Bullet Wound

Chapter 24: Two Wrongs Make a Right

"What," he managed to say, Evan felt like this wasn't real. Maybe a while ago he would've done anything to hear those words, but not now. In this moment he wished she stayed quiet, he wished she had never said those meaningless words.
    Red turned away from William, and moved her attention to Evan once again. Her emerald green eyes didn't look as magical anymore, they were empty and cold. Like a dying flame.
    "I panicked that day, and messed up on my words" she told him, "Evan, I really do like you," she said, her voice gentle, but mixed with a sprinkle of defeat.
    He looked up at her, with uncertainty. His heart raced, not with passion but with fear. Evan knew all too well the feeling of waiting until the last minute, only he also knew sometimes it was too late. There was a time and a place where he would've been glad to hear that, where he would've been overcome by relief. Only in this moment of time that burning passion he once had for her was gone, all that remained were ashes.
    She looked at Evan expectantly, however before he got the chance to speak up William said something, "I didn't steal anything."
    Red shook her head, "You don't see it, do you?" she asked, her voice brash. She swallowed hard, "He loves you."
    William's eyes went wide as he turned his attention to Evan, as if searching for something to say she was wrong. But Evan looked just as dumbfounded as him, the thought had never even crossed his mind. And it was definitely an accusation.
That's not true, what is she talking about? He asked himself, it was an effort to distract his mind with another question. Evan didn't want to pay attention to the nonsense Red was spouting, it would only make things worse.
"No, he doesn't," William said with uncertainty, her eyes narrowed as if she was imagining shooting William right then and there.
"Who are you lying too? You can't keep your eyes off each other," she said bitterly. "Why couldn't you just let me have one thing?"
William remained silent, the tension thick. Evan hated how she referred to him as a thing, like he was just an object that felt nothing. Inanimate, impotent.
"You don't have the right to yell at me when you're holding the person you love so dearly at gunpoint," William said sharply, he was playing a dangerous game and he knew it. Like he was pushing a caged lion to their limits, with a clear goal in mind.
"I can't change how Evan sees me, that opportunity is already lost," she said quietly, "You took what I was supposed to have, the both of you can't come out of here alive."
William froze, he stopped blinking. Evan looked up at Red, her eyes stone cold. There was no part of her posture that said she wasn't serious,  to the cold grip on her gun, to the murderous glare on her face. There was pain, but there was also a sense of truthfulness. At this moment she did not lie, even if it seemed like she wished to.
She turned to Evan, a deep sorrow in her face. "So who's it going to be Evan?" she asked in a fake tone of playfulness. She shoved the barrel further into the side of his skull, emphasizing the position he was in. Evan's heart thumped out of his chest in pure fear.
"You..." she whispered, gripping even firmer on her gun, she pulled his hair to look in the direction of William. He saw how his face went pale, and eyes wide. "Or him?"
Evan froze, eyes fixating on William. He saw as his face flooded with pure panic and fear, those walls came crashing down once more.
"Not you," he mouthed, his eyes pleading with Evan. His heart sped up as sweat formed on his head, his breathing became uneven.
He felt like someone was twisting his insides and assaulting his head at the same time, he sealed his mouth shut. Afraid of the tiniest squeal or if he breathed too loud, he didn't want to speak. Evan couldn't do anything other than stare, he swallowed hard not realizing the lump that formed in his throat. Evan wanted to scream, wanted to just disappear as if he never existed. Evan always felt like a side character in his own life, watching as the story progresses. He didn't want to be there, faced with the hardest decision in his life. An answer he could not give, there was nothing to gain, only lose.
It was a sick game, where he was forced to choose who death came to collect. Where there was no winner, no prize, the sole purpose? To cause pain.
"Make your choice Ev," she said, pulling back her gun just a little, her firm grip faltering. As if it was somehow painful to hold that gun to his head, her face twitched. Evan couldn't tell if it was anger or impatience. Red was never the type of person who was willing to wait, not even at restaurants.
He tried to open his mouth only his subconscious shut it closed once again, as if every part of his body knew better than to answer. Evan wished he could stall forever, wished he could avoid this question as he had avoided so many things in the past. But the thing about the past is it always catches up to you, no matter how fast you seem to run. He held his own fate and William's in his hands, but couldn't bring himself to say a name. He didn't wish to die, but he would never forgive himself if William died here. Evan didn't think he would be able to survive, he was barely in one piece after losing John. He couldn't afford to lose William as well, he was already drowning in debt.
He shook his head, although he had no idea what he was saying no to. William? Red? Himself? It was all a blur, a mix of pressure and stress. He had to say something, the clock was ticking. Red wouldn't wait too long, but yet again Evan didn't know how much time he needed. He couldn't find his words, it was blank and silent inside his brain.
Evan looked once again at William, "It can't be you," he mouthed, it was almost as if Evan could once again hear his voice. Smooth and serious, like the ocean waves. His heart matched his unsteady breathing, it was painful being in his situation. He knew whatever name he said-if he ever did say one-he would beat himself to a pulp for it.
His eyes landed on William as he entered a deep state of thought.