Dare to Fall

Chapter LVII

{Dedicated to @tic_tac_toe_ }

***

Trevor.

The name felt like a weight on my chest, a constant reminder of the terror that had shattered my life. Trevor was the man who had taken my father and grandmother, fueled by a twisted vendetta because my dad had "stolen" his wife's heart. Now, he wanted to finish what he started, and I was at the top of his list.

I could feel the sharp edge of the knife pressed against my back, the cold steel moving in a way that made my skin crawl. Trevor's grip around my neck tightened, each breath I took feeling shallower, as if he were trying to squeeze the life out of me. I swallowed hard, trying to convince myself that everything would be fine, that I'd wake up from this nightmare at any moment.

"What do you want?" I forced the words out, trying to steady my shaking voice despite the panic bubbling inside me. I shifted uncomfortably, the hardwood floor digging into my knees.

"Simple. I want you all dead," Trevor replied, his tone casual as if we were discussing the weather. I let out a sigh, the words echoing in my mind like a morbid mantra, wishing it could all be a bad dream that I could shake off.

It's going to be fine. It's going to be fine. It's going to be fine.

Except it wasn't.

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself to wake up. But the warmth of the blood rushing through my veins reminded me that this was all too real. "You thought you could keep running away from me? You and your mother are stupid pieces of shit," Trevor spat, the muscles in my body tensing with every taunt.

I felt the knife disappear, replaced by something colder, heavier—a gun. "I'm ready to shoot," he said in a sing-song voice that made my stomach churn. "Are you ready to say bye-bye to your life?" His tone was mocking, as if I were a child playing a game.

"I'll be pulling the trigger. Be ready in three... two..." My heart raced, the finality of his words crashing down on me. "One..."

In that split second, regret washed over me like a tidal wave. I thought of Cayden, of the things I had said, the fights we had. The weight of my decisions hung heavily in the air.

I closed my eyes, bracing for the end, when suddenly, my phone rang.

I blinked, startled, and Trevor groaned in annoyance. "What now?" he hissed, loosening his grip just a fraction. It was my phone—the one I had left on the counter. I'd told Amelia to call me when she arrived. Maybe she was here.

Oh, dear God.

Knocking echoed through the house. "Hailey!" Amelia shouted, her voice a lifeline in the chaos.

"You scream, and I'll pull the fucking trigger," Trevor warned, his breath hot against my ear. I stayed silent, tears pooling in my eyes, blurring my vision.

"Just please, let me go," I whispered, my voice cracking. The tears finally escaped, trailing down my cheeks as I begged him to leave me alone.

"Hailey!" Amelia shouted again, her urgency slicing through the tension. "I'm coming in!"

Panic surged through me. I had forgotten that the front door was unlocked.

"Shit," Trevor muttered, his grip tightening as he began to move. I could feel the barrel of his gun pressing against my leg.

"Where are you?" Amelia shouted, still in the hallway.

"Please don't come in!" I mouthed, hoping Amelia would understand. When she didn't respond, I quickly gestured to her, pretending to scratch my face, bringing my index finger to my mouth in a silent plea for her to be quiet.