Is It Over Yet? by L. A. Witt

Author:L. A. Witt
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-64230-037-6
Publisher: GallagherWitt

Chapter 11

Rhys

Things were bearable after we’d talked, but it was still another six long, uncomfortable hours before we pulled into Derek’s sister’s driveway.

“Okay.” I shut off the engine. “We’re here.”

“Finally.” Derek tucked his headphones into their case. “I think I’m about ready to call it a night.”

“Me too.” It wasn’t even that late, but the road was tiring, and the ongoing silence between us had been draining in its own way too.

I unbuckled my seat belt, but before I could open my door, Derek said, “Wait.”

I turned to him, suddenly nervous. What now?

Derek swallowed. “Before we go in, we should put our rings back on.”

“Oh.” I looked at my left hand, which was on the door handle. “Yeah. Good idea.” And good thing I’d remembered to pack it. I’d stopped wearing it a long time ago, and I’d been so stressed before this trip, it had nearly slipped my mind to bring it. “Uh, mine’s in my shaving kit.” I motioned toward the back. “Let me get it.”

He nodded.

It was dark out, and the night was cold enough that ice was a possibility, so I pulled my cane out from under the seat. Moving carefully, I went around to the back of the truck, opened the hatch, and pulled my shaving kit out of my suitcase. The ring was in a small box, and I took it out and put it on.

Wow. This was… weird. I opened and closed my hand, eyeing the ring in the dim floodlights in front of Amy’s house. The tan line hadn’t even faded yet, but the smooth, cool band already felt alien on my finger. As if it had been off longer than it had been on, even though I’d worn the thing for seven years.

Kind of like my relationship with Derek, I guess. Great for years, and then so shitty it’s hard to remember all the good years that came before.

I shoved my shaving kit back into my suitcase and zipped the lid. In silence—the oh so familiar damned silence—we gathered our things and headed up the walk to the front door.

Before Derek had cleared the top step, the door swung open.

“Hey!” Amy grinned and spread her arms wide. “Gimme hugs, boys!”

Derek and I both laughed, and in turn, we hugged her on the porch.

She took us inside and we greeted her husband, Nate, and their teenagers, Jackie, Robbie, and Kelly. I was seriously ready to take everything into the guest room and flop facedown on the bed for the night, but then she uttered those magic words that gave me reason to stay out here: “Do either of you want some coffee?”

Yes. Yes, we did.

While her husband and son took our things into the guest room, we sat on her huge, comfy sofa, and a moment later, she brought in a couple of steaming cups of coffee.

Unfortunately, after the last few hours—the last few days, really—the coffee didn’t do much. Within half an hour, I was flagging, and Derek was starting to get that spacey look in his eyes that meant he was running on fumes.

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