Page 26 of Finally

Hearing what Greg had been through, the dangers he’d faced as a Marine, had been extremely difficult. The thought of him facing off with a madman, certain that he was about to die, made my blood run cold. He could’ve died over there, so far from home and I might not have ever known. Greg and I had issues for sure. I’d been in love with him and I suppose a part of me always would be, but he didn’t feel the same way. It was a fact I’d had to learn to live with, which had been much easier before he’d shown back up in my life. Still, the thought of him not being here, not being alive, was more than I could bear.

Greg slipped his hand from mine as he pulled into my driveway. I tried not to let my disappointment show as I reminded myself that he wasn’t mine to hold onto. He parked next to Maddie’s car and we got out. Maddie had agreed to stay there with Charlie while we went to the wedding, once again proving what a terrific friend he was. I really needed to do something to show my appreciation. Maybe I’ll get him a gift card for a spa weekend, I thought as we climbed the steps to the front porch.

The motion sensor light Greg had installed on the porch kicked on with our movements, making it easier to see and I pulled my keys out of my pocket to unlock the door. It was late and Maddie and Charlie must have already gone to bed because the house was dark and quiet as we stepped inside. I slid my hand along the wall, searching for the light switch. Flipping it on, I turned and gasped as I took in the scene before me.

My house was in shambles—furniture turned on its end, drawers yanked out of side tables, their contents scattered across the floor and an antique glass lamp lay shattered in a million pieces. In the middle of it all, Maddie lay sprawled out on the floor, unmoving, a puddle of blood under his head. In the blink of an eye, Greg was standing in front of me. He pulled a gun from the waistband of his pants and held it up in front of him as he scanned the area, searching for the threat.

“No, no, no, no, no,” I kept repeating over and over. My teeth chattered and I began to shake. Oh, God! Maddie! He was my best friend, I couldn’t lose him. If I lost him, it would be all my fault because he was in my home when it happened. If he’d been at his house, he’d still be safe. Instead, he was lying broken on my living room floor. “Oh, God, no.”

“Shhh. It’s okay. I won’t let anything happen to you,” Greg whispered over his shoulder, never taking his eyes off the room.

I let out a pained groan. “I don’t give a fuck about me. Maddie—”

“Maddie’s alive. I can see him breathing,” Greg assured me.

“Are you sure?” I whimpered, clinging to his words like a lifeline.

“Yes, I promise. I can see his chest moving. I think he’s just been knocked out. I’ll let you see for yourself; but first, I have to make sure the area’s secure. Stay behind me.”

My shoulders sagged in relief. Maddie was alive, that was all that mattered. As my mind began to settle, Greg’s words started to sink in. Shit! I’d been so worried about my best friend, I hadn’t even considered the fact that whoever had broken into my house might still be there. As we began to creep further into the room, a light blinked on through the window, illuminating the back yard and part of the side. Greg had installed motion sensor lights all around the perimeter of the house shortly after he’d been hired, and now something had set one off at the back of the house.

The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stood up. “Greg!” I whispered shakily.

“I see it,” he answered. “Do you have your phone?”

“Um, yeah. It’s in my jacket pocket, I think,” I replied. I felt around in my pocket, my fingers curling around the small rectangle. “Yes, I have it.”

He turned around to face me. “Good. I want you to stay here with Maddie and call 911. Do not leave this room until I get back, you understand?”

Greg’s calm, soothing tone helped to curb my anxiety. I drew in a deep breath then blew it out. “Yes, I’ve got it.”

“Here, take this,” he said, thrusting his gun toward me. I stared blankly at the weapon as if trying to figure out what I was looking at. “Wha…what do you want me to do with that?”

“Nothing, unless you have to; then aim and shoot,” he replied calmly.

“I’ve never fired a gun in my life. What if I mess up and shoot you?” I asked, panic making my voice come out higher than usual.

“Yeah, try not to do that, okay? Been there, done that. It wasn’t fun,” he deadpanned.

“How are you joking right now?” I hissed.

“It helps,” he said. “Look, you can do this. Just go help your friend. I’ll be back as soon as possible,” he promised, reaching down under his pantleg and pulling out another gun. How many guns did he have on him and why was that so damn hot?

Before I could say another word, Greg slipped out the front door. I watched him slip past the first window as he made his way to the backyard then I turned and ran to my friend. I dropped down beside him and cradled his face in my hands. “Maddie? It’s Christopher. Can you hear me?”

His eyes fluttered open. “Head hurts,” he whispered. I looked down at him and a sound burst out of me, somewhere between a laugh and a sob.

“Oh, God, Maddie. I’ve never been so scared in my whole life. I thought you were—”

My words cut off as I heard a sound coming from the other room and my body froze in place. I raised a finger to my mouth, telling Maddie to keep quiet. He nodded and I stood, turning toward the kitchen doorway, my hands shaking as I raised the gun in front of me. Sweat trickled down my back as the sound got closer and I wondered if I’d be able to do it. Could I shoot an intruder in my home? All it took was remembering the way Maddie had looked when I walked in the door and I had my answer. If it came down to Maddie being hurt or the intruder, I would shoot the intruder.

I nearly wept when I saw Charlie’s sweet face peek around the corner. I lowered the gun and blew out a long breath, then sank to the ground and held my hand out to her. “Come here, baby. It’s okay.” She came running to me and launched herself into my arms. Her whole body trembled, and my heart broke for her. She was so scared and couldn’t even understand what was going on. I barely understood it myself.

I sat down on the floor and helped Maddie into a sitting position, both of us resting our backs along the couch. Charlie whined until Maddie patted the floor between us and she squeezed herself into the tiny spot and rested her head in his lap. He ran his fingers over her ears, each of them making sure the other was all right. Seeing that they were safe for the moment, I set the gun aside and grabbed my phone and dialed 911.

After explaining that there’d been an intruder and that my friend had been hurt, I hung up and reached over to sweep the hair off Maddie’s forehead. There was a tiny gash along his hairline, which seemed to be where most of the blood was coming from. It had slowed down to a small trickle and I peeled my jacket off and wadded it up. He cringed as I pressed the material to the wound, but then gave me a small smile as he reached up and took it.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” Maddie shook his head, but then hissed at the movement. Seeing my friend in pain brought tears to my eyes. “Keep that on there until the bleeding stops completely. As soon as Greg gets back, I’ll get a wet washcloth for you,” I told him.

---