So my updates will be all over the place but for further notice each chapter will be split into three parts.
Maddy couldn't breathe, she was cold. So, so cold. It didn't help that it was raining but she knew the sudden change in her temperature had nothing to do with the rain. Considering how warm she had been earlier against that tree with Jordan, the secret kisses in between and the gentle whispers of how much they cared for each other. And how it felt when he removed his hands from her waist, to bend at the knees, cup the backs of her thighs, and heft her into the air to press her more firmly into the tree. Her skin had been nearly burned by how searingly hot Jordan's touches were, even the innocent ones. It sent her heart pounding, blood pumping.
The cold she was going through was deeper. She felt it in her bones. Past the point of her teeth chattering, she simply stumbled along, numb. She took a deep breath, counting to ten, to try to calm the wave of nausea that washed over her. Her left forearm still throbbed from the last time Jordan had touched her and every time she took a breath, she felt a sharp, piercing pain in her chest. Thinking about him hurt, thinking about his deep, cloudy, muted gray eyes hurt.
One foot. Then the other. Repeat as needed. The boots scuffled on the ground as she trudged slowly forward, barely able to lift her feet clear. She was stumbling, she could see it in the way the path wove dizzily around her. She closed her hand into a fist and lifted it, knocking weakly. Stopping to wait for a few, it only took a couple seconds before the wooden panel swung open and a burnished caramel head peaked out.
"Mads!" Emma squeaked completely startled at her friend's sudden presence. She took in the dark circles under the normally bright eyes and the fact that Maddy's nose was red and shiny and no questions asked grabbed her by the forearm and dragged her in. The door fell into lock behind them as she opened her arms which Maddy immediately stepped into, not caring about the fact that Emma was naked beneath the pale lavender towel she was wrapped in. Emma closed her arms around Maddy, stroking her hair and gently comforting her as she started rambling.
"Madeline, slow down. First let's get you out of your clothes and warmed up first before we dig into whatever's bothering you okay?" Maddy nodded at the authoritative ring to Emma's voice, leaving no room for arguement. Releasing the zipper of the jacket Jordan had wrapped around her shoulders she passed it hesitantly to Emma who gently placed the jacket over a hook seeing how reluctant Maddy was to release it. And reached into the pocket, pulling out Maddy's phone and handed it to Maddy.
"Go to the bathroom and take a shower, I'll make us some cocoa and set up the fire so we can talk. Also leave your clothes on the rug outside. Okay?" Maddy nodded, truding out to the bathroom. She saw the muddy footprints following Maddy's steps. "And now I have clean that as well." Emma sighed as she got to work.
Back at the party...
Dan grit his teeth, charging straight up to the roof with a cadre of officers behind him. Alec had just fallen through the roof and he had a gut-feeling on who exactly was responsible. Kicking the locked door with sudden anger pumping through his veins, the old wood creaked and groaned under the weight of his movement.
"Rebecca Sewell! We are placing you under arrest. You have the right to remain silent ..." he started.
"I didn't do anything! He jumped on his own when I said I would expose him for what he did!" Rebecca cried in desperation, kneeling by the hole in the roof.
"You have the right to remain silent ...," Dan growled, pulling his .9 revolver from his holster and flipped the safety off, pointing it at her head while motioning the rest of the officers to circulate her.
"On what charges? I demand to see the warrant," Rebecca asked incredulously, standing at her full height and leveling a glare to Dan comfy.
However, she was within her rights, and Dan as of now had no warrant to make the proper arrest, but there was enough evidence to at least take her into custody surely? "Exactly, you have no warrant to make this arrest so therefore I am free to walk." Rebecca smirked and Dan felt the veins in his neck pop. There was no way he was going to let his fiance's killer walk free with no punishment.
Thankfully, Officer Ralston stepped forward. "Actually, we have word that the necklace we found at the sight we believe Lopez had died, is indeed your property since it is rittled with your fingerprints. And with this, we may not have enough proof to place a proper arrest but we have enough bring you into custody. Officer Whitehorse, you do the honors." Dan smiled at him, officer Ralston was younger than him, straight out of college but he definitely knew what he was doing.
"Rebecca Sewell you are being taken into custody until further notice." "You are accusing me of murder? That's preposterous! This is a sham meant to discredit me, nothing more. Someone will pay for this, you can be sure," she growled, "But you'll never take me alive!" She took off her high heels and climbed onto the wide edge of the wall around the roof. She glanced over her shoulder at the officers which by now all had their guns drawn.
"Step down miss! No harm will come to you if we handle this civilly!" Dan called out, he wanted nothing more than Rebecca to jump though. To be gone forever, to never return but his job was to put aside his personal feelings and take the bad guys down without death. Her foot tentatively moved forward and she jumped.
Then... crack. The one sound made all the difference in the world.