Page 136 of Falling Too Late

Jon had Wren by the hair. Her hands were locked around his wrist, and he was dragging her backwards down the hill.

She shrieked when he jerked her. I ran for her but Jon finally spotted me, bringing his other hand up, and then I was looking down the barrel of a gun. The gun fired, causing us both to flinch.

“No!” Wren screamed, clawing at his arm. She tried to bring her knee up to hit him but couldn’t at her angle. I moved to lunge for her, but he moved the gun from pointing at me to her.

I froze.

“You better think twice, Alex,” he warned, a sick smile on his face. “I have no problem shooting her.” He jammed the gun into her cheek. He had me. He knew I wouldn’t do anything with a gun pointed at her.

“Jon, she has nothing to do with this,” I gritted out.

“She has everything to do with this!” He pushed the barrel of the gun until I could see Wren close her eyes, visibly in pain by the amount of pressure he was putting on it. “It’s all her fucking fault.”

I clenched my teeth. “What is?”

“If it wasn’t for her, you and I would still be exactly where we were.”

“What are you talking about, Jon?”

Wren’s eyes were wide, staring up at me.

What the fuck am I gonna do?

“You met her and then you made your entire life about her!” He lifted his hand with the gun, using it to push his hair out of his eyes. Slowly, I moved closer, only stopping when the gun was back on her.

Come on, you spineless fuck. Point it at me.

“You used to needme,but she came into the picture and suddenly you neededher.”He pulled her down into the water, pushing her under and holding her there. He didn’t take his eyes off me; he didn’t pull the gun away from her.

I stood frozen. If I dove for him, he would shoot her. There was no guarantee I could get the gun away in time.

“Jon, just tell me what this is about! Why are you doing this to her?”

“I’m not doing this to her, I’m doing this toyou.” He pulled Wren up, and she sputtered and choked the water out, dragging in deep breaths of air.

“Then let me trade her spot!” I put my hands up, trying to show I wasn’t going to harm him. I took slow steps, trying to get closer I was at the start of the dock now.

Jon laughed. “Oh no, I want to hurt you, Alex, and the best way to do that, is through her.” He shoved Wren back under the water, pulled her back up and then pushed her under again before she could get in a breath.

“If you would have just minded your own fucking business, this wouldn’t be happening right now. But no, you had to choose her over me.”

He was in the water waist-deep, his blond hair too long and falling down around his eyes. His teeth were gritted, and Wren continued to struggle below him. A hand came up out of the water, clawing at his arms.

He pulled her up again and she sputtered, gasping for air. I could see exhaustion on her face; she couldn’t handle much more of this.

A bark sounded from behind me, and everything slowed. I looked over my shoulder at the dogs barreling out of the house.

They were going for him.

I turned back to see Wren’s eyes widen. Jon was already pulling the gun from her—to the dogs.

I moved, trying to put myself between the gun and them.

“No!” Wren screamed. She grabbed Jon’s arm, pushing it up just as the gun fired. Jon let go of her hair. She moved, elbowing Jon in the stomach, and he doubled over. She twisted his wrist.

“FUCK!” Jon howled.

“Alex!” Wren choked my name out. Just as she was shoved back underwater, she tossed the gun.

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