Page 112 of Enraged

“I’ll let you two talk,” Lena spoke up, effectively snatching her hand away from mine.

“I don’t want to talk anymore, Lena. I just want you to curl up in this bed with me and take a nap.”

She looked at me like I was being ridiculous while Cassie sobbed at the foot of the bed.

Through her tears, she spoke bitterly, “So, that’s it? You’re throwing away everything that we built together?”

Happily.

“Yes. I’m starting this new thing where I throw away things that are trash.”

She stared at me for a few seconds before leaving the room, quietly shutting the door behind her.

The moment the door closed, Lena jumped up from the bed. Radiating anger, she put her hands on her hips.

“Why the hell would you do that?! She’s a shitty person but she was worried and that’s the first thing you say to her?!”

Grabbing ahold of her shirt, I yanked her into my arms.

“I told you… when you’re in love with someone, you don’t want to hide it.”

Epilogue

Jolene

“Mama, we’re gonna be late!” I called out impatiently from the entryway.

“I’m comin’, Lee Lee!”

Slow as molasses.

She emerged from her bedroom with my daddy right behind her.

“Daddy, you’re comin’, too?”

“Yes. Dakota is bein’ named Firefighter of the Year. Of course, I’m comin’!”

Smiling, I opened the front door, the spring breeze sending my hair flying.

“Big Jake is waiting for us so let’s go!”

Loading up in my daddy’s truck, we set off towards the civic center. Unsurprisingly, the parking lot was packed, the people of Creek’s Edge coming out in droves.

“All of these people are here to support your man,” Mama teased. Laughing, I climbed out of my dad’s truck.

Big Jake met us just inside the entrance, an enormous grin on his face.

“Hey, daughter!” he greeted me with a hug. “How’s my favorite girl doin’?”

Even though Dakota and I had only been dating a few months, he had taken up calling me his daughter. He was as overjoyed as my parents about the new relationship, and it was crazy because not much had actually changed. It’s just being with my long-time best friend all the time but with some incredibly hot sex thrown in the game.

The things that man can do with his tongue…

“Let’s find our seats!” Mama piped up excitedly.

As we walked down the aisle towards the section labeled reserved, I spotted Cassie with her new boyfriend, a deputy from Creek’s Edge Sheriff’s Office. She smiled at me, and I waved at them both, happy to see that she was happy.

Things between her and I would never be the same, but I had hope for the future going forward.

---