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Oh my God, I know what he’s talking about.
It was our first meeting when he was hired at the hotel.
“You flirted with me for months when you’d come in with your low-cut shirts and tight dresses. But you threw out my roses. I waited and watched. I was patient. And then, you just threw them away.”
“I didn’t know... There wasn’t a card. I wouldn’t... I wouldn’t have thrown them out if I’d known. How can I fix this, Henry? I’ll do anything to fix it. Just tell me.”
“We’re supposed to have a life together, Ashlyn. I was even going to forgive you forher.” He roughly yanks Lindy’s hair again, and I break.
“We still can, Henry. You and me. Just let Madeline, Easton, and Brandon go, then I’ll go anywhere you want. As far away as you want.” I take a tentative step closer as his eyes grow greedy. “Anywhere, Henry. We can start our lives together anywhere. But you’ve got to let them go.”
Henry swings the gun toward Brandon. “He’ll never let you go.”
“Yes, he will.” I look at Brandon with my own wild eyes and mouth,Please trust meto him.“You don’t even have to let them go. You and me. We’ll walk out the front door and get in my car. Just leave the three of them here. They won’t come after us. I promise. Come with me. Please,” I beg.
“You must think I’m stupid,” Henry spits out, right before all hell breaks loose.
* * *
Brandon
Icatch the nod from Easton and throw Ashlyn down on the floor at the same time as Easton pulls Lindy down in front of him and out of the line of fire.
In a lightning-fast move, Easton twists his body and grabs Henry’s wrist with both hands, trying to control the gun.
They say, in movies, situations like this feel like slow-motion.
They fucking lie.
Everything happens all at once.
Easton yanks Henry forward.
He rips him off his feet as they fight for the gun.
This is it.
Our only chance.
The gun goes off, and a round ricochets off the table into the wall.
I immediately move.
I don’t think.
I react as tunnel vision sets in.
Getting to Henry is my only focus.
I don’t hear Ashlyn’s screams.
I no longer register Lindy’s sobs.
Thinking takes too long, and I don’t have time.
I hurtle my body over Lindy and Easton. Using the couch as a launching pad, I tackle Henry to the floor behind it. Knocking over the fucking couch with Lindy and Easton still on it in the process. We all fall to the floor as momentum carries us over.
I don’t wait. Don’t think.
