Chapter 12
926 Words
The sun was beginning to set, staining the sky in streaks of amber and wine.
Alara sat at the small kitchen table, trying to force down a bowl of soup. Miles stood outside the front door like a sentinel, a rifle slung across his back and a radio clipped to his belt.
The silence of the cabin — once peaceful — now felt thick with dread.
She kept glancing at the windows.
Waiting.
Kade had promised he’d return by nightfall. That was four hours ago.
And she hadn’t heard from him since.
She wanted to believe he was safe.
But the part of her that had lived through Jared’s obsession knew better than to expect safety to last.
She reached for her phone — no new messages.
Then—
A soft knock.
Three taps.
She froze.
Miles was supposed to knock twice and then speak.
He never knocked like that.
She rose from the table slowly, heart thudding in her ears.
Another knock. This time louder.
She moved toward the door cautiously and peered through the peephole.
But the view was blocked.
By something taped to the glass.
She frowned, reached for the lock.
Just then—
BOOM.
A deafening blast shattered the back door.
Wood splintered. Smoke. Screaming wind.
Alara ducked and hit the floor as shards flew across the room.
“MILES!” she screamed.
Gunfire.
Short bursts.
She crawled toward the hallway, her hands scraping the floor.
Another shot — this one inside.
Then — silence.
Too fast.
Too quiet.
She reached the closet and flung the door open, grabbing the small revolver Kade had hidden behind the jackets. Her fingers fumbled with the safety.
A sound behind her.
A step.
Then—
“Hello, Alara.”
She turned slowly.
And there he was.
Jared.
Hood down. Sweat on his brow. His eyes — crazed and shining.
In his right hand, a pistol. Loose. Casual. Dangerous.
In his left — her phone.
“I tried to be patient,” he said softly. “I gave you space. But then you ran. Again.”
Alara raised the gun with shaking hands.
“Get out.”
Jared tilted his head. “You’re not going to shoot me.”
“You don’t know that.”
He took a step forward. “You’re not a killer. You’re the girl who cried at animal rescue ads. Who said forgiveness was the bravest act of all. Remember?”
“You don’t get to use my heart against me,” she snapped, her voice rising. “Not anymore.”
He chuckled. “And what about him? The new guy. What’s his name? Kyle? Keith?”
“Kade.”
Jared’s eyes darkened.
“Right. The ‘protector.’ The guy who thinks love means violence. You ran from me to him, but how do you know he won’t become the same?”
“Because he’s nothing like you.”
He raised his gun slightly.
“That’s what they all say.”
And that’s when she saw it.
His hand. Shaking. Just slightly.
He wasn’t in control anymore.
She tightened her grip on the revolver. Her arms ached from holding it up.
“Put the gun down, Jared. You’re not here because you love me. You’re here because you can’t stand not owning me.”
He flinched.
“I never owned you—”
“Yes, you did,” she said coldly. “In your head. I was your possession. Your echo. But I’m done being an echo.”
She pulled the trigger.
Click.
Misfire.
Jared lunged.
They crashed into the wall. The revolver fell. Her head slammed against the floor. His hand clamped around her throat—
Then—
BANG!
Jared jerked back.
Blood bloomed on his shoulder.
He turned, roaring in pain.
Kade.
At the door.
Gun drawn.
Eyes like fire.
“You move again, and I won’t miss,” he growled.
Jared stumbled, clutching his arm.
“You think this is love?” Jared snarled. “You think saving her makes you a hero? You’re just another man who wants to be worshipped.”
“No,” Kade said. “I don’t want worship. I want her safe. That’s the difference.”
He stepped forward, slow, precise.
Jared looked at Alara — bleeding, breathless.
“Tell him the truth,” he spat. “You still think about me.”
Alara pulled herself upright, face bruised but eyes blazing.
“I think about how I survived you.”
Then she kicked the fallen revolver toward Kade.
Without hesitation, Kade shot again — this time through Jared’s knee.
The man dropped, screaming.
Sirens wailed in the distance.
Miles, bloodied but alive, limped into the cabin behind them, weapon raised.
“It’s over,” he said grimly.
Jared writhed on the floor, sobbing, furious.
Alara stepped forward and knelt beside him.
“You don’t get to be my ending,” she whispered. “You’re just the middle.”
And then she turned away.
---
Later That Night
The police took Jared into custody.
Ambulances arrived. Statements were given. Questions asked.
And when it was all over, Alara sat beside Kade on the porch, wrapped in a blanket, the forest eerily calm again.
She leaned her head on his shoulder.
“I didn’t think I’d make it.”
He kissed her temple. “You didn’t just make it, Alara. You fought.”
She looked up at him.
“I want more than survival, Kade. I want… life. Real love. Real peace.”
He touched her cheek.
“Then let’s build it. Together.”
---
- Writer
