Page 35 of Jolene's Justice

He’d been enjoying himself so much he hadn’t noticed the sun had set. The festive carnival-like lights lit up the area like it was day. It was as if the fair was under its own bubble. The fairgoers’ enjoyment was not hindered by the darkness that enveloped them.

After a quick break for more fair food—a red velvet funnel cake for Jolene and fried pickles for him—they were now in line for the Ferris wheel.

Jolene moaned over her funnel cake. The sound shot straight to his cock. Holding a piece out for him, she said, “You’ve got to try this. It’s so good.”

As he leaned in to accept the treat, he noticed the way her breath hitched and her fingers trembled slightly. He tasted the sweet flavor of the treat on his tongue, and the sound of their breathing became the only thing he could hear. Her citrus scent, mixed with the smell of the treat, created a unique aroma. When he took her fingers into his mouth, he felt the velvety texture of her skin against his tongue. He wanted to freeze time and live in that moment forever.

Despite the flashing lights of the amusement rides and the crowds of people around them, her unblinking luminous green eyes were fixed on him. She gasped for breath as he let go of her fingers, and he enjoyed the sweet flavor of the funnel cake in his mouth. The scent of powdered sugar and fried dough mingled with the sound of her quick, shallow breaths. He savored the tasty treat, locking eyes with her, and a smile tipped the corners of his lips.

He loved the way his actions caused a hooded look of desire in her expression, but he didn’t want to risk going too far too soon. They still had a lot of things to discuss. “You’re right,” he said after swallowing. “That was good.”

“Yeah, it was,” she murmured, and he sensed that she wasn’t referring to the food.

Just as he was getting lost in her eyes again, a tap on the shoulder snapped him out of the trance she had him in. “It’s your turn,” the stranger said, gesturing toward the ride attendant.

“Oh, thanks,” he uttered. With a hand on Jolene’s lower back, he guided her into their pod. Once seated with the door securely closed, Finch threw his arm across the back of the seat. Jolene leaned into him, her head tilted back onto his shoulder. He could feel her body pressed against his, and his heart raced with excitement. As they sat waiting for the other pods to load, he absently twirled the silky strands of her hair around his fingers. The scent of fuel and machinery and the sound of whirring engines and clanging metal filled the space. The seats were hard and uncomfortable, but he didn’t mind as long as she was beside him. The dim lighting cast a warm glow on their faces, and he couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation about the journey ahead.

As they neared the top, Jolene’s thoughts from their earlier conversation finally spilled out, breaking the silence. “Your divorce? Its final?”

“Yes.”

“You said you’ve been separated?” He nodded. “For how long?”

“Five years.”

“Why did you wait so long to get a divorce?”

“I really have no excuse.”

Looking up at him, she furrowed her brow, creating deep lines on her forehead. “I don’t understand.”

“I was just so tired of fighting her. With the separation, I had the semblance of freedom from her. It was enough at the time. I knew that if I filed for divorce, she would have responded poorly.”

“How do you mean?”

He sighed. “It’s difficult to explain. In order to explain it properly, I need to give you a sense of what it was like to be in a relationship with her.”

“Okay.”

He remained silent for one cycle of their ride. The words were hard to find. He’d kept it private from everyone for a reason. As a man, what he’d been through with Angelica was humiliating. It was embarrassing that he didn’t put a stop to it sooner. Hindsight being what it was, he knew he should have never married her in the first place.

“This is hard for me to talk about. Only two people outside of Angelica and me know the whole story.”

“If it’s too difficult, you don’t have to—”

He cut her off with a finger to her lips. “I need to. You deserve to know. I want a future with you, Jolie. To get that, I need to tell you everything. Once you have the truth, you can decide whether you want to move forward with me.”

The bright neon lights and deafening roars of the carnival rides slowly dissipated into a distant hum as he gazed into her mesmerizing jade eyes, imploring her to hear him out and understand the words that were about to escape his lips. The scent of cotton candy and fried food lingered in the warm breeze. Despite the chaos surrounding him, he remained numb to the sensory overload. It was as if he was in a bubble, detached from his surroundings.

The weight of his confession felt like a boulder resting heavily on his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe. His own heart pounded wildly in his ears, and the sound of his labored breaths filled the pod. The air in the confined space was thick with tension, and the scent of his anxiety hung in the air like a bitter perfume.

His stomach twisted with nerves as he thought about what he had to tell her. His palms were slick with sweat, and he could feel his nerves getting the best of him. There were so many unknowns. Would she look at him differently? Would she think less of him?

For years, he had carried the crushing weight of humiliation and shame like a boulder on his chest. He had tried to bury it deep inside, but it lingered like a foul odor that refused to dissipate. The memories played like a broken record in his mind, causing a dull ache in his temples. A burning flush crept up his neck as every demeaning moment played through his thoughts. He longed to shed the heavy burden, to feel light and free once again. He wondered if sharing his secret with Jolene would alleviate the heaviness he felt.

As Jolene shifted, the sound of the pod creaking filled the space. Suddenly, the scent of fresh citrus wafted toward him, calming his nerves. It was as though an orchard of orange trees surrounded him. A lighter feeling washed over him, and he took a deep breath, savoring the moment. He drew strength from her presence, gathering the courage to speak.

“One year into it, I knew I had made a mistake by marrying her. But that wasn’t even my biggest mistake. The fact that I stayed with her for so long resulted in that designation.

---