Time seems to stand still as Dodge and Joseph begin their decent down the wide staircase toward the hardwood floor below. The look of panic as Dodge loses his footing and begins falling into the empty air is not something I’ll ever forget.

I can’t hear anything but my pounding heartbeat as I watch them fall.

Dodge and Joseph are still struggling as they fall, each step they hit jolting one or the other into an unnatural position. Their journey seems endless as each flip and bounce causes my body to react to the pain they must be feeling. Moreover, Dodge is being hurt, which is not something I want to ever happen, especially because of me.

I race for the stairs, and they finally hit the floor below with a loud thud. Time resumes as I take two stairs at a time to reach Dodge. The two of them are lying side by side, but neither is moving...or breathing.

Panic strikes as I bend over Dodge, moving my fingers along his neck and searching for a pulse. I don’t feel anything, and my heart begins to sink. Oh god, he’s dead.

The knife... Where’s the knife? I look around frantically, trying to locate the silver blade that has caused Dodge so much pain. His wounds are covered in matted blood and one of his eyes is swollen, turning black and blue.

“Dodge, no. Don’t leave me.”

A gasp followed by a sputter of blood comes from Joseph as he sits upright. “You fucker. I’ll kill you!”

Before I realize what’s happening, Joseph lunges at me, knocking me away from Dodge and onto the floor. He straddles my body, pinning me to the hard boards as I scratch and claw at his arms.

Joseph balls up his fist, and I turn my head just in time to avoid damage to my eye as he slams into my head. I feel dizzy and the room spins, but I don’t have time to focus before his hands wrap around my throat. I flail at him again in an attempt to get him off me.

With one quick motion, he picks me up a few inches and then slams me back down. The pain that shoots through my head makes me want to vomit as his fingers press against my flesh again.

“Die, goddammit. You deserve to fucking die. Fuck you for ruining my life, Nathan. Fuck you!”

Air doesn’t come to me when I open my mouth. My hands are searching frantically for anything I can use to injure Joseph so he’ll let me breathe again. Spots form in front of me as the room surrounding us begins fading to a black oblivion.

This is it. I’ve lost Dodge, and now, I’m going to die. He wins. He always wins.

Flashes of the life I suffered through with Joseph play in front of me. Night after night of torture as he came at me are right in front of my eyes as if I’m back in that room and watching from the corner. He loved to use me for his sick and twisted pleasure. Beating me and causing me pain was his only joy. Impregnating me and forcing me to have an unsafe abortion. Depriving me of the ability to ever have a baby with someone I truly love.

The last of my air is running out, and I begin succumbing to the darkness. I’m ready. I don’t have to suffer anymore. I can move on and be with Dodge.

Then I feel the edge of something solid. Although I’m not sure what it is, my fingers clasp onto it in one last ditch effort to save myself. My hand instinctively brings the object upward and I swing as hard as my fragile and weakened state will let me.

I’m not exactly sure how, but the grip around my neck loosens and a fresh flow of air fills my lungs. I’m gasping for breath when Joseph completely releases me. Warmth returns to my face, and the spots floating around me begin to fade as everything comes back into focus.

That’s when I realize the warmth I feel isn’t just from the flow of blood back through my veins. It’s the spray of blood shooting from the side of Joseph’s neck. The shocked and scared look in his eyes before he drops back onto the floor is priceless. I watch in frozen silence as his hands flop to his sides and the last few spurts of blood pour from the wound in his neck.

The wound I put there. The knife he tried to kill Dodge with.

A second later, the door busts open and Oliver rushes through the entrance. I point at Dodge. “Help him!”

Oliver kneels down beside Dodge and reaches for his hand. “Dodge. Can you hear me? Come on, man.”

Dodge sucks in a huge breath, which is full of wheezing and sputtering.

Thank god!

Oliver yells to the officer next to him. “Get that gurney in here now. And tell the EMTs we need assistance immediately.”

A crew enter within moments, and the entryway becomes a flurry of activity.

“Are you okay?” Oliver is with me now, helping me stand and checking me for injuries.

“I’m okay, just a little banged up. Please tell me Dodge is going to be okay.”

“I need another EMT in here.” Oliver places an arm underneath me and helps me walk toward the front door. “They’re taking Dodge to the emergency room. We’ll know more when the doctors get a look. Now, let’s get you checked out.”

“I’m fine, I promise.”

Oliver squeeze my shoulder. “No offense, but based on the way you look, I’m inclined not to agree. Besides, Dodge will kill me if I don’t make sure you’re okay.”

I nod, letting Oliver lead me out to a nearby ambulance. “So, what happened in there?”

I give him a brief rundown of what Joseph admitted to and the struggle that took place. Oliver pays close attention, and then grabs another officer. “Ride with him to the hospital. Nathan, I want you to tell this man everything you’ve just told me. I’ll meet you at the emergency room once I check on things here. Okay?”

“Yeah, okay. Just make sure Dodge is okay.” I climb inside the van with the officer right behind me.

Oliver gives me a tight smile as the ambulance doors close and sirens begin blaring. I recount the story again, forcing myself to share every detail so Officer Phillips doesn’t miss a thing. When I finish, the man looks relieved not to have any more to write.

The next two hours are mixed with a combination of being poked and prodded by nurses and doctors. Each time they come in, I ask about Dodge, but no one has any answers. At least none they’ll share with me.

Finally, Oliver finds me in one of the small rooms. “Dodge is going to be okay. He’s got a broken rib and several lacerations over his body... And one nasty black eye, but he should be just fine.”

I breathe out a soft sob. “I thought he was dead. I couldn’t find a pulse...”

“He probably ad the wind knocked out of him from that fall. And in your state of panic, I probably wouldn’t have found his weakened pulse either.” Oliver places a hand gently on my shoulder. “But he’s going to be just fine. You can see him once they have him wrapped and stitched up.”

Tears that I’d been holding back flood like a broken damn at the news. Dodge is going to be okay... “Thank you,” I say, trying to wipe away at the moisture covering my face.

“You’re welcome, kid. Try to get some rest. I’ll let you know when Dodge is ready.”

When Oliver leaves me alone in the small room, I lay back and close my eyes. Joseph is finally gone. I can start fresh... Maybe even with Dodge.

An hour later, Oliver comes back to tell me I can see Dodge. He helps me into a wheelchair and pushes me down to another room where Dodge is lying on a bed. His face is swollen, and gauze is wrapped tightly around his torso. He looks both broken and gorgeous at the same time.

“Hey there,” he says in a raspy voice.

“I’ll leave you two alone for a little while. But just a little while,” Oliver says pointedly. “You both need a lot of rest.”

We ignore him as Oliver steps out of the room and closes the door.

“Dodge... I don’t know what to say.” I step out of the chair and stand beside his bed.

Dodge reaches for my hand. “You don’t have to say anything.”

“But Joseph...”

“Isn’t a problem anymore. Or so I’ve heard.”

“It’s true.” I step closer and my breath hitches. “I killed him.”

“You protected yourself…and me. Do you know how proud I am of you?”

“He almost killed you,” I say with a sob forming at the back of my throat. “You could have been killed.”

“You don’t think I’d let him take me away from you that easily, do you?” Dodge yanks me closer.

“I was scared that I’d lost you.” I fall against him, careful not to put weight on him but desperate to touch him.

“You didn’t lose me. I’m not going anywhere.” Dodge holds me tight against his side and kisses the top of my head.

“Promise?”

“Promise. Besides, don’t you know you’re obligated to be with me now? In the movies, the two surviving characters always get together.”

I can’t help but chuckle at his analogy. “That’s true. We should probably get married or something.”

“Yep.”

Laughing again, I squeeze his hand. “Even if we hadn’t escaped our own real-life horror movie, I’d still marry you... If it was a real proposal.”

“Who says it’s not?”

Dodge’s words have me stunned. After everything that’s happened today, I don’t even have the words to formulate an answer to what I think he’s asking.

I’m silent for a moment but find myself smiling broadly.

“I’m going to take that as a yes,” he says before a coughing fit takes over his ability to speak.

“Yes,” I reply enthusiastically. “One hundred percent yes!”