The Marriage of Nathan West

The Fight

Somewhere she heard music. It called her back from the brink and forced her into consciousness because there was something she had to do. Someone she had to help. No, someone she had to save.

"Nathan."

Maxie pried her eyes open and was greeted with almost complete darkness. The only light in the cramped closet Eric had shoved her into was the sliver under the door. She reached up and grasped the doorknob, sighing in relief when it turned in her hand. Eric must have thought she would be out cold for a long time and not bothered to lock it.

She pushed the door open and stepped into the hallway. Voices from the floor below floated up to her and somewhere she could hear a string quartet play a lilting melody. The wedding hadn't started yet, thank god. She still had time to stop it. Without a second thought, Maxie crept back down the hallway, keeping alert for any sign of Eric. What she wouldn't give to see Josh Conrad right now.

Fortunately, Eric hadn't taken her too far from Chelsea's room. She paused in front of it, her hand resting on the door handle. Someone was in the room with Chelsea. She pressed her ear against the door, trying to make out the conversation. It was Chelsea and someone else. Someone vaguely familiar.

"...don't care! I told Nathan... "

"You shouldn't have done that..."

"...you didn't give me a choice!"

"I can't allow you to ruin..."

There was a short cry of pain followed by a crash. Maxie pushed the door open to find Chelsea hovering over a fallen Alicia Kirkland holding a lamp like a weapon. Maxie's sudden appearance distracted Chelsea long enough for Alicia to scramble away from certain injury. With a cry of fury, Chelsea whirled on Maxie and raised her arm again to heave the lamp at her. Without a second thought, Maxie rushed at her, tackling her around the waist and pulling her down to the floor. The lamp fell to the floor with a crash as the women struggled with each other on the floor.

A rising swell of anger fueled Maxie as she grappled with Chelsea, finally pinning her to the ground. Alicia scurried forward, throwing herself on Chelsea's legs to keep her from breaking free of Maxie's grasp.

"Get off me!" Chelsea squirmed furiously but Maxie held firm. "There are police downstairs. I'll scream for help!"

"Go ahead," Maxie replied through gritted teeth. "Scream away. I want them to come up here so I can tell them exactly what I heard in this room."

"You didn't hear anything!"

"Want to bet? You and Eric Holt plotted this whole thing. You're blackmailing Nathan into marrying you with a lie. Even if they arrest me, they'll take you down for questioning too."

"I'm not going anywhere. I've already paid for my freedom with Detective Marinelli," Chelsea spat out, her tone victorious.

"What? You bribed him?"

"Of course I did. This isn't the boonies, Maxie. We do things a certain way here. Marinelli and I had a common goal in making you the main suspect. I want James back and he wants him to suffer. Our interests happened to coincide."

"Did you kill Scott?"

"Of course not. Scott Chambers was a miserable excuse of a man. He deserved what he got. But I didn't do it," Chelsea scoffed. "Now get off me or so help me, I will scream."

There was a wail of anguish from Alicia at Chelsea's venom. Maxie ignored her, realizing in that moment exactly who was responsible for Scott's death. Even that though, wasn't important for the moment. What was important was keeping Chelsea from marrying Nathan.

"No," she returned firmly. "That's not happening." She glanced over her shoulder at Alicia Kirkland who lay sprawled over Chelsea's legs, tears streaming down her cheeks, but a firm resolve blazing in her eyes. " Alicia, I need your help."

"Don't you dare Alicia Kirkland!" Chelsea shrieked. She bucked wildly, throwing Maxie sideways and giving her enough room to wrench herself free from Alicia. Maxie righted herself and met Alicia's determined eyes before throwing herself at Chelsea once again in a rolling fight for Nathan's future.