I slam my crowbar down into his already-injured leg. He falls to his left and swings at me with the Maglite, hitting my left knee and prompting a pained yell.

My next blow is unfocused, and the driver’s side window shatters as I hit it. As it breaks, I realize that I don’t see anyone else in the truck. Maybe I imagined that Eva was here. That’s happened before.

While I’m distracted Bouchet twists away and stands, I can see that his already-injured left leg is worse from my hit. He dives at me, his shoulder hitting my stomach, and while I’m down he punches me. We’ve both dropped our weapons, and for several minutes, we roll around on the ground exchanging punches and grappling like we’re in a wrestling match.

Bouchet gets free of me and goes for his Maglite. I’m faster because my crowbar is closer. The Lord provides. I grab it and swing as I tell him, “You’re not worthy. You aren’t worthy to ever touch Eva.”

Just as I’m about to hit his face, he rolls to the side and strikes my right wrist. The crowbar falls again, but he’s crouched down, using the side of the truck to brace his back. It keeps him partially upright, but limits his movement. I hate to admit it, but I’m grateful that he’s limited. I’m exhausted from the day I’ve had, and he’s far more experienced at fighting than the girls were. I can’t lose. I won’t, but it’s not easy.

I pull my knee up and slam it into his face, following quickly with a kick to the ribs.

Bouchet won’t stay down though. He slams his fist into my knee, trying to knock me to the ground. I step back searching for my weapon, and he kicks out with his injured leg.

I see the crowbar and grab it when I hear, “Stop!”

“Stop!” Eva repeats. “Reid! Stop it.”

I turn to look at her, the girl who was made for me, and I’m torn between pride and fear. She is here, and she sees me. She’s balanced on crutches, leaning against the front of Bouchet’s truck; she’s also holding a gleaming silver-and-black revolver in her hand. She’s aiming it right at me, and her eyes are only on me.

I hear the click as she cocks the gun. It’ll only take the touch of the trigger now. She’s amazing.

My arm is raised, holding the crowbar up. I don’t swing again, but I don’t drop it to the ground either. She’s here, and she’s fierce. I am more in love with her than ever before.

“You came to me. The Lord sent you to me,” I say.

She’s shaking a little, even though she leans against the front of Bouchet’s truck. Now that she’s so close, I drop the crowbar. I know the look in her eyes. I’ve seen it once before when I was a lot younger. That was the night my mother permanently solved the problem of my father’s infidelity. They always say boys pick girls like their mothers. I knew Eva was made for me.

DAY 15: “THE CONFESSION”

Eva

“I’LL SHOOT,” I WARN Reid. “If you try to hit him again or try to leave, I’ll shoot you.”

I lean against Nate’s truck because I’m not sure I can hold the gun and balance on crutches. It took far too long for me to get out of the truck and around to them as is. Seeing Reid try to kill Nate in front of me is even worse than feeling it when I’ve fallen into his death.

“I mean it, Reid.” I hope I sound more confident than I feel. I will shoot if I have to, but I don’t want to do it. I’ve seen this. I’ve felt Reid’s emotions and pain when it happens. I don’t want that—not even for him.

“I know you do.” He steps away from Nate, but he doesn’t look afraid at all. If anything, he looks happy. He’s bleeding, and he’s filthy, but he looks happy.

Nate doesn’t. He walks toward me and holds out a hand. “Let me have that, Eva.”

“If you do, I won’t tell you where Yeung is,” Reid blurts out. “She’ll starve before anyone finds her.”

My attention hasn’t wavered from Reid. Even though Nate is walking toward me, I can’t look away from Reid. I don’t understand how we got here to this moment when I am aiming a gun at him. This is Reid. I’ve known him my whole life. I trusted him. I asked him to drive Grace home just yesterday. I don’t even know where to start on my list of how f**ked up this all is.

“You’re more beautiful than ever right now,” he says, adding to my mental list of things that are grievously wrong right now.

My hand doesn’t tremble yet, but it will. There’s only so long I can hold a gun without my muscles shaking. People in movies never seem to have that problem, but in the real world, guns are heavy.

“I want Grace,” I tell him.

“I’ll trade. Her for you,” Reid offers.

“Not happening,” Nate says, and I’m not sure if he’s telling me or Reid, maybe both.

“What will you give me in exchange then?” Reid sits down on the ground, looking as calm as he has so many nights in our life.

In my vision, he was standing when he was shot. A car was coming. I remind myself that Reid doesn’t know about my visions. He doesn’t know that this is where is he is supposed to die. I don’t want to kill him. What I want is to rescue Grace, so I will try to negotiate.

“I’m not running, Eva. I’ve been waiting for you for years, wanting you to see me. You said you did. Yesterday, you said that to me. I did what you told me to do with Madison, but when I came to you—”

“No! You killed her.”