Dearly Beloved by Wilt Rhys

Author:Wilt Rhys [Wilt Rhys]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Marginal Impact Publishing
Published: 2024-03-16T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Missouri

Miles and miles of empty mountainous highway stretched ahead of the Denali. Oppressive clouds spread across the violet sky as if someone had pulled cotton to its maximum. It was dusk. The sun had nearly disappeared below what looked to be some abrupt drop-off. As if the road and world ended in the far distance. Yet each time they covered that distance, the end got farther away.

Strange how the open road reminded Renée of life. Through all the crap that happened—some random events, some direct results of her poor decision-making—she’d survived. Each time something horrible happened, she’d felt that time would be the end, the end of her endurance. Yet life continued. Stretched on and on while she simply survived. Stopping to smell the roses wasn’t a luxury she had. So, most times, she wished things would just…

Stop.

That she’d cease to exist.

But what she really wanted, she realized, staring at white line after broken white line of the road, was to live. Too many outside forces held far too much control of her world. Renée wanted—no, needed—to live.

She worried the corner of her bottom lip between her teeth at that revelation. Watching TV, reading books, and even people-watching gave her glimpses into people’s lives. Women her age dated, went to clubs. Led productive lives. Dare she say, girls her age were contemplating marriage, even getting married and having babies. At the very least, they had hobbies. Her only goal each day was to make it through without a public panic attack. Each night, she strove not to have nightmares and peppered in between all that excitement she worked. Dealt with complaining ass, snooty residents at the luxury apartment community she managed. She didn’t even like her job.

Honestly, she felt like a spectator in her own fucking life. If this trip relieved her of one-tenth of the loneliness and mental exhaustion that dwelled inside her, it was worth it no matter the outcome.

“Hey, Chris!” Alex called from the back seat, rousing Renée from her inner angst. “Guess who texted me the other day?”

Chris turned in his seat, which was directly in front of hers. She’d organized the seating arrangement that way on purpose. That way, she couldn’t stare at him in a moment of weakness, and he couldn’t work his magic on her.

“Who?” he asked, brows creasing.

“Your love slave, Samantha.”

Renée’s ears perked up at Alex’s response.

Who did what now? She thought, glancing down to hide the frown bowing her lips. Unease swept through her. She wasn’t jealous—she wasn’t. “Who’s Samantha?” Renée blurted with more bite than intended before she could stop herself.

Drew glanced her way briefly before returning his gaze to the road. “This girl Chris has had bench-warming since senior year of high school. Girl goes dumb”—his voice rose an octave—“for the D.”

Something like a bowling ball sunk in her stomach. What was it he’d said the other night? Some shit she’d—as dumb as it may sound—believed about her being all he’d thought about for years. The only woman he wanted in his stupid arms.

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