Page 223 of Assassin

“I’m sorry that I had to be the one to tell you that, Gamble, but it’s time you face it. What happened to your child was horrible, but she didn’t suffer. She went peacefully.”

That was all it took.

He raged.

With his arm, he swiped everything from the dresser in front of him.

Poe sat there.

Watching.

“You have to let her go. There’s a difference between mourning and hating yourself to the point you die.”

Gamble didn’t want to hear it.

“Stop.”

Only, Poe didn’t.

“No, Gamble. I can’t stop. I have to be honest. That’s my job. She didn’t suffer, and your wife didn’t either. They left that pain for you, and you have to decide to walk with it, or work through it.”

The rage rose up, and he punched the mirror with his hand, shattering it.

The sound made Poe jump.

Then, Gamble turned on him, and moved toward him on the bed.

“Stop talking like that,” Gamble ordered.

Poe didn’t back down.

He had to push until there was a breakdown or breakthrough.

“I can’t. This is the truth. Now, we work through it. Your wife left this world a coward. She did it consciously, and when you stop feeling sorry for her, and embrace the anger, you’ll start to heal. They didn’t suffer. You are.”

That was the straw that pushed him and the camel over the edge into the freefall.

He grabbed Poe by the shirt, and pulled him up. Then, he slammed him against the wall.

Poe felt that to his core as his body was rattled. Gamble was a bigger man, and even emaciated, he was strong.

“You can beat on me all you want,” Poe said. “It won’t change it. She made the choice to break you, and you have to make the choice to tell her fuck off, and walk away. You have to walk away from the guilt.”

He didn’t want to hear any of this.

Instead, he slammed Poe against the wall again. The rage twisted his face in anger.

Only, Poe wasn’t afraid.

“Gamble, she was never meant to be yours. A person who is meant to love you forever won’t hurt you like that. You have to say goodbye.”

A third time, he slammed him against the wall, but this time, his legs were week. He started dropping, but Poe had him. He grabbed him, and together, they slid down the wall to sit on the floor.

And the tears came.

Gamble began sobbing.

As Poe held him between his legs, the broken man curled into his body, he felt bad he had to get him to go there, but it would help eventually. It would open the door so he could choose to walk through it.

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