Page 58 of Midnight at the Magnolia

Window: possible escape route.

Door: blocked by Alex.

Me: the wild card she never planned for.

“Celeste, what’s going on here?”

“Choose carefully,”Lauren whispers.“Your next move could be your last.”

She looks between Alex and me, her eyes wild. I catalog each micro-expression like collecting evidence:

The slight twitch in her jaw.

How her fingers flex, ready for action.

The way her breathing changes, becomes controlled.

That deadly focus I’ve seen before but chose to ignore.

“You saw these signs with me,”Lauren’s voice reminds me.“You just didn’t want to believe them then either.”

Finally, Celeste speaks, her voice barely above a whisper, rough with emotion. “Ethan, I can explain everything. But not here. Not now.”

Alex laughs, the sound harsh in the tense room, grating against my nerves like sandpaper. “Oh, this is rich. The vigilante and the FBI agent, star-crossed lovers.” His eyes gleam withmalice. “But time’s up, Cel. I need your help, and if you don’t give it, I’ll tell your boy toy here everything.”

“He’s giving you an out,”Lauren whispers.“Take it. Don’t make my mistake.”

I’ve had enough. I draw my gun, the sound of the safety clicking off unnaturally loud in the small space. The weight is familiar in my hands, but pointing it at this room’s occupants feels wrong in every way. My training fights with my heart:

Clear shot at Alex.

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