Chapter 6
“Sonia, this might be the last time I call you.” His voice sounded almost drowned out by the howling wind.
I felt a wave of panic. “Where are you?”
“On the rooftop of our high school,” he replied softly. “Sonia, remember when my parents left me? You said the Atkinson family never cared for you, and we could be family instead.”
“When I was 18, I wanted to jump from this rooftop, but you stopped me,” he continued, his voice tinged with regret. “Now that you’ve left me, I feel like there’s no reason to live.”
“Miles, don’t do anything rash,” I pleaded, my heart pounding as I grabbed my coat. “Wait for me! I’m coming right now!”
As I hung up, I turned to see Rowan standing by the sink, his back to me, seemingly oblivious to the urgent situation. The running water was the only noise in the room.
I rushed over, pulling him by the arm. “Hey, snap out of it! What are you doing just standing there?”
He stumbled slightly, his bright eyes meeting mine. “Change clothes?” he asked
“Going alone wouldn’t be appropriate… I’m married now,” I said, frustration rising as I rapidly dialed on my phone. “Rowan, you have seconds to ditch that apron. I’m calling the cops. This is madness. That’s a school, and we can’t let him be jumping around there.”
“Ready,” Rowan said, standing clean and ready by the door.
I blinked in surprise. “You’re quick…”
Thankfully, Rowan could drive, sparing us the wait for a chauffeur. When we reached the school, the police were already there. They advised me not to communicate with Miles anymore, hoping the situation would
diffuse without further escalation.
Rowan skillfully navigated the car through safe zones, and we arrived swiftly. The rooftop was breezy, yet the day’s heat still hung in the air.
The school grounds were eerily silent. Police officers stood about fifteen feet from Miles, unwilling to get too
close.
An officer pulled me aside. “Miss, he insists on seeing you. We need you to stall him until the rescue team
arrives.”
I glanced at Rowan, held back by the security line, but he nodded reassuringly.
Taking a deep breath, I climbed the stairs and said, “Miles.”
The figure on the rooftop’s edge shifted, looking back at me. Miles‘ face bore the scars of a past fire. “Sonia, you’re here.”
Seeing him, I felt a wave of nostalgia. We hadn’t seen each other in ages. After Rowan and I cleared our misunderstanding in what felt like another life, we’d tried visiting Miles a few times, but he was always
resistant.
Maybe after harboring hatred for so long, it was hard for him to let it go once he found out Rowan wasn’t the culprit. And later, when Rowan got besieged from all sides, I stayed home, afraid to step out. It had been over a year since I’d last seen Miles.
“Miles, please come down,” I implored.
He ignored my plea, simply looking at me. “I’m sorry.”
His gaze shifted to Rowan, who was waiting among the crowd. And he continued, “You were right; I went too far. You told me before the wedding that we’d always be family, but I got too greedy.”
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19:30
Chapter 6
I remembered the rough days when Miles and I leaned on each other for support. When bullies targeted us, he shielded me and took the hits. When Uncle Samuel kicked me out, he braved a storm to bring me an umbrella and take me home.
For a moment, I wavered. Was Miles seriously the one who had caused me so much pain?
Miles smiled faintly. “You promised to celebrate my birthday with me every year. Sing me a birthday song, and I’ll come down.”
“Okay, I’ll sing.”
As the wind weakened, my voice carried the birthday song into the night air on the rooftop. I thought, ‘I didn’t sing for Rowan on his birthday. I’ll have to make it up to him when we get home.
When the song ended, Miles stood up, facing me. “Thank you. It’s been so long since I heard you sing. It’s lovely.”
“I have one more question,” he said softly.
“Ask away.”
“Do you still love me?”
I paused, the silence stretching between us, before finally answering, “You’re my family.”
He had been since the moment he stepped onto the stage of my life.
Miles‘ eyes met Rowan’s across the distance.
The wind on the rooftop sent a chill through me. “Let’s go back, okay?” I urged.
Miles withdrew his gaze and smiled at me. “Sonia, I love you.”
Then he spread his arms and fell backward into the vast darkness of the night.
For a second, time seemed to freeze. My blood turned to ice as I lunged forward, screaming, “Miles!”
But I grasped nothing but air. The ground below seemed like the gaping maw of a giant beast, and just like that, Miles vanished into the abyss.
I stared at the dark void below, my mind blank. A dull thud echoed in the silence, and my knees gave way, collapsing beneath me. Was Miles gone? Had I wrongly accused him?
They say people are perceptive. Had Miles felt my growing distance, and was that why he chose to end his life? Did that mean I was to blame for his death?
I was numb, shaking uncontrollably when suddenly I was enveloped in a warm embrace.
The familiar scent was like a lifeline, and I clung to Rowan’s sleeve, whispering, “Did I kill him?”
He held me tight. “I’m here. Don’t be afraid…”
“I don’t know what to do,” I sobbed, clutching Rowan, my words tumbling out. “I’m sorry…”
He ran his fingers through my hair. “He’s not dead. Don’t cry.”
His voice was gentle in my ear. “The police had an air mattress set up below. They caught him.”
Tears streamed down my face, soaking his shirt, and I let out an anguished cry. When someone’s death hung like a weight over you, it could feel like the world was collapsing.
Rowan’s voice was hoarse. “Just a few scrapes. He’s been taken to the hospital. If, if you want to see him, I can take you-”
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