Love Beyond Words (City Lights, #1)(92)

“David! Wait!”

David gasped. “Julian?”

Natalie didn’t dare look at him, but kept her head bowed as fear and hope clashed within her, both giving her strength. She clutched the rock at her knee more tightly and waited.

#

She was still alive. Even before he’d finished tearing down the endless stairs, Julian saw the two dark figures at the cliff’s edge; Natalie kneeling at David’s feet and David’s arm, rising.

“David! Wait!” Julian raced across the labyrinth, to the center, keeping his eyes trained on David; if he even looked at Natalie he’d falter and the tiny flicker of a plan he’d formed would die. And so would she.

“Julian?” David breathed. “How…how are you here?”

“I couldn’t stay away,” Julian said. “I couldn’t get on the plane and leave you. Not without first telling you…” He paused to catch his breath, to quickly find the words, any words, to save Natalie.

“Tell me what?” David asked and his words were so saturated with hope and love that despite everything, Julian almost felt sorry for him…Almost. The gun in his hand was pointed at Natalie. It took everything Julian had to inject his voice with longing and regret and not race forward and tear his throat out.

“For six years, I was searching for something, never realizing it was right there, right in front of me the entire time.” Julian took a step forward until there were ten feet between him and David. “But you don’t have to do this.” He waved his hand in Natalie’s direction. “You don’t have to prove anything to me. I know the depth of your devotion. Let me prove mine. Let her live so that I can choose, David.” He took another step closer. “You will be so much happier, so much more certain, to know that I could have had her but I chose you instead.”

There was a silence but for the relentless wind. Julian held his breath until his pulse crashed in his ears like the waves below. He could practically feel David’s yearning, like a tidal pull.

David sniffled, tears flowing freely now. “I want so badly to believe you,” he said, “but I think you’re lying….” He cocked the hammer back on the gun aimed at Natalie’s head.

“No!” Julian screamed and then fell back, choking with relief as David didn’t shoot but swiveled the gun toward him.

“Pretty words,” he sobbed. “Smart words, but see? Lies. All lies. She still has a hold on you, despite all.” He raised the gun higher, at Julian’s head. “You, her, me. Like I promised her. So she could see what she did. How she ruined everything.”

Julian knew he was going to get hit but he might still be able to save Natalie. His eyes met hers for a split second, the shortest goodbye…but before he could spring forward, Natalie gave a little cry. She surged up, driving into David, and slammed a jagged rock into his knee. His scream joined the wind as his leg bent at a sickening angle, and he fell hard to the ground.

The gun’s report was loud and Julian actually felt the wind of the bullet streak past his cheek as he dove forward, and then he and David were tumbling, wrestling, rolling toward the cliff’s edge.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” David cried, even as he tried to turn the gun on Julian.

“Why?” Julian slammed David’s hand against the ground, and the gun tumbled away. “Why did you do this to her? You were my friend!” He struck him once across the face, sending David’s glasses flying, and then his hands went around David’s throat and began to squeeze. David scratched and struggled, his face bulging, his eyes, bloodshot and streaming. They met Julian’s, wordlessly pleading for mercy, and cloudy with pain and longing.

A rush of raw grief rose in Julian’s throat. “Damn you, David, you were my friend…”

His grip loosened. David hurled a handful of dirt into Julian’s eyes and slammed his elbow into his already bloodied chin. Blinded and reeling, he felt David roll out from under him and then give a startled cry. They were too close the cliff. Julian shot forward, onto his stomach, blindly groping. His hand caught David’s wrist and then he thought his arm would be torn from its socket as David swung over the side and started to slide down the rocky incline.

“David, no!” Julian gritted his teeth, his shoulder screaming. David’s wrist was already slipping through his fingers.

“I can’t, Julian,” David cried. “I can’t just be your friend. I tried…For six years, I tried.”

“We’ll get you help,” Julian said. He slid toward the cliff’s edge. He scrabbled his feet against the loose rock while panic lanced down his spine like a cold blade. I’ll go over too…He heard a small grunt from behind him and Natalie’s hands around his shoe, pulling. His slide toward the edge slowed but David’s hand was slipping..

“David,” Julian said through gritted teeth. “Hold on…Climb up.”

“No,” David said. The water churned and thrashed below, like a hungry shark. “You have to let go, Julian, because I can’t. I can’t let go...”

Julian held on with every bit of strength left to him, and still David’s hand slipped through his. The intense pull on his shoulder vanished; Julian felt the emptiness of his hand and heard the roar of the waves below. Slowly, he got to his hands and knees and peered over. He saw nothing but frothy water and jagged rock. I’m sorry, David. I’m so sorry…