Page 49 of Romance Is Dead

They say your life flashes before your eyes before you die. In my case, that wasn’t true. What flashed before my eyes were my regrets.

I regretted not being honest with my dad sooner.

I regretted not believing Teddy when he told me he didn’t leak the photo.

I regretted not figuring out it was Chloe sooner, especially when my dad had the answer in his cabin the whole time.

And as I stared at her pointing that gun at me, convinced I had mere moments left to live, I regretted letting my fear get in the way of me feeling everything I had to feel for Teddy.

I turned to look at him, wanting his gorgeous face and that adorable flop of hair to be the last thing I saw in this world. This was my last chance to say what I needed to say. I wouldn’t keep making the same mistake.

“I’m falling in love with you.” I whispered the words, not wanting Chloe to overhear. I didn’t want her to be part of this moment.

“What?” Teddy leaned closer. Well, as much as his bindings would allow.

“I’m falling in love with you!” I repeated, louder this time.

“Quinn, I can’t hear you!”

Ugh, goddamnit. “I said I love you! And. . .” I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry. For, you know, everything.”

Teddy’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Very really.” Something like peace swelled in my chest, the satisfaction that if I was about to die, at least I wouldn’t have to add not telling Teddy how I felt about him to my list of regrets.

“Oh, gross.” Chloe cocked the gun. “Enough of this crap.”

But then, a banging sound echoed from above. A noise like a door slamming against a wall.

My heart leapt. The police.

“What the hell?” Chloe tipped her head to the ceiling. “I’ll be right back. Neither of you move.” She laughed to herself as she climbed up the stairs. “Not like you could.”

I waited until I heard her reach the top of the stairs.

“Start screaming,” I instructed Teddy. “Mara’s outside and called the police. I think that’s them up there.”

“Did you guys make up?”

“I think so.”

Teddy beamed. “Aww! I knew you two would work it out.”

“Thank you, but we need to start making noise!”

“Oh, right.”

The two of us took deep breaths and yelled as loud as we could, for as long as we could. I screamed until my throat was searing and my stomach hurt; Teddy yelled even louder and longer. But still, no one came.

“I don’t think this is working.” I stared at the door at the top of the stairs. “I still don’t think they can hear us.”

Teddy’s head fell back in exhaustion. “Damn.”

My mind whirred. “I have a new plan.” I slouched in my chair, reaching down toward the floor where Jacques lay nearby.

“When she gets back, let me do all the talking.” I paused, noticing the way his eyes still managed to shine in the dim light.

“I really am sorry, by the way.” I bit my lip, wishing I could list all the ways I’d screwed up and all the things I wished I’d done differently.

Teddy sighed. “I know. We’ll talk later.” His eyes drifted upward, where Chloe was pacing above us. “I think she’s coming.”

“Shoot.” I strained as hard as I could, buying me another inch or two as I stretched to reach the stuffed bird. “Trust me, ok?”

“I believe in you.” It was a simple statement.

Confident. My heart ached. He had no reason to be that confident in me.

But as I reached a millimeter further, feeling like surely my wrist was going to break, my fingers finally brushed feathers.

I gripped the bird with my fingertips, and with a few more maneuvers, I had it securely in my hand.

Another click and I detached the leg, holding it like a dagger as the rest of the bird flopped to the floor.

Footsteps down the stairs.

“We’re good. A very funny thing happened, though.

The police showed up. Something about looking for a killer.

” Chloe hopped off the last step and went to retrieve her gun from the shelf.

“Luckily, they bought my story that I had definitely seen the killer too, and they had definitely just run out of the house and into the woods! Maybe I am a good actress.” She chuckled. “Now, where were we?”

“Wait! Before you kill me, I want to know one more thing.” Careful not to draw her attention, I tightened my grip on the dagger. “Why kill me now? The film’s been cancelled. They won’t reshoot it with you in the lead.”

“I already told you.” Irritation flickered across her face. “This is about revenge now.”

I wiggled the blade against the ropes binding my wrists, making slow but steady progress. “Wouldn’t it be more satisfying to let me go and become more successful than me? Make me watch as you beat me for roles?”

Chloe looked dubious. “I don’t think so. I think I really want to watch you die.” She cocked the pistol.

“Wait! Uh. . .” A few strands of the rope broke beneath my fingers. Many more to go. “I could use my influence to help you get roles. We were friends. We could forget this whole thing ever happened.”

“Hmm, no. After the two of you die, do you understand how infamous this movie will be? How famous I will be?”

Another flick of my wrist, and the blade set my wrists free. Triumph lit up my brain and I jumped to my feet.

There was just one problem. I’d forgotten my ankles were still bound together.

I crashed to the ground, sending the chair I was still attached to tumbling after me. It smacked me against the back of my head, sending stars sparkling across my vision.

Ow.

“God, you’re stupid.” Chloe raised the gun again. “Are you trying to make this easier for me?”

“Never.” Now positioned conveniently at her feet, I grabbed her around the ankles and yanked her to the ground next to me.

“Shit!” The gun flew out of her hand as she went down, clattering across the floor and firing, the bullet hitting the wall. I grabbed for the dagger and sawed through the ties binding my ankles. But Chloe rebounded quicker than I expected, hopping up and running after the gun.

“Drop the knife.” She pointed the gun at me, legs spread as she took aim. “Now.”

“Not a chance, bitch.”

“Fine. Say goodnight, Quinn.”

The door at the top of the stairs flew open. “Drop the gun, ma’am!” There, silhouetted in the doorway, was Larry the cop.

“I already told you that the killer left,” Chloe whined.

“I said drop it!” Larry ran down the stairs, followed by half a dozen of his colleagues. As they filed down the stairs, they revealed Mara, standing triumphantly in the doorway.

“Little did Chloe know I was here to refute her bullshit story.” She sighed. “Thank God you have me around.”

My heart squeezed. As soon as I got out of that basement, I was going to owe Mara the biggest thank you present.

“Ok, ok. You don’t have to be so mean. Ouch!” Chloe cried as Larry slapped handcuffs on her. “I didn’t do it.” She squinted a few times until tears bloomed in her eyes. “I swear I didn’t.”

I rolled my eyes. “She admitted everything to me, like, fifteen minutes ago.”

“Did you record it?”

“She had my hands tied behind my back, how on earth would I have done that?” I paused for a moment, thinking. “I do have several envelopes licked by her, though. DNA evidence.”

Chloe’s eyes dried instantly. “Fine, I did do it!” Her eyes roamed the room. “Hey, where’s the press? Don’t they cover things like this?”

“Ma’am, you’re coming with us.” Larry turned to Teddy and me. “Will you be able to meet us at the station for a statement?”

We nodded.

“Good.” He motioned to the other cops. “Alright, boys, let’s go.”

Satisfied the police had things under control, I wasted no more time, rushing over to Teddy.

In the long seconds it took for me to close the space between us, I planned to apologize.

To tell him all the ways that I’d been wrong, and to tell him how sorry I was that I hadn’t believed him, and that I’d assumed the worst in him, and that I’d left him to be abducted by a deranged killer.

I’d planned to tell him all of those things, as many times as I needed to, until he believed me.

And if it still wasn’t enough for him to forgive me, I’d have to live with my consequences.

But by the time I finally reached him, all I could do was frantically untie his wrists before straddling his lap and kissing him, murmuring my sorries in the moments I paused to take a breath.

And he kissed me back — thank God, he kissed me back — between telling me that it was ok and that he forgave me.

When we finally left the house, it was still dark but the horizon had a hint of the sunrise to come.

Chloe had yammered on and on as Larry escorted her to the police car, asking once again when the media was going to show up to get her side of the story.

Larry didn’t bother to answer before slamming the door.

“Alright, you two.” Larry approached Teddy and me, pulling a notebook out of his pocket. “You know the drill.”

Nodding wearily, Teddy and I each made a statement, filling him in on everything we knew. Finally satisfied, Larry promised he’d call us with anything else they needed. Then he left and got into his police car, driving off with Chloe staring moodily out the back window.

As the car disappeared, Mara yawned. “As much as I enjoyed this, I need to go back to the hotel. I feel dead on my feet.”

“Yes, go! Oh, right.” I rubbed my temples, realizing how foggy my head had gotten. “I need to drive.”

“No, that cop over there said he’d give me a ride.” She waved to the man waiting by the remaining car. “He’s cute, don’t you think?”

“Oh my God, Mara.”

“What? The best way to get over a guy is to get under another.” She winked and held out her arms for a hug. “Come here.”

I hurried over, holding her tight as another wave of regret washed over me. “I’m really sorry,” I whispered. “I owe you big time.”

“It’s fine.” She pulled away, grinning. “You can pay me back by giving me all the details of you guys’ make-up sex.”

Teddy’s eyebrows flew up in alarm. “What?”

“Nothing.” She smiled innocently and blew us a kiss before getting into the car, leaving Teddy and me alone. We sank onto the porch, Teddy wrapping an arm around me and pulling me close. I leaned my head against his shoulder with a sigh, exhaustion creeping up on me, too.

“I’m really, really sorry,” I whispered. “I should have believed you when you said you didn’t leak those photos. I should have given you the benefit of the doubt.”

Teddy shrugged. “I understand why you didn’t. It looked pretty shady.”

“Still, I shouldn’t have reacted like that. Even if we never find out — ”

“Oh, I found out.”

“Really?” I pulled away in surprise. “What happened?”

Teddy’s eyes darkened. “I was trying to think when someone could have gotten a hold of my phone. Even if someone grabbed it during filming, they wouldn’t have had my passcode.

Then I remembered. The day after we took that selfie, Natasha asked to borrow my phone for a call.

Afterward, I caught her tapping around on it.

She must have emailed it to herself and then sent it to the tabloid.

Wouldn’t be surprised if she was the one who took the photo at the field, too. ”

“How pathetic.” At least we hadn’t been totally off base about Natasha — she might not have committed murder, but she’d certainly been willing to stoop pretty low to get publicity for the movie. “How would she have even known the photo was on your phone?”

Teddy’s cheeks flushed pink. “I may have set it as my background.”

Warmth spread through my chest, and I snuggled back under his arm, wrapping my arms around his waist. “You’re the cutest.”

Teddy pulled me closer, squeezing me tight. “I meant what I said the other night. That you mean the world to me. That I’m falling in love with you.”

“I know,” I breathed.

“But I also understand you’re not looking to get involved, so — ”

“I am,” I interjected.

“Hmm?”

“Looking to get involved. I mean, with you. Not anyone else.”

“Oh? And how does that feel?”

I pulled away so I could look up into his eyes. “Like I trust you. Like I know you wouldn’t hurt me.” I took a deep breath. “I’m in love with you, too. I want to be with you.”

A smile bloomed on Teddy’s face, so pure and bright it made my heart ache. “I think I could make that work.”

“And if you’re still going on that reality show, that’s ok, too. We can figure it out.”

“About that. . . I want you to know — ”

“It’s ok.” I held up a hand to stop him. “You don’t have to explain. It’s your career. Your choice.”

“No, it’s important that you know that I haven’t been going on these shows or this movie for fame.

I couldn’t care less about being famous.

I’d rather not be, actually.” He absentmindedly ran his thumb along my knee.

“It’s for the money. Which I know sounds bad!

But I need the money to give to my mom.”

“Oh.” The air went out of me with a whoosh.

“She lost her job last year, and she’s been able to make ends meet with a couple of part-time jobs, but I know she’s tired. And she’s been working so hard for so long, ever since my dad died. I just want her to be able to rest.”

“Wow, I’m an asshole.”

“You didn’t know.” He pressed his lips to the top of my head. “And I understand why you have trouble trusting people. I just hope you trust me now. And I won’t go on the show. Not when it would be compromising what we have.”

I tipped my face up to look at him. “I think you should do it.”

“Um, how?” Teddy leaned in close to my ear. “Do you know what happens on those shows? Let me tell you — ”

I held up a hand. “I don’t need to hear. I just want you to know that I trust you. If you go.”

Teddy shifted so he could hold my face in his hands. “You’re amazing.”

Then he pulled me into a kiss, his lips tender and velvet, and for the first time, I let myself feel everything: how good it felt, how much he made me feel like the best version of me, and how much I wanted him to swallow me up and never let me go.

“One thing,” he said, pulling away just enough to form the words.

“What’s that?”

“Please cross detective off your list of possible careers.”