Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rowan Vale 26

Chapter 26 

17મ 

Briana was completely blindsided, practically tumbling out of the car. She twisted her ankle, couldn’t catch her balance, and landed hard on the ground. The freezing rain soaked her through in seconds. 

She just sat there on the wet pavement, watching. Shepard helped Vivian into the front seat, leaned over to buckle her seatbelt, and grabbed a wad of tissues to wipe the rain from her face. 

Only then did he shut the passenger door and finally look at Briana. He didn’t he turned, walked to the driver’s side, closed his umbrella, and got in. 

say. After a few seconds of cold silence,” 

So that was it. He really wasn’t going to let her back in. He had pulled her out, put Vivian in her seat, and hadn’t even offered her the back. He was just leaving her here. 

It was late, pouring rain, and the Carter residence was miles out in the quiet suburbs. He’d just abandoned her. ‘What an ice- cold bastard, Briana thought bitterly. 

Inside the car, Vivian watched Briana getting drenched. “Shep, isn’t she coming?” she asked. 

“Let her be,” Shepard replied coldly. 

“But this seems… a little too much,” Vivian said quietly. 

“She doesn’t deserve to share a car with you,” Shepard stated plainly. “It’s you or her. I made my choice.” 

He started the engine. The roar cut through the quiet suburban night. 

Suddenly, a crack of thunder tore through the sky. 

Vivian flinched, shrinking into her seat. 

Shepard immediately wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close and gently patting her back. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.” 

“That was so loud,” Vivian murmured, nestling into him. 

“It’s just the storm,” he soothed, easing the car forward. “Let’s get you home.” 

Vivian glanced back out the window. “But Shep, she doesn’t even have an umbrella.” 

After a brief pause, she quickly rolled down her window and tossed an umbrella out. “Here, take this,” she called out. “Or you’d catch your death out there.” 

The car crept slowly past Briana, the umbrella landing near her feet. 

Before Briana could even react, Shepard gently pulled Vivian back into her seat and rolled the window up. “Vivian,” he said, shaking his head with a hint of fond exasperation. “You’re always this soft–hearted.” 

***** 

The car’s red taillights quickly disappeared in 

the heavy rain. 

Briana tried to stand up slowly. A sharp pain shot through her ankle; she had definitely twisted it. 

She had to brace herself with both hands on the ground, pushing up with her good leg until she was unsteadily on her feet. 

Another thunderclap boomed across the sky. The rain poured down even harder and the wind picked up sharply. Her clothes were plastered to her skin, and every gust cut right through her. 

Chapter 26 

Limping past, she didn’t even glance at the umbrella on the ground. In her mind, a stubborn thought took hold she would rather freeze to death out here than touch anything that came from Vivian. 

Sure, she was freezing, really, but it was the hot, sharp anger inside that drove her forward. 

She let the rain sting her face without wiping it away. 

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, its ring muffled by the roar of the storm. She ignored it, not bothering to look. 

It kept ringing, but she never broke stride. 

Finally, a car screeched to a halt beside her. 

“Briana!” Henry leaped out of the car, grabbing an umbrella as he ran toward her. He didn’t even open it until he was right beside her, awkwardly trying to shield her from the relentless downpour. 

“Why are you out here alone in this storm?” he blurted out. “Where’s Shepard? Wasn’t he supposed to bring you back to the Carter residence? Come on, get in the car.” 

Briana looked up at Henry. The rain stung her eyes, blurring her vision until his face was little more than a smudge. 

Henry watched her, his heart aching. “Briana, it’s me.” 

A shiver ran through her. “Henry?” 

“Yeah.” 

She tried to force a smile. “What a coincidence.” 

“It’s not,” Henry said, cutting her off before she could 

“Why?” Briana asked. 

argue. “I came 

out here to find you.” 

“Get in the car.” He didn’t wait for an answer, just took her wrist and guided 

her firmly into the passenger seat. 

Briana glanced down at her dripping clothes. “I’m soaked. I’ll ruin your seats.” 

“Forget the car,” Henry said, his voice tense with worry and frustration. “You’re way more important.” 

He hurried to the trunk, grabbed his jacket and a towel, and came back to help dry her off. 

“I’ve got it,” Briana said, turning her face away. Taking the towel, she slowly wiped the rain from her skin. 

“What kind of man does something like this?” Henry’s voice was tight with anger. “It’s pitch black and pouring rain, and Shepard just dumped you here? What if you’d run into some creep? What if something happened to you?” 

“He’d probably be glad if it did,” Briana muttered, her tone cold and hollow. 

If she died, he’d be a free man instantly, a widower who could marry Vivian the same day. 

Henry sat in the driver’s seat, just watching her. His quiet gaze was heavy with unspoken concern. 

Briana tried to tidy herself up. The towel was soaked through. Her hai? 

was pale. 

“Why are you here?” Briana finally asked. “Did Eric tell you?” 

clung to her shoulders in wet strands, and her face 

“Yeah,” Henry admitted. “I had a feeling you and Shepard weren’t working things out, so I came to check on you. Looks like I was right.” 

18:22 Fri, Dec 19 M 

Chapter 26 

“Was it you who told Eric that Shepard and I are separated?” Briana’s eyes narrowed slightly with suspicion. How else would Eric know I’m at Evergreen Estate?‘ she wondered. 

“Yeah,” Henry said again. 

Briana studied his face, her expression searching. 

“Look,” Henry said, meeting her eyes. “I know what to share and what to keep to myself. Eric and I are friends, but we don’t tell each other everything. I haven’t said a word about the divorce. Or about the baby.” 

Briana pressed her lips together. “I lost the baby” 

Henry’s eyes widened, a flicker of pain crossing his face. 

“I’m not making the divorce public yet, so please keep this to yourself,” Briana said, her voice hollow with exhaustion. 

“Is there even a point in keeping it secret now?” Henry asked, his disbelief clear. 

Briana sighed. “Grandma Evelyn isn’t as strong as she used to be. She couldn’t handle news like this.” 

“So you’re just going to keep letting him hurt you?” Henry asked, baffled. “You did nothing wrong in this marriage. He’s the one who messed up. Why are you still covering for him? Why are you protecting his family?” 

“Grandma Evelyn has treated me like her own since I was little,” Briana whispered, her voice trembling. “I just… can’t break her heart.” 

“And what are you to Shepard, really?” Henry pressed, his tone strained. 

For the first time, Briana’s composure wavered. “Honestly, I never should have married him,” she admitted softly. “I should have called off the engagement back then.” 

But Shepard had been everything she’d ever wanted since she was a little girl. Marrying him felt like her entire purpose. When that dream was finally within reach, she couldn’t have just walked away. 

Back then, she truly believed he loved her. She told herself Vivian was just a responsibility, nothing more. She thought that after the wedding, she could win his heart back, show him the difference between real love and mere obligation. 

“Yes,” Henry said, his voice low and certain. “You should have married me.” 

pter 27 

Chapter 27