Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 104869 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104869 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
It was the only viable option, really.
She switched the car back on to close the windows, and then grabbed her phone and water bottle, and reluctantly exited the vehicle.
The cicadas sounded even louder now. But that was probably because the silence around the buzzing insects had intensified. Even the eagle had moved on.
She stared down at her feet, noting her big toe was starting to swell and bruise, and for a brief moment she entertained the notion that it might be broken.
She shoved the thought to the back of her head and considered the wisdom of changing into sturdier shoes. She had a pair of sneakers carelessly tossed in the back of the car. It would likely hurt the toe like hell, but it would be better than possibly slipping and falling in these flimsy flip-flops. Also with scorpions and other venomous creatures skittering about, it was better to be safe.
Decision made, she quickly donned her sneakers, wincing when the pain in her toe escalated from bearable to excruciating in an instant.
Why the hell was she even out here in the first place? Maybe this was the universe’s way of telling her to just move on with her life.
She shook her head impatiently. That didn’t matter right now. Regret and doubt would not change her current reality. She was in a somewhat precarious predicament. One that could go badly very quickly if she wasn’t careful.
She limped determinedly back in the direction she’d first come, valiantly ignoring the escalating pain in her foot, and checking her phone for signal every couple of minutes. She kept her eyes trained on the dusty road ahead, extremely cognizant of the fact that there were definitely venomous snakes lurking close by.
She was soon enveloped by a swarm of biting midges, and no matter how much she swatted and swung at them, they dogged her every step.
She looked back after five minutes and was alarmed to note that her car was actually farther away than she’d thought. She stopped and checked her phone again.
“Oh, thank God!”
One bar. Just one. But hopefully it was enough. She didn’t think, just called the only person who could possibly help her right now.
Only the phone rang and rang and rang. Before going silent. Not to voice mail. Which meant that he’d declined the call.
She stared at the screen for a long moment, desperation warring with pride.
Another glance reconfirmed her dire circumstances. She tapped out a quick text.
Please answer your phone, Smith. I’m in trouble. I need help.
Two blue checkmarks. Same as all the other messages she’d sent him in the month since he’d left. With not one response to any of them.
Still, he’d seen her message and had just hung up on her, which meant that he had the phone in his hand. Hopefully, he didn’t hate her so much that he’d ignore a plea for help.
Her pride and her heart were both already too badly bruised to want to find out, but she was all out of options and he was closer to her right now than AAA.
She swatted at those bitey midge bastards again, and swiped a forearm across her grimy forehead before saying a silent prayer and redialing.
More interminable ringing followed by a click and then silence.
For a second she believed he’d ended the call again but then a slight, weary sigh betrayed his presence at the other end of the line.
“Smith?”
“What do you want, Kenna?” Nothing but icy hostility in that voice.
“I was coming to see you—”
“Why the fuck would you want to do that? Our lawyers can handle everything.”
Her heart dropped, and she felt abruptly sick. It had been the unwelcome arrival of the issue of divorce summons that had set her on this foolish course in the first place.
She should have known the moment the document had been served at her office a week ago that trying to speak about this with Smith would be futile.
“I see that now,” she whispered. She’d been such a fool. She should let this—him—go. It truly was over.
“Right, good.” His tone was brusque. Dismissive. “That’s settl—”
Crap.
She felt like a prisoner who’d wasted her one phone call.
“No, wait, please. I need help. I-I don’t know where I am. Would you send a mechanic? Or a tow truck? Even an Uber would be—”
“Kenna,” he interrupted, sounding like man pushed to his limit. “What are you talking about?”
“I was coming to see you and I got… Well, I got lost. And now my car’s stuck and it won’t budge.”
Her voice was getting high and breathless and she sounded like she was on the verge of hysteria.
Honestly? She felt that way too.
Absolute silence met her words and for a panicked moment, Kenny worried that she’d lost signal again. She jerked the phone from her ear to check if the call was still ongoing.