Brian drove around the dark Orlando streets. He wasn't driving anywhere in particular, just somewhere. He didn't want to go back home, he couldn't, what if she was still there?
"Why am I thinking like this? God, I was or still am going to marry this woman. I still love her, though, damnit! Why do I feel this way? Why can't I just leave her?" he asked himself. The answer was quite simple to all of his questions. He loved her. Not puppy love, but something deep in his soul, that he couldn't explain. He couldn't wait to get up in the morning just to say 'I love you'. He hated that he felt this way, but it felt so right. The ringing of his cell phone snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Hello?" he said into the receiver, not taking his eyes off the road.
"Hey, B, what's up? I just saw Kevin and he was really upset. When I asked him what happened he said to ask you, so care to fill me in?" Nick asked.
Brian sighed, "No, not really. It's a long story."
"Brian, don't give me that BS! Long story? Who sat up with you all night, every night after Michelle died? We talked for hours, so don't give me that 'long story' shit, tell me," Nick said, slightly agitated his friend would forget all those times he had helped him.
Brian took a deep breath and started, "Today, I got a letter from the hospital addressed to Annie. I wasn't going to open it, but Kevin came up with all these reasons why I should, so I listened, he always gives good advice. In a way I wish I didn't open it, but it's a bit late for that. Anyway, it was Anthony's autopsy reports. You want to what the cause of death was? Drugs. And do you want to know how he got drugs? Annie was taking them and I'm guessing it goes through her blood stream and into her breast milk, so when she fed Anthony she was poisoning him! It's her fault! I told her not to take those caffeine pills. She was taking them before, we got into an argument over them because she didn't want to stop taking the pills. And, now because of her ignorance our son died! I knew this college dream she was hung up on wasn't going to be good for her. Not only was she risking her health, but our son's. I've been thinking though, maybe I didn't press her enough to find out if she had stopped. She had been acting a little jumpy lately and I can't help, but think I could've done something. Anything, that would make Anthony be here, right now in my arms....and the crazy thing is that I think I still love her," he finished, his voice softened, trailing off.
There was a long silence on Nick's end of the line.
"You think?" Nick asked after getting over the shock.
"I know."
"I don't know what to say, man. All I know is what I would do in a situation like this."
"What would you do?"
"I wouldn't go back to her that's for sure and I sure as hell wouldn't love her! Think about it. I hate to say it, but she is the cause of his death. If she hadn't been dumb enough to take those pills Anthony would still be alive. She'd be out the door in a second, a matter of fact I wouldn't be able to look at her, let alone speak to her. I'd break off the engagement and find somebody trustworthy, that's what I'd do." "Well, I guess that's where you and me are different," Brian sighed, hanging up the phone. Everything in his mind was telling him to walk away, start over, but everything in his heart was telling him to go back. That he still loved her and he hated it. He hated her with a passion, but loved her too.

"It wasn't my fault," Annie whispered. She didn't know she was crying until she saw the tears fall on the metal in her hands.
"Yes, it was."
"No," she shook her head.
"Yes, you did it."
"No!" she raised her voice.
"Everyone will hate you."
"NO!" she yelled, covering her ears.
"Stop. Just stop it!" she raised the gun up to her head, "What if I pulled the trigger now? I wouldn't have you fucking voices in my head!" she looked around the room and saw no one there. She rested the gun in her lap. "What am I doing? I'm going insane," she closed her eyes. She picked up the gun in her hands again, she felt power when she held it, but like before she had never intended to use it.

Brian pulled up to Annie's old house and saw her car in the driveway.
"Finally," he breathed a sigh of relief. He had been looking all over for her, when she wasn't home he drove around to all the places she usually was. He just wanted to find her and tell her that he loved her. It would be a while, though, before he could say I forgive you. He got out of his car and closed the door as quiet as possible. He didn't want to risk giving Annie any chance to try to leave before he told her what he had to say. He walked up to the door and poised his hand in a knocking position, but not doing the action. There he stood at her door, he was a bit scared to knock. Would this turn into another fight? Would she even listen to him? A million thoughts ran through his head until he heard a gun shot. Brian tried to figure out where the shot came from, then realized it came from Annie's house! He stepped over and looked through the windows, they didn't have any curtains or blinds on them since Annie cleared the whole house out. He looked in and saw Annie sitting on a box in the middle of the living room with a single light on. Then he saw the gun in her hands. 'Please tell me she's not going to kill herself,' he thought. He grabbed his cell phone and quickly dialed a number.
"Hello?"
"Kev, it's Brian. I'm at Annie's house right now, I was coming to tell her something and I just looked in the window and she's in there with a gun! I heard it go off, I have no idea what's she doing with it, but she didn't hurt herself yet. I need you to come and help me out," Brian said in a rush.
"Why do you even care about her?" Kevin asked annoyed.
"Kevin! Regardless of what she did to me, I don't want her to kill herself! Now get over here to help me talk to her...please," Brian pleaded.
"Fine," Kevin gave in.
"Thanks," Brian said and closed his cell phone, shoving it back in his pocket.
Brian went back over to the door and knocked.

She held the gun with her finger on the trigger, like she was ready to pull it. It was pointing at the wall and she just stared at it. She was crying uncontrollably now. Her eyes were red and she could barely breath because she was crying so hard. She didn't seem to notice she was shaking, apparently so much that she pulled the trigger by accident.
"Shit!" she yelled hearing the unexpected gun go off. "Oh Lord..." she prayed.
After her prayer she went back to staring into space. She decided to give it one more try to think of something that would keep her on this earth. An image of Brian popped in her head.
"Damnit, he doesn't love me anymore. He can't, he lied to me. He said he would never break his promises and he did, he left me when I needed him. God, do I need him now," she said trying to stop her tears only causing them to fall harder. As if her prayers were answered there was a knock at the door. She knew it was Brian. It had to be and he came to yell at her. She made no attempt to move, she didn't want to hear she was worthless, she already knew she was.
"Annie?" Brian's muffled voice came through the door. "I know you're in there, let me in."
She sighed, knowing she left the door unlocked and Brian would figure that out anytime. She spoke too soon.
"Oh God, Annie," she heard him say. She looked up and tried to see him, but was blinded by her tears.
"Go away, Brian," she spoke softly, looking down at the gun.
Brian inched closer, "Put the gun down, sweetie. Please don't do this," he pleaded.
"I said stay away!" she yelled and sprang to her feet, "I'll use this if you come any closer."
Brian backed away, "Ok, look calm down. I just want to talk to you," he said calmly.
Annie sat back down, "I don't want to hear what you have to say, I already what you're going to say."
"I just wanted to tell you I --"
"NO! Don't say it, please! I know I'm worthless, don't say it..." her voice drifted off.
"I love you," he blurted out.
"You don't love me! I know you don't you're only saying it to try and stop me," she accused
"I am not! I mean it, with all my heart."
"Stop it! Stop lying to me! You already left me once when I needed you, I can't take that again."
"I never left! I'm right here," Brian shook his head trying to make sense of what she was saying.
"You broke your promise to me, Brian! And you left when I needed you the most. I didn't know that if I took the pills it would hurt Anthony, I didn't mean it," she cried looking down.
Brian kept a safe distant away, he knew that she was desperate to hear him say he forgave her, "I know you didn't, that's why I forgive you," he said and he was surprised how easily the words came, even though he truly didn't mean it. He just had to get them out of this situation.
"I'm worthless, I already know that!" she yelled.
"No, you're not," he took a step forward. He wanted so badly to just reach out and hug her, make it all go away.
"Stop saying I am! I didn't mean to kill him, I didn't mean it..." she kept saying over and over again, she was a crying wreck.
"Just let me help you," Brian said, a few tears escaped down his cheek.
"I don't deserve it! I don't deserve anything, but I... I... " she started stuttering over her words.
"You what?" Brian asked concerned.
"Just leave me alone! Stop talking to me," she said and cradled the gun in her hands, despite what happened before she still kept her finger on the trigger. In case she had to use it, she could end her life quick and get it over with.
Brian looked past Annie and saw Kevin a few feet away.
'Grab her from behind,' Brian mouthed and silently thanked God, Kevin had come after all.
'Keep talking to her, so she won't notice,' he mouthed back and walked slowly and quietly over to her.
"Annie, just listen to me --"
"NO! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT! YOU DON'T LOVE ME SO STOP IT!" she yelled causing Kevin and Brian to flinch.
"But I do love you," he said trying to get through to her.
"No, you don't!" She closed her eyes.
"Listen to me! I'm telling you I love you and I mean it," Brian stressed, praying Kevin would hurry up and grab her.
"Please stop lying," she cried. She didn't notice Kevin behind her, he grabbed her shoulders to try to hold her while Brian grabbed the gun. He just hoped maybe Brian would get the hint, even though they never talked a plan over.
"Ah!" she yelled startled when she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders.
When she jumped she accidentally pulled the trigger again, the sound of the gun shot hung in the air.
"OH MY GOD!"