Chapter 24
Snow started falling in Savannah out of the blue,
Adrian stood outside Riley’s B&B, his black coat covered in a light dusting of white, his fingers bright red from the cold, but he was still clutching that envelope like his life depended on it.
He stared at that shut door, swallowed hard, then finally knocked,
The door swung open.
Riley stood there, and when she spotted him, her face didn’t budge an inch. “What?”
Adrian’s breath caught for a second.
He figured when he saw her again he’d have tons to say, but now that he was actually here, it felt like something was stuck in his throat and he couldn’t get anything out.
“I…” his voice was all scratchy as he pushed the envelope toward her, “need you to look at this”
Riley glanced down at the envelope but didn’t take it: “What’s that?”
“Everything Elena put you through.” Adrian’s hands were shaking a little. “I just figured out she was screwing you over the whole time. All the evidence is right here.”
Riley heard him out and didn’t even look shocked, just casually looked somewhere else “Buh. I’m over all that now.”
Adrian felt like he’d been punched in the gut.
He figured she’d be furious, hurt, maybe even rip into him for showing up so late. Instead she just acted like it was no big deal–said she was over it.
“I already got her back.” He scrambled to say more, like he was trying to prove himself. “Your parents too, I handled them…”
“Adrian.” Riley shut him down, her eyes like ice. “Why are you still acting like this is everyone else’s fault?”
He went completely still.
“You think you didn’t mess up too?” She stared right at him, her voice soft but sharp as hell. “When Elena was pulling all that crap on me, weren’t you the one who let her do it?”
Adrian couldn’t breathe and it felt like someone was crushing his heart with their bare hands.
He wanted to fight back, but when he opened his mouth, nothing came out.
She was totally right–who was he to pin everything on Elena?
He was the one who kept taking Elena’s side, kept brushing off Riley when she was getting torn apart, and when she needed him the most, he was the one who completely destroyed her.
“I…” his voice cracked and sounded completely broken, “I’m sorry.”
Riley shook her head with this tiny, bitter smile: “Save it. None of this matters anymore anyway.”
She stopped for a second, then suddenly lifted her left hand.
The diamond on her ring finger caught the porch light and nearly blinded him.
23:05
3 Years as Your Backup Wife, 1 Text to Crash Your World: ‘Guess Which Twin Left?
Chapter 24
“I got married.”
Adrian’s eyes went massive and he looked like he’d just been hit by a truck.
He stared at that ring like it was the only thing in the world, his brain going completely haywire as everything inside him just collapsed.
“You…” his voice was completely destroyed, “who’d you marry?”
Riley didn’t say anything, just glanced toward the street.
Adrian looked where she was looking-
Chris was standing a little ways off holding a grocery bag, giving him this ice–cold stare.
Right then, Adrian felt like all the blood in his body just stopped moving.
Riley’s voice was so calm it was basically heartless: “Adrian, we’re finished. Done. Don’t show up at my door anymore.”
She turned around and walked over to Chris, her back to Adrian, not showing even the tiniest bit of second thoughts.
Adrian just stood there watching her fade into that falling snow, feeling like someone had taken a sledgehammer to his chest, hurting so bad he couldn’t even catch his breath.
། འན་ཇ་ཇ་
=
He knew that this time, he’d actually lost her for good.
The snow just kept coming down harder.
Adrian had no clue how he’d gotten back to his car.
He sat there gripping the steering wheel like his life depended on it, his knuckles bone white, veins popping out on the backs of his hands.
The snow was fogging up his windshield, just like his brain was totally scrambled.
H
He remembered the first time he’d seen Riley–just standing there in the Wells‘ living room, quiet and submissive, like some kind of perfect little
puppet.
He remembered all the meals she’d cooked for him, how she’d always leave a light on when he worked late, all the shit she’d taken without ever complaining.
H
#
He remembered that final look she’d given him–totally blank, like he was just some nobody s she’d never met.
He slammed his fist into the steering wheel and the horn went off, this harsh sound cutting through the silent,
His chest felt like someone was slowly cutting him open with a rusty knife, hurt so bad he couldn’t get air in his lungs.
ந்தில்
snowy
night.
THIC
Happy
“Riley…”
He said her name so quietly, his voice totally destroyed.
But this time, she was never gonna answer him back.
Some screw–ups, you pay for your whole damn life.
23:05
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3 Years as Your Backup Wife, 1 Text to Crash Your World: ‘Guess Which Twin Left?‘
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