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It was a question that just poured out She didn’t even knohat exactly she was asking, or maybe she did Why was she so weak? Why the fk couldn’t she deal with pain like nor with her!

The vision of her father lying lifeless in his hospital bed with herby his side hit her suddenly It felt as if someone had taken her bat and pu her head as if the louder she screamed the more she could will the vision and the reality that her father was gone "No!"

Scra onto her knees, she scurried toward the wooden chest, spilling the near e the chest open, she grabbed at things--old pictures, Ryan’s baseball glove, everything she hadn’t wanted to look at in over a year--and flung theainst her chest, and she began shaking, but she reached for it She reached for the box with the a the cold gun in her hand brought back all those memories of that dreadful day, the day she’d been interrupted "Not today," she said with conviction and stood up shakily

Shealong the way Thoughts of Brandon and how her fall had brought theether came to her, and she nearly smiled Then reality slaain

Rushing now, she opened the door to her bathroo it behind her She’d do it this time, and the world would be rid of her pathetic ass once and for all

She sat on the cold floor for a moment, silently, as the tears continued to roll down her cheek with one thought: Brandon How naïve she’d been to think his love could make her better--his presence in her life could soer She was hopeless Even her beautiful Brandon hadn’t been enough to give her the strength to fight through this suffocating pain

Setting the gun on the floor, her hands nearly shook out of control as she reached for the box of ale bullet out It was all she needed

Chapter Twenty-Four

Brandon

Glad that it was Friday, Brandon had arrived at work that ina He’d been both surprised and disappointed she never showed up or even called hiiven into the te with her would be better than going the whole night not seeing or speaking to her

Mainly he’d dreaded seeing her today because he kne badly it would hurt if she did or said nothing to try and rectify the situation Clearly, she didn’t care enough to call hio to hell had a lot to do with it He’d actually been disappointed when he realized she hadn’t coht of her anxiety issues The possibility thather it was over could haveher by noon He’d put it off, telling hiup today Even he had considered staying put today--calling in sick--so he’d so rarely done in all his years in the Marines He’d seriously considered it today, not to benearly the entire night he’d been tired as shit thisthat got hi her

Regina had ignored all his calls, but he left no ht not be well, an even bigger part was still pissed--pissed that she’d gone as far as calling Sofie to get the whole truth It still burned him up that it’d taken one conversation with the sweet and fair Alex Moreno to trigger enough doubt or suspicion that she’d be acting like she did when she got ho conversation She’d even flinched at his touch! It’d been such a huge blow--such a huge disappointet over it, and he doubted he would any time soon

He’d actually driven around his block twice after work, talking hi down to her place, because he could hardly stand going anotherhe’d call her again, he frohen the line beeped just as her line rang He glanced at the screen on the off chance it nize the nuain, but it didn’t Like all the other times, it went to voicemail Then suddenly it hit him The phone number on the screen was falanced at the nu her nu why Pat had called hiht be calling hiain if this was her "Hello?"

"Is Gina with you?" Pat asked a little too quickly--too panicked

"No why?" he asked, turning left towards Regina’s place as his heart sped up

"I’ve been calling her all day So has Bell She hasn’t returned our calls None of us re into work today or not She was fine last night when she left the hospital, but--"

"The hospital?" he asked, punching the nuate of Regina’s coain?"

Pat went quiet "She didn’t tell you?"