Page 83 of Enraged

I grieved for my high school sweetheart and the time we had spent together and for the time we would never have again.

I grieved for the girl that I had grown up to be and for the girl I’m now forced to become.

Tears splashed at my thighs as I gave into the pain.

As I pulled it together, I pulled out my phone, my fingers shakily typing out a text.

A split second later, the front door opened, and my ex-fiancé walked out. I grabbed his bag from the back seat before climbing out of the car.

“Hey, Lenie,” he spoke softly.

He looked like shit. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days and like there wasn’t a razor left in the house. For a weak moment, my heart went out to him.

“I have your bag.” I held it out to him.

He took it from me and sat it on the porch step.

“I figured you had thrown it away.”

I leaned against my car. “I should have.” He ran his fingers through his unruly wild, unwashed hair. “I wouldn’t have blamed you.”

His lying eyes had the audacity to look sad.

I don’t want to be here.

“I’m gonna go.”

He grabbed my arm, and I pulled away, his touch feeling as if it had burned me.

“Please, Lena, can we talk?” he pleaded, his voice wavering.

Blinking back tears, I shook my head. “Nothin’ you say is goin’ to make a difference.

Nothin’ changes reality.”

Getting in my car, I pulled away without a backwards glance.

A part of me felt relieved.

I knew my worth and wouldn’t allow myself to settle for less, but the other half of me was disappointed that Dakota didn’t value himself the same way.

Dakota

“What’s up, JR?” I overheard Zeke say.

Jace is here.

Reluctantly, I stood up from my desk, determined to fulfil my role as Lieutenant without my personal feelings coming into play.

I walked into the station’s living room. Ben and Dedric were playing football on the Playstation; Carter and Zeke were propped up at the kitchen island, deep in conversation with Jace. He stopped mid-sentence when he saw me.

“Lieutenant.” He nodded respectfully. I nodded back. “Good afternoon. I have some paperwork ready for you whenever you’re ready. No rush, take your time.”

“Yes, sir.” He went back to talking.

He has never once called me Lieutenant as a serious title. I’ve always been DK.

After grabbing a bottle of water, I went back to my office. With a shaky breath, I checked my phone, praying for a text message from Lena. Disappointment flooded my veins when I saw that she hadn’t texted me. Cassie had, of course, but I deleted those texts without even reading them.