"I never wanted to hurt you," I said carefully keeping my hands raised. "I swear to God I didn't."
"But you did!" she cried. "You took him from me!"
My brows pinched together in confusion. "What?"
"You made him hate me!" she sobbed. "You made him wanna leave us!" Her voice cracked violently. "He was gonna leave me for you!"
Ice slid down my spine. "What are you talking about?" I whispered.
"He said people grow apart." Tears poured harder down her face. "Like all those years meant nothing! Like carrying his babies meant nothing!" She pointed the gun harder at me. "All because of YOU!"
My heartbeat stuttered.
Eva's face twisted as she cried harder. "And then he tried to walk away from me!" she screamed. "After everything I did for him! After prison! After I held him down when nobody else wanted him!"
My stomach dropped.
"He would've still been alive if it wasn't for you!" she sobbed.
An eerie feeling settled over me. My mouth parted. "He's…dead?" I whispered.
"I didn't mean to do it," she choked out.
I fought against the terror that gripped me. I had to reason with her. "You can't do this here. Someone inside is going to hear you and call the police. Just go now, okay? Go home to your babies before you do something you regret."
She sniffled wiping her runny nose with one hand, eyes vacant, staring at me. "What makes you so special, huh?"
"I'm not." I shook my head quickly, eyes scanning the nearly vacant parking lot. "I'm just a regular girl. I swear."
"I'm just as pretty as you," she mumbled.
I nodded quickly. "You are. So pretty."
She started crying harder. Real ugly crying. "I gave that man everything," she whispered. "Everything."
"I know." I kept my voice calm despite my pulse hammering wildly in my ears. "I know you did."
"I loved him when nobody else did." Her hand trembled violently around the gun. "I would've died for him."
My eyes flicked toward the restaurant entrance.
Please…
Somebody come outside.
Please.
"I believe you," I said softly. "I really do."
The restaurant door suddenly opened. A young employee stepped out carrying a trash bag before freezing completely at the sight of the gun. My heart jumped. Eva heard the door too. Her head whipped around sharply.
"HELP" I screamed instantly. I shoved her hard.
Everything happened at once…
Eva stumbled backward.
BANG.
