine,” I say as softly as I can manage. “Okay?”

He doesn’t say anything back, and his eyes are no longer looking at mine. I know not to take my gaze off him though as I reach for the door and open it.

With his hands above his head, step by step, he slowly walks to the doorway. Within seconds, a police officer has him handcuffed, and Haven and I run toward each other as she cries, burying her head in my hoodie.