Page 77 of Mine

I cover my mouth to mute my sobs. I’m staring at Abby’s hand. I study every chip in her black nail polish. How could I have been so blinded to not see how she was in love with me?

Sirens wail in the background, growing louder as they get closer to Abby’s office. I wasn’t sure how they knew to come here. Maybe Natalie had called or maybe someone had heard the gunshot go off, killing Abby.

Another hand lands against my back. I look up through my tear-stained eyes to see Natalie. Her chin quivers and her eyes are turned down in sadness. “Are you okay?” she asks me.

I nod. “Are you?”

“I’m fine.” She swallows.

Logan grabs on to my hand and pulls me to a stand. I reach up and finally touch the wound on the side of my head. Blood is clinging to my hair and I wince when I touch the open flesh with my fingertips.

The three of us walk out of the building, leaving Abby on the floor. Beside her is the article Abby had shown me about Julian not even being in Seattle. As far as I knew, he’d taken my advice and started his own life. A piece of me fractures at the thought. Abby had deceived me from the beginning. All the way back to the day we’d met in college. She used every means possible to ruin my relationships and my life.

Once we make it outside, heavy rain blankets us in sheets. Water falls onto my shoulders and hair, blending in with the constant stream of tears running down my face. The rain mixes with the blood caked onto my body, pooling at my feet in rivers of faded crimson.

Logan keeps his hold on me as the police begin to surround the building.. Ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars form a barrier to the street. I look up and feel the rain splash across my face, injecting new breath into my lungs. The cool air makes its way down my throat and inflates my chest. Its cleansing yet heavy all at the same time.

One of the police officers walks up to me and Logan. She points behind us. “Is there anyone else still inside?”

I nod, pressing my lips together.

She nods once then glances over her shoulder, waving one of the paramedics over to work on me and Logan. Once the medics begin inspecting my wound, the police officer walks into the building. Another paramedic ushers Natalie into one of the ambulances. Logan stays with me as we head to the back of a different ambulance.

Once I’m inside the safety of the ambulance, I realize I’m no longer crying. The moisture on my cheeks were the warm raindrops falling from the clouds. Logan stands in front of me, his hands on my knees. He’s standing outside the ambulance as the paramedic finishes wrapping a bandage around the top of my head.

He reaches his hand up and traces a line across my cheek with his finger. He tilts his head to the side and stares into my eyes. “I’m sorry, Lena.”

I nod, unsure of what to say. I tuck my bottom lip between my teeth and bite down. This tiny bit of pain is nothing compared to the agony I’m feeling inside.

I move my gaze past Logan, watching as police and paramedics move in and out of the building. Once they walk out the door pushing a stretcher with Abby’s body wrapped up in a black bag, I turn away.

Logan tucks my hair behind my ear, pulling me back to him.

“How did the police know we were here?”

He sighs, his eyes focused on my forehead. His hand continues to caress my skin, tracing invisible lines. Every stroke is a silent promise, healing me with every touch. “Max called the police. Abby sent him a resignation email posing as Natalie. I recognized the email it was sent from as the same one Abby was using to send you those emails.”

Again, I nod. I’m at a complete loss for words. Outside my body is calm, slowly digesting everything. On the inside, I’m torn apart.

Finally, I move my eyes to Logan’s. There’s a battle waging inside them. He’s both relieved to know it’s over but concerned for me.

“Logan?” I stare into his eyes, swallowing the sadness threatening to swallow me whole. His hand slides from my forehead to my cheek. I lean into him, feeling his warmth. “Where do we go from here?”

His shoulders fall and his hand wraps around mine. His finger circles my wedding ring. “We go wherever you want to go.”

Thirty

Logan

The house has been eerily quiet these past few days. For the first few days after Abby took Lena and told us the truth, Lena has been distant. I don’t fault her for it, giving her the time she needs to heal. I knew it would take longer than a simple few days to get over the events that happened inside the four walls of that abandoned office building.

Lena and I had escaped nearly uninjured. But our wounds weren’t on the outside. They were buried inside, deep within our souls. For months we lived with the belief Julian had been the one stalking us, but in fact it was Abby. Our whole relationship had been built on a foundation of lies and deceit.

Guilt is still embedded in my bones. I had been the one who ultimately killed Abby. My finger was on the trigger, the barrel of the gun pressed against her chest. Although Lena assured me she understood how it happened, I couldn’t reconcile with myself. Even if Abby had wanted Lena to herself, she didn’t deserve to die.

I stare at my hands, thinking of everything they’ve ever touched. A knife slicing tomatoes. Clenched into fists, blocking punches from Julian’s assault. Pulling the trigger of a gun and killing my wife’s best friend.

But when I look up and see Lena sitting on the edge of the bed, sliding on her shoes, I think of how my hands have held her. It’s funny how our hands have the power to change our lives so easily.

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