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“Hey.” Lucas grips my leg over the console. “It’s going to be fine. Let’s get this over with.”
I give him a weak nod, then push in the clutch and start the car.
I slow on one side of the bridge, then put the car in park. The sun is dipping below the clouds, and there is no one in sight. I take one last deep breath and release it as I step out of the car. I waste no time going to my trunk. Every ounce of nervousness melts away when I open it. I see Cameron lying there jerking around, and I should feel bad. I should feel something. Maybe remorse or pity, but I don’t. I feel almost relaxed.
“Let’s go.” I grab one arm and start pulling him out before Lucas steps in and grabs him under both arms and stands him up.
I go back to the driver’s-side door and open it, then reach under the seat for my trusty Glock. I haven’t used it since Teddy got me my Kimber, but I feel it’s only right I have this one tonight. I close the door and point my gun in the direction of the bridge. “Come on.” Lucas pushes Cameron and makes him walk.
We keep going until we hit the center. There is a short barricade that reaches my hip, but I urge Cameron to climb over it. “Now, Cameron. Get on the other side.”
He shakes his head as the water below us crashes along the shore and against the pillars. “Do you think your dad would be proud?” he laughs.
I point my gun at his head. “Because I’m getting rid of scum like you, I know he would be. The world will be a better place without you.”
When I pull the hammer back, he finally starts edging over the side. “You’re getting rid of one monster just to birth another. Oh, the irony.”
“Fuck you.” When he’s finally over the side and leaning back wobbling, I step closer. “My child will be better than all of this.”
His eyes turn to me. “No. Unless you get out of here, it will grow up surrounded by bloodshed and death. It doesn’t even have a chance before its life begins.”
“If this is a way to try and get to me, it isn’t working. You’ll have to try harder,” I snap.
“Harder?” He laughs. “I don’t have to because after tonight, I may be gone, but I’ll still haunt your dreams. Every time you think of Blake or Teddy, my face will be right there too. I’m not leaving you anytime soon, Charlotte.”
I raise my knee, then kick out my foot. One push is all it takes before he’s falling down below us. No screams, no tears, nothing. He just falls with a loud slap on the water, and I wait for the impact. The terrible thoughts and dread. The things I felt losing Teddy and my dad, but it doesn’t come.
I don’t feel sad. I don’t feel sorry. I feel… complete. And that’s dangerous.
I gave myself so much flak for loving Teddy because he was a murderer, but here I am, turning into the exact thing. And suddenly, I understand.
Most say the thirst for revenge will never go away. That no matter how much you fight, the need to do more will always be there. But not for me. I feel more content that I have since I was a kid. Every last memory of Cameron starts to wash away with the tide. He’s gone and I can finally live. And maybe that’s how Teddy felt every time he killed someone who got in his way.
I let my head fall back and close my eyes. The tension I’ve held melts away and gives way to complete peace.
For the first time in days, small flutters tickle my stomach. I place my hand over my belly and smile as the cold air whips my hair around me. “It’s over. It’s finally over,” I whisper as a tear slips from my eye, but it isn’t from sadness. It’s from complete serenity.
“Flower?”
I turn and face Lucas. “It’s over, Lucas.”
He nods and wraps his arms around himself. “It is.”
He steps closer and drapes an arm around me before leading me back to the car. Instead of getting into the passenger seat, he helps me into it instead, then slips into the driver’s seat. The first few miles we drive in silence, and it doesn’t bother me. Thoughts of what-ifs and things that have happened don’t eat at me. I’m able to look out the window and actually enjoy what little scenery is there.
“Are you okay, Charlie?”
I turn and look at him with a soft smile. “I’m good.”
Confusion floats in his eyes as he cuts them back to the road in front of us. “This is the first time you’ve killed someone.”
“I know. I’m okay, Lucas,” I reassure him.
“Your calmness is scary if I’m being honest. After Simon, you flipped. This is bigger. This is different. You shouldn’t be so calm.” His voice is soft as he speaks.
Maybe he’s right. I should feel something, but for once the numbness around me isn’t problematic. It comforting and soothing. “I don’t think you realize how happy it makes me to end all of this. He can’t take anyone else from me.”
Like something clicks inside his head, he nods and grabs my hand over the console. “You’re right.”
I squeeze his hand and look back out the window. It’s finally over, and maybe this is me finally letting go.
