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“Yes. Alicia dies, or you die. Your choice, Gabriel. Let’s find out how much you love her. Would you die for her? You have ten seconds to decide.... Ten ... nine—”
“Don’t believe him,” I said. “He’s going to kill us both—I love you—” “—eight ... seven—”
“I know you love me, Gabriel—”
“—six ... five—”
“You love me—”
“—four ... three—”
“Gabriel, say you love me—”
“—two—”
And then Gabriel spoke. I didn’t recognize his voice at first. Such a tiny voice, so far away—a little boy’s voice. A small child—with the power of life and death at his fingertips.
“I don’t want to die,” he said.
Then there was silence. Everything stopped. Inside my body, every cell deflated; wilting cells, like dead petals falling from a flower. Jasmine flowers floating to the ground. Can I smell jasmine somewhere? Yes, yes, sweet jasmine—on the windowsill perhaps ...
Theo stepped away from Gabriel and started talking to me. I found it hard to focus on his words. “You see, Alicia? I knew Gabriel was a coward—fucking my wife behind my back. He destroyed the only happiness I’ve ever had.” Theo leaned forward, right in my face. “I’m sorry to do this. But quite frankly, now you know the truth ... you’re better off dead.”
He raised the gun and pointed it at my head. I shut my eyes. I heard Gabriel screaming—“Don’t shoot don’t shoot don’t—”
A click. And then a gunshot—so loud that it blew away all other sound. There was silence for a few seconds. I thought I was dead.
But I wasn’t so lucky.
I opened my eyes. Theo was still there—pointing the gun at the ceiling. He smiled. He put his finger to his lips, telling me to keep quiet.
“Alicia?” Gabriel shouted. “Alicia?”
I could hear Gabriel writhing in his chair, trying to turn around to see what had happened.
“What did you do to her, you bastard? You fucking bastard. Oh, Jesus—”
Theo untied my wrists. He dropped the gun to the floor. Then he kissed me, ever so gently, on the cheek. He walked out, and the front door slammed after him.
Gabriel and I were alone. He was sobbing, crying, barely able to form words. He just kept calling