Maggie would be asleep, so I didn’t have to worry about traumatizing her. If Max was home, he’d be collateral damage. But he had already effectively killed a man. Watching me die would be no worse than that. Perhaps a little messier. I planned to splatter myself all over Freya’s bright white sofa. It would serve her right.

I made it to their waterfront home in one piece and parked in the driveway. Ignoring the front door, I stumbled around to the back deck. The sliding glass door would be unlocked, allowing me access. The gun was in my left hand, the hammer cocked, ready to fire. I would draw this out just long enough to see Freya quake and cry, not long enough to change my mind.

But when I yanked open the glass door, I was met with a horrific sight. Max was lying on the floor, his head in a small pool of blood. Freya stood over him, clutching a bloody hammer, trembling with rage, fear, or shock.

“Oh my god,” I gasped. “What happened?”

Freya looked up, and her blue eyes looked cold and blank. “Low . . .” was all she said.

“I’ll call an ambulance.” I tucked the pistol into my waistband and pulled my phone from my pocket.

“It’s too late,” she said, in the same strange monotone. “He’s gone.”

“Y-you killed him,” I stuttered, looking at the hammer. There was blood on the head, some skin and bits of dark hair.

Freya looked at it like she was seeing it for the first time. And then her eyes met mine. They were still blank and lifeless, but I saw her knuckles turn white as she gripped the hammer tighter, I saw her elbow draw back. Freya had to get rid of me. I knew what she had done.

Despite my suicidal mind-set, I didn’t want to be beaten to death with a clawhammer by the object of my thwarted desire. Grabbing the handgun out of my jeans, I pointed it at her.

“Don’t come any closer.”

The hammer dropped to her side, and her face softened. “I would never hurt you, Low. You know that. . . . I love you.”

“Y-you don’t.”

“Of course I do.” Her voice was gentle, almost musical. “We have something special, you and me. We always have. And now, it can just be the two of us. Like you’ve always wanted.”

“Not like this.”

“Max would have killed me. I had to defend myself.” She set the bloody hammer on the counter. “You knew he was violent and troubled.”

The gun wavered in my hand. I lowered it an inch.

“I told him I couldn’t leave you. I told him to go without me. But he got so angry.”