Devin stared at me, not even acknowledging Gavin, and stepped in the house .I back, seeing the rage in his eyes, and collided into a coffee table upsetting it and sending the lamp to the ground. I winced at the sickening shattering of the glass, but Devin didn't even blink. My heart pounded in my chest and I wondered if he could hear it; wondered if he could see how freighted I was. “Hello, Kathrin." His voice was surprisingly even.

I swallowed hard." Hi Devin." My voice broke on the last word and I prayed to God that he didn't hear it.
“How are you?"
I blinked. He was acting like he had just run into me at the grocery store. “I’m... fine."
He smiled. "That's great." Something was very wrong here. I glanced over his shoulder at Gavin who looked at Devin with curiosity and confusion.
"Come home, baby." Devin opened his arms wide." You don't belong here."
He was inches away from me now. “Say you love me and you're sorry. We can pretend this accident never happened."
Maybe I could go back, I suddenly thought. Gavin would forget about me and go find another woman. He was just a good friend helping me out with my problems. Devin is my husband. Maybe I...no. I can’t. Gavin loves me. Even more than that, he was gentle and promised never to hurt me, physically or emotionally. And could I really forget all the times that we spent on the couch together dreaming about the kids that we didn’t have yet or the way he held me when I cried over the bruises that appeared? No I couldn’t. So maybe that’s where I found the courage and strength to whisper right to Devin’s face,” No.”
He blinked, as if he was surprised to hear it. “What did you say?”
“No.” I murmured once again.
Devin’s eyes turned into slits.”Did you think I wouldn’t find out about you and your lover? This is a small town, Kathrin. Or did you think you were going to just disappear with him?”
“I-I don’t…know.”
He pushed me hard onto the wall, the same wall, where Gavin had taken off my shirt and slowly showed me his love for me. As if Devin read my mind, he kneed me in the stomach. I crouched over, feeling the after affects of the blow. I was gasping for breath as he swore then smacked me again with his powerful hand on my right cheek. “Devin,” I was sobbing. I could feel throbbing in my head, making all my thoughts like a fog. “Please! Stop!” I looked at Gavin though my tears, feeling dizzy and wanting nothing more to just vanish from this world. Suddenly the brutal blows stopped, making me open my eyes in curiosity.
Gavin pinned Devin to a wall giving him harsh blows and making Devin grunt in pain. I tried to get up, but my head felt so light and my vision was blurring in and out so fast that I couldn't grasp what was going on. Devin clonked Gavin in the jaw, sending him stumbling backward trying to regain his balance. I got up and fell back onto the wall but lifting my body up, trying to ignore the pain pounding in my stomach and my brain. "Devin, you're not mad at him! It's me you want! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Devin turned and pulled out a gun. I froze. He yanked me into his grasp and wrapped his arm around my waist protectively. I felt the cold metal of the gun press against my neck and I stopped breathing for a moment. Oh, God. Oh, God he's going to kill me. "Don't touch her." Gavin hissed at Devin,
"Don't come any closer to MY wife!"
I winced at the screaming tone. Tears slithered down my cheek one by one. "Gavin." I whispered his name like a prayer. Devin heard it and hollered," Your my wife, d***it! Not his!"
"I'm sorry!"
He beamed suddenly and whispered softly," It's alright, baby. I know you love me."
It sent shivers down my spine, the way he said it.
"Say you love me."
I didn't respond.
"Say it!" He pushed the gun harder into my throat making me cough.
"I love you!"
"Say it like you mean it."
"I love you, Devin!"
"Say you want to come home."
By now the tears were rolling down my cheeks in defeat. "I want to come home."
He smiled obviously pleased and put down his gun. I led me as far as the front door when Gavin pushed him fiercely. The gun went flying outside and I struggled out of Devin's grasp to get it.
I held the gun like a piece of glass, careful not to accidently pull the trigger. I turned around saw Devin carrying the base of the lamp I broke and swinging it at Gavin. It hit him in the head, knocking him over. "Gavin!" I screamed running back inside the house to him. I touched where he was hit and blood colored my pale hand. "Oh, God. Gavin! Baby, wake up! Please!" I wailed then realized he was hanging on; barely breathing but still mine.
Devin made a clicking sound with his tongue and said," Look on the bright side, darling. He isn't going to get in the way of us anymore."
I turned my head slowly, glaring at him in awe and horror. "You…monster."
He laughed. "A monster? Baby, you know I'm hardly a monster. I did it because I love you."
"Because you LOVE me?" I parroted." If you love me you wouldn't have hurt me! If you loved me you wouldn't have abused me! If you loved me you would have let me go!" I took a breath. "You never loved me."
He took a step closer to me. "Kathrin, Kathrin. You’re so confused right now. It's ok. I'll take good care of you."
"Don't you dare so much as touch me."
Devin chuckled. He was actually enjoying this. “Why are you making this so hard? You only have me now. Your lover is dead."
I tried not to let the words hit home but they did. “Don’t say that! He's not..." I couldn't finish.
"Dead? Of course he is!"
He came closer and fear wrapped itself around me, squeezing me so tight I felt like I couldn't breathe. I pulled out the gun with shaking hands. He stopped moving and said," You can't even scold a child let alone kill your own husband."
I tightened my grasp on the gun that was as black as the night creeping around us. “I will. Oh god, I will if I have to."
He laughed. “You know Kathy; you would have made an excellent actress." I flinched at the nickname. My mother called me Kathy when I was young. My mother was also an alcoholic. I was raised by my father and I wouldn't call it a terrible childhood because it wasn't. My dad came to every play, field trip, and choir concert under the moon until I begged him to stop. A sharp pain pierced me in the gut and I wasn’t sure if it was from the memory or the driving of Devin’s knee that he was convicted of earlier.
"Are you thinking of your father now?"
My expression gave away my answer. "See how well I know you? We belong together."
He took another step.
The pistol shook harder in my hands, I almost dropped it, almost let go of my dignity.
I was petrified with fear. My heart was skipping beats and the wheels in my head that were spinning out of control earlier, were now still. I knew, even in my disturbed state of mind, that I would lose one of the two men here tonight. Or both.
“Please, Devin.” I whispered surprised to find a tear sneaking down my cheek. “Please don’t make me shoot you.”
“I can take good care of you, baby. Just come back home.”
I shook my head. I couldn’t expose my vulnerability. Not now.
He moved closer with every beat of my heart. He came so close I could see the rage in his envy green eyes.
One last tear slipped as I raised the gun and murmured,” Goodbye, Devin.”
I pulled the trigger.