The ride to the station was quiet. Andrews didn’t try to make small talk, and I was grateful. My mind kept replaying the moment the gun went off. The sound, the recoil, the look on Matt’s face as he fell.
When we arrived, she led me through a side door, bypassing the main desk. She brought me to a small, dimly lit room with a table and three chairs.
“Sit,” she said gently. “I’ll be right back.”
I sank into the chair, my legs finally giving out. The room smelled like stale coffee and industrial cleaner.
Andrews returned a minute later with a bottle of water and a notepad. She set the water in front of me. “Drink. You’re in shock.”
I obeyed, sipping the water slowly. It helped, if only a little.
She sat across from me. “I need you to tell me what happened. Start from the beginning.”
I took a deep breath, forcing the words out. “Matt… he was my ex. He cheated on me and I left… He’s been threatening me. I… I have the texts. Tonight, I went to his house to try to talk to him, but he… he attacked me. He reached for his gun, and I…”
My voice broke, and I stared down at my hands. They were clean, but I could still feel the phantom weight of the gun.
Andrews nodded, her expression calm. “It’s okay,” she said. “Take your time.”
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. “He reached for his waistband, and I had a flashback to him pulling a gun on me in the tattoo shop… I panicked. I didn’t mean to shoot him, I just… I didn’t want him to hurt me again.”
Andrews scribbled something in her notepad. “Did he say anything before he reached for his weapon?”
“He was angry,” I whispered. My hands shook as I clutched the water bottle.
Andrews leaned forward. “Hailey, you’re not on trial here. I’m just trying to get the story straight. And from where I’m standing, you did what you had to do to protect yourself.”
The knot in my stomach twisted tighter. “It doesn’t feel like that,” I admitted, “It feels like I… like I killed him.”
She sighed, setting her pen down. “Listen to me. You were in a life–threatening situation. You acted in self–defense. That’s not murder… it’s survival.
Survival. The word echoed in my head like the gun shot, hollow and heavy. I didn’t feel like a survivor. I felt like a train wreck.
Andrews flipped her notepad closed. “I’m going to file the report. You’ll need to stay here until everything’s processed, but it shouldn’t take long. After that, you’re free to go.”
I nodded numbly, watching her leave the room. The silence pressed in on me, suffocating. I stared at the white walls, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket, my fingers shaking as I unlocked it. There were no missed calls, no texts. Just the time glaring at me: 9:47 p.m. It felt like hours had passed, but it hadn’t even been two,
My thumb hovered over Logan’s name for a second before I tapped it. The phone rang once before he answered.
“Hailey.” His voice was tight, urgent. “You okay?”
Chapter 24
“Yeah,” I whispered. It felt like a lie. “I’m almost done. She’s filing the report.”
“I’m already outside,” he said immediately.
I closed my eyes, relief flooding through me. “Okay.”
“You did good, Ace,” he murmured. “It’s over now.”
Over. The word echoed in my head, but it didn’t feel true. Nothing felt real.
“Logan?” I said softly.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
“Nothin‘ to thank me for. Now get your ass out here so I can see you.”
I managed a weak laugh. “Okay.”
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The line went dead, and I stared at the phone for a second before slipping it back into my pocket. My hands were still shaking, but Logan’s voice had grounded me, just enough to keep the panic at bay.
Andrews returned a few minutes later. “We’ll finish the full report in the morning,” she said. “For now, just sign this acknowledgment.”
With a shaking hand, I did.
“You’re all set,” she said, tearing off the bottom sheet and handing it to me. “Here’s a copy. You’re free to go.”
I took the paper. “Thank you.”
She nodded, her gaze soft. “Take care of yourself, Hailey. And if you ever need anything, you know where to find me.”
I nodded. I wasn’t sure what to say.
She led me back through the station and out into the cool night air. The parking lot was quiet.
I spotted Logan immediately, leaning against his bike at the edge of the lot. His eyes locked onto me the second I stepped outside, and he pushed off the bike, striding toward me.
I met him halfway, my legs moving on autopilot. He didn’t say anything, just pulled me into his arms, his grip tight and grounding. I buried my face in his chest, breathing in the familiar scent of leather and smoke.
“You okay?” he murmured, his lips brushing against my hair.
I nodded against him. “I’m… better now.”
He exhaled softly, his hand sliding up to cradle the back of my head. “Good.”
We stood like that for a while, the silence wrapping around us. I could feel the tension slowly bleeding out of both of us, his body relaxing against mine.
Finally, he pulled back just enough to look at me, his fingers tilting my chin up. His green eyes searched mine. “You ready to get out of here?”
I nodded, my throat still too tight to speak.
He planted a quick kiss on my forehead and led me to his bike, clipping my helmet on for me.
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The bike roared to life beneath us as I climbed on behind him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and my fingers dug into his cut, desperate for an anchor in this new reality.
The version of me who’d walked into Matt’s house tonight was gone forever.
She died when I pulled the trigger. Her innocence was pooled on his living room floor.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
