Fine.
I wasn't going to jump anymore.
I told myself that firmly, like a promise I could hold onto. Aiden's voice echoed in my….describing shattered ankles and broken hips, and the image gave me the creeps.
The thought didn't feel like freedom. It felt wrong, and ugly. In a way that scared me more than the height ever had.
I took a step back from the edge.
I was fine. I just needed to get down, and,
pretend this never happened.
That's when the lights hit my face.
Oh no.
No, no, no.
A voice echoed up from below.
"Russell Reyes?"
I froze.
"Step away from the edge."
Another voice overlapped it. "Reyes! Back away from the roof now!"
I turned.
Campus security was already climbing the stairs.
A walkie-talkie crackled below.
Two uniformed officers stood near the entrance, one was holding a flashlight the size of a weapon, directing it on me.
My knees went weak.
I took another step back, raising my hands instinctively. "I'm…I'm fine. I was just…"
"Sir, do not move!"
