Chapter Twenty-One

 

I’ll be here for you. Always. – Drew Callahan

 

Drew

 

I called 911 right before I opened the door. I don’t know what compelled me to peek through the front window but I’m so fucking glad I did. Adele standing there pointing a gun at Fable—hell. I almost bolted outside right then.

But I knew I needed to keep a calm head. Fable’s life is at stake here. I needed to handle this right. So I told the emergency operator there was a crazy woman waving a gun around my parking lot and hung up.

Now the crazy woman is looking straight at me. I recognize that look. For a moment, I feel like I’m fifteen again. Trapped, with nowhere to go. Hating myself for what’s about to happen. Wishing I was strong enough to tell her no. That awful helplessness is winding its way through me, paralyzing me for one long, agonizing moment.

And then my girl says the magic word, the one that automatically springs me into action.

“Adele. Put the gun down.” My voice is firm. I don’t want her to argue with me.

“No.” Her voice is shaky, as is the smile she flashes at me. “She’s ruined my life, Andrew. It’s all her fault.”

“It’s not her fault. It’s mine.” I start down the sidewalk toward where they’re standing. “I’m sorry for what I did to you.”

She frowns. Tears dampen her cheeks, her eyes are filled with so much sadness. This woman is completely broken. Lost.

I can’t work up an ounce of sympathy for her. Everything that’s happened to her, she’s brought on herself.

“You’re not sorry.” Adele shakes her head. “None of you are. You don’t care what happens to me. How I’ve lost everything. Where am I supposed to go now? What am I supposed to do?”

I focus all of my attention on Adele. I’m worried about Fable. I hate that Adele is pointing a gun at her. But I can’t let the fear grip me. I need to save my girl. “A divorce isn’t the end of the world.”

“Yes, it is!” Adele wails, waving the gun around. “I’m ruined. I have nothing. Nothing to live for.”

“Put the gun down,” I say softly. She’s scaring me. I chance a look at Fable and her posture is rigid, her shoulders back. She looks almost defiant.

But I note the fear in her gaze, the way her lips tremble subtly. She’s scared as hell.

So am I.

“I should just shoot her now and put her out of my misery,” Adele mutters.

“No!” I clamp my lips shut, pissed I yelled at her. I just showed my hand and hope like hell it didn’t register with Adele. “You’ll go to jail. Do you want that? To spend the rest of your life in prison?”

Adele shrugs. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Nothing matters anymore.”

“Shoot me, then,” I say, stepping in front of Fable. “If you’re going to do it, shoot me. You can’t blame Fable. She has nothing to do with any of this.”

“She has everything to do with it. She stole you from me, Andrew. You were mine. You belonged to me. And then you left me. You found someone else. You bring her back home and flaunt her all over the place. She’s pretty and young and gets to be with you whenever she wants.” Adele aims the gun right at my chest. “I hate her!”

“You hate me,” I remind her. “I’m the one who rejected you, who pushed you away. It’s my fault.”

Fable presses her fingers against the middle of my back. That one little touch fuels me, makes me stronger. Clears my head and allows me to focus on what I need to do.

Slowly, I reach out toward Adele. “Give me the gun.”

She shakes her head furiously. “No.”

“Give it to me.”

“Fuck you.” She stretches out her arms, both hands gripping the gun tight, her index finger sneaking around the trigger. “Step out of the way, Andrew.”

“No. Give. Me. The. Gun.”

“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 for 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 into me, buries his head against my hair as he clutches me so tight, I can’t breathe. Seconds later, the sound of 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 do 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 their footsteps and I glance up, catch 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 was pulling 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.