Page 139 of Inevitable Destruction

DOMINIK

“Kill Me”—Landon Tewers

“Areyou sure that’s where you wanna go?” I ask him for what has to be the hundredth time. He scoffs and shoots me a glare as he shoves the last bag into the trunk and slams it shut. He rounds the car and comes up to me, pinning me to the hood with his hips.

“I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t want to, beauty.” He presses a kiss to my lips before walking back into the small hotel room to double-check we have everything. He comes back out a minute later, my cell phone and a pack of cigarettes in his hand.

“You’re always leaving this thing around.” He shoves it into my hand and lights up two cigarettes, passing one to me. We both lean against the side of the car as we smoke in comfortable silence.

We’re leaving Le Grande today and never looking back.

It’s been two weeks since I came back to him, and he’s spent every moment doing everything he can to make up for the pain he’s caused. But that’s his biggest fault—thinking he’s the only one to blame.

I tell him every day it wasn’t just him, but he refuses to hear it. I just hope someday, he’ll finally accept that he deserves my love.

“Ready, beauty?” he asks, locking his navy-blue gaze on mine. I nod and press a kiss to his shoulder.

“Are you?”

“Yeah; I hate this fucking town.” I laugh as we both jump into the car, him in the driver’s seat, which is becoming the norm.

“But you’re leaving Jamie behind. And your Harley,” I remind him, hating that I’m searching for any plausible excuses, anything that could change his mind about this—me.

Toxic.

“Yeah, and we have cell phones.” He holds his up and waves it in my face. I snatch it away and drop it in the cupholder with a scoff. “And my Harley is parked in Jame’s garage. She’ll take care of it.”

As if on cue, the sky opens up, and rain splatters across the windshield, bathing the overcast day in dark gray. Thunder rumbles, electricity creeping into the air. I stare out of the window, watching the storm brew as Rhett pulls out of the hotel parking lot and drives through town.

I take everything in one last time, not feeling a single sense of loss. I welcome the quick disappearance of my town with open arms, ready for what’s next.

A new life. A new home. The fresh start we both need to heal and move on—together.

“Where are we headed first? You never did tell me.” He flicks the turn signal, jumping on the interstate.

“Iowa,” I reply, my eyes scrunching as I wait for his reaction. His eyes bug out of his head as he whips his gaze to me.

“Absolutely not.” He scoffs, shaking his head, and cranks up the radio which is playing “So Called Life” by Three Days Grace.

“Yeah. After Jay and I spoke, he asked me if we could stop on our way to check in on his family for him, and I said we would. We’re going to the east coast, baby. It’s not too far out of the way.” I bat my lashes at him, sarcastic as fuck, but secretly hoping it actually works.

He shoots me glances every few seconds, his lips turning down more and more with every pass before he finally throws his hands up. “That’s fucked up. You know you’re pretty.”

“Thank you.” I lean across the console to press a kiss to his neck, making sure to nip at the skin there. He hisses and resituates in his seat as his dick starts to harden for me all while he shakes his head with a dark smile.

After minutes of listening to music and the rain patter on the windows, Rhett breaks the stillness. “This feels apt,” he says, his hand reaching across my body to run his fingers down my torso where my tattoo is. I finally told him what it means to me a few nights ago while we were lying in bed, sweaty and panting after fucking for hours.

“It’s so I never forget the destruction that’s inside of me, and the chaos I’ve not only caused, but endured. It’s a painful but necessary reminder to keep pushing forward through the pain because I deserve love. Your love.”

My eyes burn as I think about his responding words—one’s that threw everything off its fucking axis.

“The destruction isn’t just in you, beauty. It’s in me, too. But when we’re together, something happens, and we steal pieces of each other and take them for our own. We’re cataclysmic together if we’re not careful. It’s already been proven once before.

“But if there’s one thing I know with absolute certainty, it’s that you deserve love, happiness, and contentment—more than anyone I’ve ever met. So, I will do everything in my power to make sure you get it.

“Our addictions are powerful, toxic, overwhelming, and border-lining on obsession. You can’t have your first choice, but I’m okay making sure I stay a close second—as long as you’re with me.”

I shake my head at the memory. He’s such a dumbass sometimes. “You know my first choice was always you, right?”

“Huh?” he asks, flicking a glance before switching lanes, heading east—out of Le Grande, out of Oregon, and toward the other side of the country.

“The other night,” I remind him. “You said I can’t have my first choice when it comes to my addiction, but I can. You’ve always been first.”

“Beauty,” he mumbles, tightening his grip on my skin, digging his fingertips into my skin. I welcome the dull bite of pain—the perfect replica of his love.

Ouraching, consuming, carnal love.

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