Page 87 of Open for Negotiation
“He saved me, you know?” she continues, still sitting facing the window… not paying attention to my movements. “He was the first person to ever care about me for me. He gave me a roof over my head, a job, potential… then poof.” She snaps her fingers. “It’s gone.”
I don’t take my eyes off of the back of her head, not once, the entire time that I move… but when I feel the wall connect with the back of my hand, I sneak a glance backward, making sure I’m where I need to be, making sure I’ll be able to run toward the door faster than she could catch up with me.
When I turn my attention back to her, those wide, sad, rage-filled eyes are trained on me.
“DON’T FUCKING MOVE!!” she screams before taking off in a sprint toward me.
Everything happens so fast.
I turn on my heel and take off down the hallway toward the front door, but as soon as my hands reach the lock and twist, her arms wrap around me from behind.
I struggle, push, writhe, and try to fight until we both topple to the floor and I feel the slick, metallic slice of steel against my shoulder.
“Ah!” I cry out in pain. I fling my arms, pressing my hands against her face, trying desperately to push her off of me. “Miranda, stop!” I scream.
Her eyes go wide and she scrambles back and off of me, leaving me lying on my back in front of the door.
“Oh my God, Scarlett, I…” She is clutching the knife against her chest. “I didn’t…”
I look down at my shoulder to assess the damage, and thankfully, it looks like she just sliced my skin rather than stab the knife into my arm. It’s deep, but I’m all right, I think.
There is an eerie calm in the apartment now, like a release of a build-up that’s been growing since the moment I left my bedroom and found her here.
It doesn’t last long though… because once I let my head fall back onto the hardwood with a thump, my front door pushes open and I hear his voice.
Max
A fury that I cannot begin to describe with words filled me the moment I heard Miranda’s voice through that phone, then when I called back only to find Scarlett’s phone was now off, fear blended with the fury. That’s a mix that allows no sense of calm to reside in your mind.
I didn’t know what was happening. I didn’t know why Miranda was there or if Scarlett was safe. All I knew was I needed to get there to make sure, and I’ve never sped through this city so quickly in my life.
Lady Luck must be on my side tonight because there is someone leaving the building as I run up, so I’m able to get right in the door instead of having to be buzzed up. I opt for the stairs because standing there like a fucking idiot waiting on the elevator isn’t an option. Not right now.
I reach her floor in record time, running down the hallway until I see the silly welcome mat she’s placed just outside of her door.
I don’t knock, I don’t wait, I try the handle and to my shock, it twists, opening with no resistance.
The scene in front of me isn’t the worst-case scenario, thank fuck, but what I see makes my heart drop to my feet.
Scarlett on her back, on the floor, in nothing but a towel, and she has her arm stretched over her chest, clasping her other bicep. I can see the blood trickling out and dripping onto the floor.
“What the fuck?” I drop to my knees beside her, clasping her face in my hands. “Scarlett, baby, look at me. What happened? Are you okay?”
She blinks rapidly, then nods her head. “I’m fine, I’m okay.” She looks down at her arm then back at me. “It’s not that bad. I’m okay. Miranda… she…”
Rage. Pure rage courses through my body at that name and when I turn around, I see Miranda sitting on the floor in the corner, knees to her chest, knife in her hand, sobbing hysterically.
“Go help her. I’m fine, I’m fine. She needs help. She’s not okay, Max, not at all.” Scarlett struggles to sit up, so I carefully pull her into a seated position and cup her face in my hands again.
“Christ, I’m so sorry,” I tell her then I pull my phone from my pocket, handing it to her. “Call 911. Tell them she’s armed, but not dangerous. I don’t want them to make things worse by coming in guns blazing.”
She nods, unlocking my phone with shaking hands but before I can turn away from her to go deal with Miranda, she reaches out and stops me for a second. “Max.” She stares at me for a moment then whispers, “Be careful.”
I nod and tell her to stay put before walking cautiously down the hallway toward the broken woman who has shattered not only her own life, but mine too.
“Miranda?” I ask, holding my hands out so she can see that I’m not a threat. “Miranda, what have you done?”
Her head pops up and stares at me with confused eyes, almost like she’s seen a ghost. “Oh, Maxie, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” She squeezes the handle of the knife in her hands. “I don’t even want to be here anymore. I ruin fucking everything.” Sobs begin to wrack her body.
