Page 165 of Meant to Be

“You’re fucking crazy.”

“Pick one to live and one to die,” Elliot continues. His knuckles are an off-white as he flexes his fingers tauntingly over the gun. “Those are the rules.”

Rain drills into the windows and the awning slaps the side of the house. That paired with the metallic tap of the gun on the wall as Elliot walks down the lounge room is a nauseating combination.

Elliot walks away. I hear the quiet thud of his footsteps. I crane my neck as much as I can, trying to see him. Suddenly, the gun is pressed against my temple.

“Choose,” he growls. “Or I will.”

“I’d rather die than give you the satisfaction of making me choose between two people I love.”

A frustrated grunt emits from his throat and hetsksat me, shaking his head. Elliot strolls unhurriedly towards Nick. He steps behind him and places his hands on his shoulders.

“You must love Nick a lot to throw him out like trash, yeah? Did you run away from him too? No goodbye? No note? No explanation?”

Sweat drips into my eye and I blink it away. Maybe I deserve this. After everything I’ve done, perhaps this is my reckoning.

“No, no, it’s this one, right?” He glides towards Harley and playfully dances the tip of the gun down the side of his face. Everything inside me stops functioning. He notices and an evil, satisfied smile takes over his face. “Ah, yes, he is the one that must go.”

“No!” I scream, thrashing wildly in the chair. It topples to the side and I wriggle and squirm, fighting against the rope as hard as I can. “I will doanything, Elliot.Please. Don’t touch him.”

“I wish I could let it go, Josie.” He shrugs, looking at me sympathetically. “But I can’t.”

His thumb flicks off the safety switch and I scream so loud, my eardrums could have burst. Chest-racking sobs tear from me as Elliot places the gun neatly in the centre of Harley’s temple.

“I hope you enjoyed yourself while it lasted,” he says, his finger sliding over the trigger.

A loud burst of sound rockets through the room as glass shatters, raining down on the carpet. Brennon crawls through the window and suddenly stops, staring at the scene around him.

“Holy shit.” His wide eyes take in everything. Nick and Harley slumped in their chairs, blood pooled at their feet. Me flailing on the floor, trying to get out of these ropes. Elliot holding a gun. Not aimed at Harley anymore, but at Brennon.

“Who the fuck is this?” Elliot barks, stomping closer to me and glaring. “Another boyfriend?” He screws his face up at me. “You really are a dumb slut, aren’t you?”

“Woah, mate.” Brennon raises his hands. Dried blood covers his face from when Harley landed one on him earlier. His eyes are glassy and bloodshot. I shiver again. He wasn’t coming here to look out for us. He was coming to finish the fight. “Let’s take it down a notch.”

“I don’t think so,mate.” Elliot spits the last word and the gun tilts slightly in his hand. “You’re just in time for the show.”

Elliot raises the gun, pointing it straight at Harley’s head.

Brennon launches forward, leaping somewhat athletically over me and tackling Elliot to the ground. The gun makes a sickeningpopand the glass cabinet in the corner of the room shatters as the bullet slices through it.

Harley gasps, slowly raising his head. He winces and blinks, trying to process what is going on. Elliot and Brennon grapple with each other in a mixture of yelling and breathless grunts.

“Harley!” I whimper, ramming my fists into the chair and screaming, trying to get myself free. Harley starts to do the same. He manages to pivot the chair slightly and kicks his leg out, colliding with Elliot’s back. Elliot yells out in anger before turning and facing the gun towards Harley again.

The samepopechoes as the gunshot splinters through the air. There’s a ringing in my ears as I blink back into focus. Everything is dark.

Shakily, I open my eyes and stare at the blood soaking into the carpet.