The Save Game

Chapter 6

Where are you? Sal sent the text message as he got on the elevator.

About 3 steps north of the hospital. Why? Allison's response came just as he stepped off.

Don't move. Sal rushed toward the hospital entrance.

When he made it outside, he looked in the direction that she had said she was. He saw her standing there, hands on her hips and staring at the front door. He knew she was pissed, and that there was a chance he was about to piss her off even more.

Sal quickened his steps and stopped right in front of her. He didn't wait for her to get any angry words out of her mouth. Instead, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her toward him. Their lips met in a collision of madness and confusion.

He thought she'd resist, maybe even push him away and slap him across the face. Instead, she let her body sink in to his, let him take control. When he was sure he'd gotten his point across, he broke their kiss.

"I get it, Allison. You love him and you feel guilty. I don't know what I would do in your situation, but I would want someone trying to assure that I continued living my life. You saved me, Allison. You may not think you did, but you did. When Brian was up there, practically dead, it would have been easy for me to drink myself into a coma right beside him. But there you were, taking my mind off of everything. I found myself thinking more about you, than about how bad his situation really could have been." Sal stopped to take a breath and held up his hand when Allison tried to talk. "I know what you're going to say, and you're wrong. I couldn't have held it together without you there. I want to be that for you, Allison. I want to save you. Otherwise, you're going to spend the rest of your life feeling guilty about the body lying on the twelfth floor."

"I don't need a savior, Sal." She shook her head. "Who's going to be there for him if I'm not?"

"His father!" Sal shouted, not caring that people were stopping to stare at them.

"You think his piece of shit father cares that he's laying up there?" Allison shook her head and let an exhausted laugh escape her lips. "Who saves him while you're saving me? This isn't a game, Sal. This is life. My life." She stared at him, waiting for him to say something. "I'm sorry. I want to move on with my life, I really do. And you seem like a great guy. I'm thankful you were there that night and pulled me off the roof. But," Allison glanced around at the crowd that had gathered around them and then pulled Sal closer to the hospital. "You don't need this in your life, Sal. " She kept her voice barely above a whisper, hoping that the crowd would leave.

"Watch this." He winked at her and then turned to the crowd. He smiled, offered them a small wave and then approached a man with a camera.

Allison watched as he posed with fans, signed autographs, laughed and told jokes to those who had just gathered and witnessed their back and forth. He worked the crowd until the very last person was happy and walked away, leaving them alone again.

"See." He smiled as he turned back to her. "I do need this in my life. What happens when the crowds disappear and it's just me? After they've all gone, you're the only one still standing here. I need something to keep me focused. And you, being the beautiful and deserving person that I've come to learn you are, are that something."

The look on her face told him that she was unconvinced.

"Give me the rest of today. Let me prove to you that you need to move forward. If you aren't convinced tomorrow morning when you wake up, then I'll never bother you again."

Sal held his hand out, waiting for her to take it in confirmation that she would give him this one day. She hesitated, glancing back toward the hospital.