Page 53 of The Girl He Wanted

"I'm sorry," she said, to Christopher, to everyone else. "I really am. You didn't deserve to have me here. You deserved better."

"Paige, don't say that," Christopher begged. "Please don't say that."

"When this is over, I just want you to know that I think I'm in love with you," Paige told him. "I'm so sorry. I should have told you sooner."

"Paige!"

"I love you," Paige repeated. "I know I shouldn't say it. I know you're grieving. I know how complicated it makes things between us, that's the reason I was going to put in for a transfer. But I want you to hear it, before ..."

"You arenotgoing to fall," Christopher insisted.

Paige wished that she could believe him, but she simply wasn't sure how much longer she could keep holding on.

"Wait," Christopher said, "I have an idea."

Paige saw him go over to Zelda, starting to untie her. Paige saw Christopher taking the rope in his hands as he did it, testing it, obviously trying to work out how strong it was, and how much of it there was.

Climbing rope, Paige remembered with a start. Alvin always tied his victims up using climbing rope. Christopher was there at the edge of the building again, lying down, bracing himself.

"Paige, I'm going to throw you one end of the rope. I need you to catch it."

"I'll try," Paige said, even though it was probably easier said than done. It was taking all her strength just to hold onto the wire. If she took a hand off to catch the rope, wouldn’t she simply fall? Yet if she didn't try this, she had no hope of survival.

"Now!" Christopher called to her. Christopher tossed the rope, and Paige reached out, fingers stretching to try to catch it. She felt her grip on the wire loosening as she did so, and for a moment, Paige felt herself falling. Then she caught the end of the rope, grabbing it with all her strength.

For another second or so, she was still falling, this time in an arc as the rope swung Paige into the side of the building. Paige hit it hard, knocking the breath out of her, but she refused to let go.

Paige braced herself against the side of the building and tried to pull herself up, but her arms were still too weak.

"Christopher, I can't do it," Paige said, feeling tears streaming down her face. "I don't have the strength."

"Yes, you do," Christopher said, his voice firm and determined. "Climb!"

Paige took a deep breath and tried again, this time with more determination. With each pull, she felt herself getting closer to the edge of the roof. Christopher was there to help her, pulling the rope from the other side.

Finally, Paige reached the edge of the roof, and Christopher was there to help her over. She collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air, her heart racing.

"Thank you," Paige said, tears still streaming down her face. "Thank you, Christopher. You saved my life."

"I had to," Christopher said, looking at Paige with intense eyes. "I couldn't let you die."

He helped her up.

"All those things you said. I ... I feel the same way."

That was lot, hearing him confess his feelings like that. It was enough that Paige wanted to fall into his arms, wanted to kiss him, wanted to just stand there with him in the middle of the storm on top of the mall's roof.

Yet they couldn't. They had to get back down from here. They had to get Zelda Mackie to safety. They had to tell the Winterly PD that the serial killer who had been haunting their town had been found, and that he was now lying dead far below the spot where Paige currently stood.

After that ... well, after that, there would be time for the two of them.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Paige woke in the middle of the Winterly PD's offices. It took her a moment to remember exactly where she was and why.

They'd had to come back here after everything that had happened on the rooftop. She and Christopher had to come and make sure that Zelda was safe, then write up their reports about everything that had happened. Even with the murder solved, there had been so much to do that Paige and Christopher couldn't even think about simply stopping.

Somewhere in the middle of all of it, Paige must have fallen asleep. Now, she found herself blinking awake. Christopher was there standing by the desk, holding two cups of coffee. He passed one to Paige.

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