Page 78 of One More Chance
Like flipping a switch, her laughter spiraled into crying and her manic anger melted into hysterical delusions. Between sobs she said, “I wanted them to see me. I wanted to show you I still matter.”
I heard sirens in the distance. I was grateful one of the neighbors, or maybe Liam, must’ve called 911.
“I told you to stay away,” I hissed.
“I love you!”
“Ineverloved you,” I said with a vicious honesty that I hadn't even realized fully until that moment.
I had never loved Angie. The Old Me had loved the fantasy she gave him. Nothing more.
"I never loved you… ever," I added. I was unsure if I'd said it to her or myself.
Those words froze her as the front door burst open, the lock ripping from the wall at the forced entry. I glanced over to see the cops.
Fucking finally. And goddammit, I just changed that lock.
Flashlight beams and shouted commands filled the house. Within seconds they had Angie in cuffs. She was sobbing. One of the officers yelled at me to stay still so I waited.
“Tell Sloane,” she wailed as they dragged her out. “Tell her the truth, baby. The whole truth!”
The police were quick, dragging her outside with harsh authority. The loud, sharp calls of, "Clear," echoed throughout the house.
My chest ached from my thundering heart, adrenaline still spiking as an officer walked over to me. I raised my hands, desperation in my voice. “Please, I have kids upstairs.”
"You live here, sir?"
"Yes, I've been working with Detective Harlan."
The officer gave a short nod, his eyes flicking over me before he turned to his shoulder radio and relayed the message to his team. A response came back and he motioned for me to get up. "Detective Harlan will be here soon. Go on ahead. Go to your kids."
He gave me the all-clear and I bolted to the stairs, took them three at a time, and found Liam and Violet standing in the hallway, both pale and trembling. Liam had a baseball bat clutched in both hands. Violet’s stuffed fox dangled from one arm.
“I-I tried to protect her,” Liam whispered.
I knelt down. Wrapped them both in my arms. My body shook. “You did good,” I said as I kissed the tops of their heads. “You both did so good.”
All together we walked downstairs, careful of the broken glass, aiming for the kitchen so the police did their work. As we passed the living room, Rufus whimpered nearby.
Oh fuck. Rufus.
I rushed to him, thankful to see him alive. His breathing was heavy and he was curled up… but he was alive. Liam and Violet stood off to the side, holding onto each other near the kitchen table.
Violet's voice broke through, "Is he okay?"
Worry lined my voice but I held steady. "Yeah, baby. He will be."
I heard my truck pull into the driveway, the door slam, then Sloane yelling at the police. It sounded as if the cops were trying to keep her out of the house… which I could have told them was about as useful as a toothpick in a tornado. I had never heard such an inventive use of curse words until that night, as my fierce and tenacious wife went on a verbal rampage towards us.
She burst through the front door and stormed into the kitchen. When her gaze landed on me and the crying kids, she dropped to her knees without asking a single question. Her hands went straight to them, pulling them close as they clung to her, still trembling from the chaos.
"Oh thank god you two are okay. I love you. It's going to be okay. You're safe." She looked at me then, tears streaking her face, "Levi?"
I didn't know how I looked at that moment, but I gave her the smile she needed to see. "I'm okay Sloane."
She reached for me then. I walked over to them, held them as my heart ached from the catastrophe I’d created. Of what we’d just survived. I could feel the heat of Sloane’s tears against my cheek as I whispered to her, “Rufus is hurt. We need to take him to your work.”
She nodded quickly, her voice hoarse with emotion. “Okay. Okay. Let's - get your shoes, kids.”
