The Save Game

Chapter 12

"Allison please let me in." Sal tried to open the door but realized she was sitting against it. "It's just me. Please?"

Allison scooted away from the door enough so that Sal could squeeze through. When he closed it behind him, he sat with his back against it. Allison scooted herself back, settling between his legs.

Sal inhaled. Her scent always helped to calm him. And after what the radio host had pulled, he needed that calm. He lifted her hand, so that they could both see the diamond there.

"This is my promise to you that we will be married. I don't care if that's now or ten years from now. I know your situation is complicated, Allison. I'm not trying to downplay that. I love you. I love our child. No story in a gossip magazine is going to change that." Sal wrapped his arms around her and held her.

"Sal! Open the door!" Q beat on the door.

"Get lost, Quinn!" He shouted back, knowing that Brian would give them the space they needed.

"There's something going on, something you need to tell me." Sal said softly. "I ignored it earlier, because it didn't matter to me. But I can see it matters to you. So tell me."

"Paul didn't just overdose." Allison said. "He was always so careful about how much went in his body. He had the same dealer his entire life." She felt Sal's arm's tighten around her. "That night, we were arguing about the miscarriage. I wanted him to get help, he wanted to get high. I called Jackie. I wanted her to come talk to him. Just tell him how he was wasting his life. Before she showed up, Paul's dad came. He only made the situation worse. He was on Paul's side because it meant he'd have someone to get high with. He convinced Paul that being married, having a family, those things weren't important."

Allison stopped recounting the story while the events played back in her mind. Before she could start again, her eyes filled with tears.

"Roger grabbed me because I said I was leaving. When I spun around to break his hold on me, I saw a syringe in his hand. He pushed it toward me, almost sticking it in my arm." Allison pulled her knees close to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. " Jackie walked in and she startled him. It threw him off balance and gave Paul the chance to help me. Paul grabbed Roger from behind. That pissed Roger off and he spun around, pushing the needle into Paul's arm. There was enough heroin in that syringe for three people. If I hadn't fought him, Paul would still be alive. Roger wanted to kill me that night, I'm sure of it." She took a deep breath. "Roger ran off. I was scared. I thought I'd go to jail. Jackie helped me clean up and get rid of the syringe. I killed Paul."

Allison was shaking now as she recalled the feeling of watching it all happen. Saying the words out loud only made her feel worse.

"I'm a horrible person, Sal. I killed him. I let him die. And I lied about it all." Allison yelled as she tried to scoot away from Sal, sure that he would't want to touch a murderer. She was met with resistance. He held her as tight as he could.

"You didn't kill him, Allison. It was an accident. You were fighting for your life. Roger killed him, not you." Sal's voice tried to soothe her hysterics. She fought against him, trying to pull from the hold he had on her."You got him help. You got him to the hospital. Changing the story only allowed Roger to walk free. It doesn't make you a bad person. Paul knows you didn't do this to him."

"He's going to tell the world. They're all going to know and I'll never be able to face anyone ever again." Allison sobbed. "Please let me go! I just want to die, Sal. I should be dead, not Paul!"

"Shhhhh." Sal pulled her into him until she sat sideways, her head on his chest. "I'm not letting you go. I'm here. I'm going to save you from this."