Page 131 of Amnesty

“Lily. I had to stab her,” Sadie said. “To keep her away from me. She was trying to hurt me, trying to steal my life.”

His eyes flashed to me, then quickly back to her.

“It’s the middle of the night. What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you.”

“Look over there, Sadie,” he said, gesturing with his head.

“I don’t want to,” she said, her voice small.

“He’s here,” Eddie intoned. “Is that him?”

I had to make an effort not to look. In fact, I shrank back into the doorway.

“Yes,” she whispered.

“How did you know he was coming?”

“He told me. I was supposed to be ready.”

Eddie’s brow furrowed. He spoke to her as though he had all the patience in the world, as though he were trying to understand her. “Ready for what?”

“For him.”

As if just the mere mention of the man were a catalyst, a low groan filled the air.

“No!” Eddie’s voice erupted along with the sound of pounding feet. “Get back, Am!”

My body buckled, my back hit the doorway, and began to slide down to the floor. Squeezing my eyes shut, fat tears rolled from beneath my lids, slipping down my cheeks. Seconds later, he burst up the steps, and familiar, warm hands slid around me, lifting my paralyzed form.

“He’s out there,” I whimpered. “I didn’t look. Sadie stabbed me.”

A numb feeling mixed with a muted rush of hysteria bubbled up inside me.

“I know, baby,” he whispered and lifted me off my feet completely. Even as he moved so urgently, he was gentle. Always so gentle with me.

“I’m bleeding,” I said, even though that was pretty obvious.

He sat me on the kitchen counter, quickly grabbed a towel, and pressed it to my side. I cried out, and he made a sound.

“I’m sorry,” he moaned. “Pressure. Put as much pressure on this as possible.” He pressed my hand against the towel. Breath hissed from between my teeth. A phone slapped down beside me. “Call 9-1-1,” he demanded.

He gazed around, then lunged at the bloody knife lying on the floor. “This what she stabbed you with?”

I nodded. “She’s so brainwashed, Eddie. They told her I left her there to die and stole her life. Stole you.”

“I know,” he replied, grim.

“But how—”

With the knife in hand, he lunged forward. I flinched, recalling what it was like to have it slip so easily into my body. His touch was gentle, though, as he cupped my head, pressing a soft kiss to my hairline. “I love you. So much. Don’t ever forget that.”

A sound like someone coming onto the porch made him jerk back.

“Eddie!” Sadie yelled, a bit of hysteria in her scream.

“You shouldn’t have come for me,” I whispered, afraid. “You should have just stayed with her.”

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