Page 180 of Meet Me at the Metro

“You’renotfine.”

The words are agonizing to admit, and tears prick my eyes as I consider the severity of our situation. Every fleeting second has my hope waning, but I reach out for the slither of it that’s left, refusing to give up.

“I’m getting rather bored of this chase, you know!” Kimberley shouts, only feet away now.

I frantically search our surroundings to find a way for us to survive this. There has to be a way… there has to be something that could—

I catch sight of the object mounted on the wall ahead and immediately know what to do. “I’m ending this, Theo.”

“Nora, please,” he respires, pain lacing his words.

“I love you,” I tell him, nerves racing. “So much.”

He goes to grab me, but I move from his reach. “Please, baby. Don't.”

“Let’s make this easy, shall we?” Kimberley taunts, her shadow looming closer.

I don’t wait for it to reach us.

I leap from the floor and race for the fire alarm ahead.

“What would be the fun in that, Kimberley?!”I shout, purposefully drawing her attention away from Theo.

I yank down the lever, and the alarm blares, wailing so loudly that I can feel the ground beneath my feet vibrating with its sound. White, flashing light enshrouds the entire theater as the constant, piercing siren reverberates through the vast building.

“You cunt!”Kimberley screams, launching straight for me.

I sprint toward the audience to keep Kimberley as far away from Theo as possible, but I don’t get far before she snatches my hair from behind and yanks me back. I shriek as she throws her arm around my neck and captures me in a tight chokehold.

Theo winces with discomfort as he staggers for me. “Let her go!”

I cough as she squeezes my windpipe harder and drags me back toward center stage. Theo only stops pursuing me when a chill metal connects with the temple of my forehead.

“One more step, and you’ll watch this bullet go straight through her head.”

Theo’s chest hitches at the threat, and his eyes grow dark. “Hurt her, and I’ll fucking ruin you.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

“Nothing good will come of any of this, Kim! You won’t be able to walk away from it.”

“Sure, I will. There won’t be anyone left here to blame but John and it’s all thanks to sweet, sweet Ellie.” She draws her mouth to my ear and whispers, “You have no idea how much you’ve helped me in all this.”

“Fuck you,” I grit through clenched teeth, jerking my head away.

“Careful, girl.Let’s not make things messy.”

“Things are already messy! Why are you doing this?!” I only ask the question to grant myself more time—produce a distraction.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” she snarls.

“Money?Is that it?Is this what it’s all for?”

“You make it sound so vain when you say it like that,” she tuts, pulling us back another agonizing step. “It’s more than that for me. It’s peace of mind. It’s comfort and security. It’s a brighter future for the life I’ve been dealt.”

“A future without Theo! Why would you kill your own stepson to get that? It doesn’t make any sense!”

“It makes perfect sense. He wants nothing to do with our family anymore, so why should I care about what happens to him? Besides, he dies, and I’ll inherit everything his father left him. And I’ll use every penny of it to give Connor and me the life we deserve.”

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