Chapter 9 - The Bell Tower
The spiral stone staircase up to the bell tower was narrow and cloaked in darkness.
I climbed the ancient steps slowly, flanked by an armed federal tactical agent.
When we reached the top, the freezing wind howled through the open arches of the stone structure.
Jonathan was standing on the narrow stone ledge, looking down at the flashing red and blue police lights filling the courtyard.
His tuxedo was ruined, his hair was wild, and he looked completely broken.
He turned around when he heard my footsteps.
He asked me if I had ever truly loved him, or if the entire relationship was just a forensic investigation.
I walked to the edge of the iron railing and looked at the man who had tormented me for nearly a year.
I told him that I had loved the illusion he presented on our first date.
But the monster who locked me in the dark and left bruises on my skin was someone I only wanted to destroy.
Jonathan closed his eyes, a single tear cutting through the grime on his face.
He whispered that he could not spend the rest of his life in a federal penitentiary.
He leaned backward, letting gravity pull him toward the dizzying drop below.
I lunged forward and grabbed the lapel of his ruined jacket through the iron bars.
I slammed him against the stone pillar, my grip fueled by pure adrenaline and rage.
I told him that taking the easy way out was a coward's move, and he was going to face the justice he deserved.
The tactical agent rushed forward, grabbed Jonathan's arms, and hauled him safely back onto the stone floor.
Jonathan wept like a child as the handcuffs clicked into place.
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As they dragged him away, he looked back at me with a hollow, terrifyingly blank stare.
He whispered that there were things in my own past I had completely forgotten about.
