putting us all in danger, but I didn’t know how to put the gun down. The unknown had me terrified. Intellectually, I knew Xander was right, but emotionally, I couldn’t put the gun down.
Was this shock? What this fear paralysis?
I heard the sirens and the sound set off a chain of events I had been hoping to avoid. My knees weakened, and in my fall, Xander rushed towards me and that gave Thomas the opportunity he needed to come at Xander from behind.
“Xander!” I screamed, but not fast enough. Xander took a blow to the side of his head, and the gun fell out of my hands as I instinctively reached for him. I was officially that stupid woman who gave into the emotion of the situation and put both me and Xander in danger again.
Before I could get my bearings, Thomas grabbed my arm and now it was me standing next to him with a gun to my head. However, the only thing my mind was processing was that there was no way Thomas was getting out of here with me alive. There’s no way the police were going to let him walk away with me. And there was nothing stopping him from killing me and then himself in a crazy bid to be together.
“Thomas, the police-”
“Are going to either let both of us go, or neither of us,” he said, confirming my thoughts.
Just then, Xander was standing, staring at us, blood dripping down the side of his head. It shocked me that he was able to stand, but I did notice he swayed a bit coming to his feet. This was all my fault. I should have just listened to him, but instead, I let my fear take over and now we were right back where we started, with Thomas having the upper hand.
“I’m sorry,” I wept. “I’m so sorry, Xander.”
“Police!” Xander turned towards the front door while Thomas just chuckled.
“In here!” Xander answered before turning back to face me and Thomas. “He’s got a gun!”
“I also got the girl,” Thomas quipped and there was no uncertainty to his mental state anymore. He had to be crazy for none of this to faze him. And had there been even a remote chance of confusion, his next words cemented it. “Come on in!” he yelled for the police.
And they did.
The front door crashed open and four police officers filed in. The immediately took in the scene and every gun was raised and aimed at me and Thomas. Thomas was going to get us killed and maybe that was his plan now. He was going to stay true to his word that if he couldn’t have me, then no one could.
“Put the gun down, now!” one of the officers instructed as Xander stood with his hands up, worry lining every inch of his face.
“Or else what, Officer?” Thomas asked, goading him with his insolence. “Are you going to shoot us?”
The cop’s eyes darted towards mine as the other three police officers fanned out. “If we have to,” he said as calmly as could be, as if my life wasn’t in danger.
“Sir, come with me,” one of the officers said, reaching for Xander.
“No,” he barked. “Not without her.”
“Don’t make me arrest you,” she threatened. “Besides, the best thing you can do for her is to go outside with me.”
The madness was evident in every word coming out of Thomas’s mouth. “Yeah, Xander,” he chuckled darkly. “Why don’t you go on outside with the nice officer, where it’s nice and safe, and leave Fallon here to me.”
“You motherfuc-”
“Now!” the officer yelled. “You either leave with me now, or I will arrest you for impeding a police matter!”
“Xander, go,” I begged. “Please, please go. I’ll be okay.”
The playfulness was gone when Thomas spoke again. “I’ll shoot her where she stands if you don’t leave, Xander,” he threatened.
I’d never seen such agony on one person’s face ever in my life. Xander looked torn. I knew he didn’t care about getting arrested, but Thomas’s threat to shoot me was real, and Xander knew it. He was going to have to walk out of his house in a small bid to save my life.
“I love you, Fallon,” he said, misery in each word. “I fucking love you.” Tears streamed down my face as the office escorted him out of the house.
The second the door closed, the point officer got back down to business. “I need you to put the gun down, sir,” he tried again. “Everyone