“Oh, Christ,” Scott says. “Where the hell is that ambulance?”
I know what they have discovered in my trunk. I stop walking abruptly, surprising the officer whose hand is on my elbow, leading me to the police car. He stumbles and releases my arm. I sprint in the direction of my car.
No, I won’t be able to get away. But I want to see.
It’s Scott who jumps in front of me, just as another officer grabs me roughly by the arm. I always thought Scott was far too nice to be a cop, but at this moment, his eyes are like ice. He looks like he could strangle me with his bare hands.
“How could you?” he chokes out. “How could you do that to her? You…”
I stare back at him. “Sorry, Scotty. You missed your chance with her.”
His right hand balls into a fist. He wants to hit me. It says a lot about him that he doesn’t do it, even though I’m an easy target with my hands cuffed behind my back. He’s still a wuss. He won’t even do anything when he sees the girl he’s had a crush on for ten years bleeding to death in the trunk of a car.
“Is she breathing?” I ask.
Scott just sneers at me. He nods his head at the officer holding my arm. “Take her away.”
I start to ask again, but I feel my arm being jerked hard enough that my wrist feels like it might snap in two. I know the answer though. Quinn will survive. She’s the lucky one, after all.
Chapter 42
ROSALIE
It feels like the police are with us forever.
Nick carried me downstairs, so I wouldn’t have to deal with being near that woman. Her name, apparently, is Claudia Delaney. She’s the sister of the other woman who was staying here—the one who kissed Nick. I still don’t entirely understand why Claudia Delaney stabbed her sister, but apparently, they found her unconscious and bleeding profusely in the trunk of Claudia’s car. They rushed her to the hospital, but they’re not sure if she’ll survive. I can’t even imagine.
The police spend forever talking to Nick. I can tell he’s trying hard to keep his cool, going over the same story again and again. And he’s really upset about Greta. He went into her room to tell her to call the police, and he found her lying on the ground, a stab wound in her chest. We had both grown very fond of her. Amazingly, she was still breathing when the paramedics arrived. But she was quite old—her chances aren’t great.
Finally the police leave, and thank God, they haven’t hauled my husband away in handcuffs. He sinks into one of the chairs at our dining room table, his face pale. I wheel over to him, afraid to ask him what he’s thinking. After all, we broke up. A few hours ago, we decided our marriage was done. As far as I know, he’s already checked out.
“Nick,” I say.
He lifts his eyes, which are red-rimmed. “Hey.”
“Are you… okay?”
“Yeah, I…” He heaves a sigh. “She almost killed you. I can’t believe it.”
I try to smile. “Nah. I was fine. I took her down, no problem.”
“You did, didn’t you?” He tries to return the smile. “Listen, Rosie…”
I brace myself. I don’t want to hear this. I don’t want him to tell me he’s leaving me tonight. I don’t think I could bear it after the night I’ve had.
No, he might not leave tonight. But he’s going to want to make plans for separating. I don’t know if I can talk him out of it anymore. This decision has been a long time coming.
But I’ll try.
“I want to stay together,” he blurts out.
I stare at him. “You do?”
“Yeah.” He rubs his eyes with the balls of his hands, then looks back up at me. “I was miserable after our conversation earlier. I don’t want to live without you. Ever. I’m sad about… the way things are. With us. But I’m not giving up. I love you too much.”
“Oh,” I say.
“And,” he adds, “I think you still love me too.”
My cheeks grow warm. “You’re right. I do. I really, really do.”
He reaches out and takes my hand in his. “I knew it.”
“Also,” I say, “I think this dining room would make a really great bedroom.”
For the first time, maybe in years, I see his eyes light up. “I think so too.”
And so we sit there for the next hour, holding hands, and making plans for the future.
Epilogue
QUINN
Two and a Half Years Later
It’s a hot lazy Sunday afternoon.