19. Sealed my fate
I opened the door and made a run for it. I am unarmed, and know that it is only a matter of time before Philips realizes I have left. The door closed loudly. Shane Jr. had started crying, and I am running as fast as possible. I knock on several houses. But it's one a clock on a work day. No one is home. I needed to make it to the highway, I thought.
I am running not looking back. And then I hear Philip's voice.
"Andrea, baby. You need to come home with me. You just had surgery," Philip is pleading.
I ignore his pleads and try to keep running. The highway isn't that far from the house. But my body is still sore. I know he is getting closer. Suddenly he grabs me, and points a gun to my head. I look around there is no one to see us. He could kill me right here, I thought.
"You ready to go home now?"
"Yes," I answered. I had no choice at this point. My fate was sealed, I was going to die. Leaving my children with no mother. Poor Emily, Harper, and Shane. How could I die now when there was so much to live for?
Philip drags me back to the house, and leads me to the room where Rick is tied down to a chair.
"Are you going to kill Rick? Like you did Shane?" I asked Philip demanding answers. I wanted him to admit it. I needed to know the truth about what happened to my love.
"I did not kill Shane. That's what Rick has convinced you to believe. But it's not true," Philip says throwing me on the bed. He has more rope and ties me up as well.
"Please, don't do this," I said looking over at helpless Rick. Why did he risk his life for mine? Why did I not listen to Rick? I should have gone to Florida with him. I would have been safe.
"Andrea, it's going to okay. We'll get through this together," Rick says his blue-green eyes staring back at mine.
In that moment, I knew Rick was someone I could fall in love with. Maybe the only person I could love besides Shane. He was kind, honest, sexy, and had a good heart. And he knew me in a way most people couldn't. But none of this mattered now. Because Philip was going to kill us both.
"Your lover is comforting you," Philip smirks.
"Rick and I are only friends. He is not my lover," I said loudly.
" Well, he wants to fuck you. I can see it in his eyes," Philip said pointing a gun at my head.
"You're right. I love Andrea. I always have. How could I not? She is the type of girl who asks a hundred questions, but she already knows the answers. She loves to drink whiskey, and has the cutest laugh. She's tough as hell, but still needs someone to hold her. Who couldn't love Andrea?" Rick said his voice even softer now.
And I knew after hearing Rick's words something had changed. I had fallen in love again.
This time with Rick. This was a different more gradual love then I had with Shane. I thought of our dances at prom, hugging him the day of my wedding, and finally the one kissed we shared. There was always an unspoken bond between us.
I knew that bond was there now as we sat next to each other tied up in these chairs, and that I loved him too. But I couldn't admit it. As much as I wanted to. Saying the words would guarantee Philip would kill us both.
"Your lover is making his true feelings know," Philip says moving the gun down my body.
"Please kill me, but let Andrea go," Rick pleaded with Philip.
"I should just kill you both," Philip laughed wickedly.
"You can't. I don't love Rick. I told you," I lied. I see hurt in Rick's eyes, but he knows I am trying to reason with Philip.
"I know when you are lying, and it's too late. Rick has to die unless," Philip says.
"Unless what?"
"You marry me today, and then I'll let Rick go," his voice sounds pure evil.
"Don't do it Andrea," Rick yells seeing I am thinking about going along with his demands.
"I hate you Philip. How could you do this to me? I gave myself to you foolishly," I said heatedly.
"That's the choice. Either you marry me or I kill Rick," Philip says brown eyes dancing.
"Don't do Andrea. It's not worth it. A life with him wouldn't be worth a damn," Rick said.
God, Rick is so beautiful. Inside I ache. I know Shane would be allright with me moving on with Rick. And Lori did not deserve him. Still, none of this matters.
"If you don't Andrea, your boyfriend will die," Philip says moving closer.
Our eyes meet, and I know without any doubt he was the one who killed my sweet Shane. Now he was going to take away my best childhood friend that I loved too. I hated him. He is a monster.
"How do I know that if I marry you that you won't still kill Rick?"
"You have my word," Philip promises.
"Like that means a lot," Rick said loudly.
"I'll do it. But I want to kiss Rick goodbye first," I said determined.
"Absolutely not," Philip said angrily.
"That's my solution," I said looking at Rick.
"Fine. One last kiss, and then you are mine," Philips says laughing cruelly. He unties me and I walk up to Rick tied to the chair. I stare into his blue-green eyes. I could not let Philip kill another person I loved.
"Don't do this, Andrea."
There is a sadness in his voice when he answered me, and I knew that my feelings for Rick were transparent.
"I love you, Rick," I whispered softly in his ear where only he could hear it. In the few moments we had our eyes met, and I knew we both could feel the love that was there. I pressed my lips against his. I start running my fingers through his hair. His tongue moved against mine, and for a minute I forget about Philip even being in the room. It was only Rick and I.
"Time is up. We have to go now," Philip said pulling me from Rick. Tears started falling down my face. There was no way to know that Philip wouldn't still hurt Rick. It's a gamble, I thought. But at this point I had nothing to lose. Philip grabs my arm leading me out of the room. I look at Rick one last time before I have to leave.
"Don't marry him," Rick mouthed with no sound, and this breaks my heart because I know I have no choice. More tears start to fall as I stare at Rick unable to move.
"Or you coming or not?" Philip says forcefully. Finally, unwillingly, I turn away from Rick and leave the room.
AN: What do you think? How do you think it should end?