Page 67 of Devious

“You’re not dead, baby. You’re not dead.”

My throat closes and my vision becomes blurry as I blow air into her mouth and start the compressions again on her chest.

“Come back to me, baby. Don’t leave me.”

Tears wet my eyes as I pick up her lifeless body and hold her tight.

“No, no, no, no! I’m going to make this right, baby. I’m so sorry.”

I carry her down the stairs and put her into the front seat of my car and drive her to the closest hospital. I take her to the ER. As I pace the floor, I grab my phone from my pocket and dial her mother’s number.

“Devious?”

I don’t respond for a few minutes.

“Are you there?”

“It’s Shelby. We’re at the ER.”

“Oh my God. Is she okay?”

The doctor walks out into the lobby.

“I’m sorry, but Shelby Vitali didn’t make it. She had too much internal bleeding.”

“What about the baby?” I ask.

“The baby didn’t get enough oxygen to the brain, so he didn’t make it either. I’m sorry.”

I hear Shelby’s mother screaming at the top of the lungs through the phone.

Roselyn

Baby? Who the fuck kills a woman and unborn child?

Guilt is written all over his face, and he looks torn about it.

His words echo in my head as I stare at him. “How did you have the heart to kill a child and the love of your life?”

“Roselyn.”

“Tell me. Please tell me,” I demand. “So, talk to me. Tell me what happened.”

He’s searching my eyes for something. I don’t know. But he needs to tell me what happened. I deserve to know.

He looks like he has a ton of weight on his shoulders, and he frowns. “I was coming home from work, and I heard noises coming from our bedroom. When I burst into the door and found her on top of my best friend, riding him, I took my gun and shot at him. She jumped in the way, and the bullet hit her chest. I tried to revive her, while Cashel fled the fucking scene. I took her to the hospital, and the doctors tried to save her and the baby, but there wasn’t anything they could do. I didn’t kill her on purpose. I would never kill her on purpose. She’s the only person I regret killing. I told her mother a robber had broken into our home and killed her. I didn’t have the heart to tell her mother the truth because I didn’t want her hating me. I promised her I would protect her only daughter, and I failed.”

I exhale. “Why did you keep wanting to hold on to someone who didn’t love you?” I ask.

He glances back at the sky.

“I was hoping she would eventually love me back. I tried everything to make her love me again, but nothing worked.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you have abandonment issues if you’re trying to hang on to someone who didn’t love you.”

He doesn’t respond.

“Honestly, you deserve someone who is going to love you the way you want to be loved in a fairy-tale way.”