Page 53 of Rainstorm

I’m taking revenge, but it’s a sour retaliation.

“I never wanted things to end this way,” he says despondently, and he seems so hopeless, so lost. “You know how much I love—loved—you, Rose, but sometimes love isn’t enough.”

True love is always enough, I want to shout at his face.

“So that explains why you threw those fucking divorce papers in my face?”

“I need to let you go, Rose. I have to. You’ll thank me one day,” he murmurs wearily.

“Well, we’ve reached a dead end then.”

“It seems so.”

“Goodbye, Chase.”

“Goodbye, my love.”

My love. The love of my life.

That’s what you were.

That’s what you still are and always will be.

But you’ve made it plain that there is no future for ‘us’.

So I need to move on. I need to live again.

He says nothing more, yet makes no move to leave, which makes me angry. Can’t he just go away, let me lick my wounds and work out what to do with my life since he doesn’t want me anymore?

Just go fuck yourself, I want to scream, but I’m better than that.

This is the last time I let Chase hurt me. No more. I’m done.

“Next time you want to talk to me, it’ll be through my lawyer. Goodbye, Chase.”

Then I close the door in his face, putting a physical barrier between us, although he still seems to be everywhere.

However there’s no going back, only moving forward now.

Chapter 12

Chase

Six years ago

“This is so great!” Roselynn exclaimed, literally bouncing with excitement on the seat beside me.

We were taking a road trip to Santa Barbara, and at that early hour on a Saturday morning there wasn’t much traffic on the coastal highway, so we could relax and enjoy the gorgeous scenery of the sun shining over the blue waters, the salt air floating in the fresh morning breeze as the open California sky welcomed us.

It gladdened my heart to see her so happy and carefree. Her mussed hair flying everywhere, the wind coming from the opened window playing with it. I was almost jealous of it, envious of the shades covering those eyes. Bewitched by her smile.

I wanted to make her that happy.

Every time.

Every single day.

I loved the beach and the waves, and I wanted to have her there in the middle of my favorite scenery.

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