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“No, No. Parker, don’t, please don't do this. You can’t. Don’t do this.”
I stare into her beautiful eyes, the eyes I fell in love with all those years ago as kids, playing on the playground and sharing lunches. I look back into the soul of the woman I loved and have always loved.
“I can’t think of a better way to die, Abigail. In place of the one I love.”
She thrashes in her chair, trying to break free, but it’s useless. She screams out, “You can’t kill him. I won’t let you kill him. You say you love me, that we are destined to be together, so just take me. Leave him alone and just take me. I’ll go willingly. Don’t kill him, please don’t kill him.”
Sebastian slowly walks behind her, placing his arms on her shoulders and bending down to her ear, “Don’t you see, can’t you feel it? That my pet is love. You love him. And as long as you love him, there will never be a you and me.”
Abby cries uncontrollably.
“No, no, no, this can’t be happening, this can’t be it. SOMEBODY HELP US!” But her attempts to be heard are silenced as Sebastian leaves her and stands behind me. The gun pressed against the back of my head.
“Look away, Abigail, just look away,” I cry.
Crying.I can’t remember the last time I shed a tear for anyone. Not since my uncle died and the girl I loved disappeared overnight. It’s poetic that she’s the person I cry for before I die. Our own twisted, tragic love story ending. The kind that carves your heart out and leaves you devastated. Shakespeare has nothing on Abigail and me. Nobody can compare to my bunny.
“No, Parker, no. You can’t do this. Parker, please. I need you,” she sobs.
“You’ll be okay, baby; I promise everything will be okay. I love you.”
Sebastian clicks off the safety and pulls back on the gun, allowing a bullet into the chamber. I close my eyes and take my final deep breath in.
fifty-four
abgail
JustasSebastian'sfingerpulls back on the trigger, Parker drops forward, pushing his leg out from behind him, and swings it, tripping Sebastian, who shoots wildly. The bullet ricochets and hits one of the lawnmowers, which creates a spark, igniting the shed into flames. Sebastian hits his head on a pile of wood as he falls to the floor, the gun flying into the flames.
Parker rushes to stand up and hurries toward the workbench to find a way to untie me. He grabs a pair of cutting sheers and cuts the rope off my hands and ankles. I quickly stand, wrapping my arms around him and holding him tight.
“We have to get out of here; this place is going to come down at any minute.” He says, swooping me into his arms. The flames quickly rise, licking up the rotted wood. Smoke fills the confined space, making it hard to breathe and see. Parker spins, searching for a way out. He doesn’t falter with me in his arms. He carries me out of the burning shed, fighting the flames that are trying to trap and consume us.
We get far enough away, and he places me down on the ground. My eyes are fixated on the flames dancing in the air. There is no way Sebastian will make it out of there alive. I turn to face Parker, who is also looking at the fire, and cup his cheek to bring his face toward me.
“Don’t you ever do something like that again? I could have lost you,” I say.
“You’ll never lose me, bunny. I promised you everything was going to be okay.” I pull him in close and hug him as tight as I possibly can.
“Parker, promise me you will never sacrifice your life for mine. Promise me that you are going to grow old with me, and we are going to live a long life together. Promise me, now!” I demand.
His eyes begin to search mine. “If I didn’t know any better, Abigail Burns, it almost sounds like crazy pants in there was right. You are in love with me.” He smiles back at me. Oh, how I do love his big, wide, bright smile.
I didn’t know I would ever be capable of feeling affection and love for someone. I thought I was too broken—damaged—my heart had been shredded and turned to stone to protect myself. Parker Stevens was always the boy who I never noticed. He was always just there. He was my friend. He was my protector. I took him for granted. All these years, I wished I could tell him how I felt. All these years where, I wished we had more time, and now, nothing is stopping me from telling him how I feel. How I have always felt.
“Parker?” I ask.
“Yes?” he replies.
“I never knew what love was, what it felt like, what it could be. You have always been there for me when we were kids. You never made me feel out of place; you always made sure I knew that I was wanted. Even now, me being back, you never left me despite all your efforts in trying. Yes, I love all of you. But there is only one of you that I think I have always been in love with, and it took almost losing you again to make me realize that I love you. I will always love you. At the start of every day, at the end of every night, in every lifetime from here on out until the end of time, I choose you, Parker Stevens. I am in love with…”
A loud bang cuts off my words. My eyes shoot over to the burning shed, looking for the explosion that must have happened, but it is still covered in flames—the same. I look back at Parker, whose face has gone pale. I look down between us, and a pool of fresh blood is covering my dress. But I feel no pain. Parker drops to his knees, and that is when I see it.
Parker has been shot.
“Abigail…” Parker tries to speak.
“Shhh… you’re going to be okay,” I say, clutching him in my arms. I look around frantically, “HELP!!!”
