Page 5 of Until the End

“So don’t. Tell her you needed to leave for your own sanity and that you’ll talk to her when you’re ready.”

“Orrrrrr…” I singsong. “You could just tell her for me?” I bat my eyelashes at him and flash him the smile he’s never been able to resist.

He narrows his eyes, trying to stand his ground, but he’s never once said no to me. “Fine!” He yanks his phone from his pocket and turns it off airplane mode.

No wonder he didn’t get my call.

He winces when he sees the notification. “I’m sorry, Goose.”

I shrug. “You still came when I needed you.”

“Always.” He reaches over to squeeze my thigh. In the silence, Carson texts Gia, his fingers flying over the screen. It takes him a few minutes, but he finally puts hisphone away. “You might want to turn your phone off. Gia’s on damage control, but shit is guaranteed to hit the fan.”

I cringe. I hadn’t really thought about the fallout of being a runaway bride. Oops. I power down my cell as suggested and look over at Carson. “Now what?”

“Now we get you out of here.” He turns the car on, and a minute later, the life I thought I’d have disappears in the rearview mirror.

Chapter 3

Carson

Ipull into the parking lot of a tiny beach hotel Ginny found on Google. The ocean stretches out into the distance behind the two-story building. I’ve been to the Atlantic multiple times over the years—it’s only a three-hour drive from home, and Mom loved going for long weekends to get out of town for a few days.

I’m not sure how an ocean can feel vastly different from its counterpart, but looking out at the Pacific is a totally new experience. I have no idea how much exploration we’ll be able to do, given the circumstances that brought us here, but it would be cool to check out the area. Granted, if we have to stay locked up in our room, I’d be okay with that, too. I’m with my favorite person in the world. I can’t ask for much more than that.

“You want to stay in the car while I get us checked in?” I ask Ginny.

“That’d probably be for the best.” She looks out at the open-air entrances to the hotel rooms. It’s one of the reasons we picked it. We’re trying to minimize people recognizingGinny as much as possible, especially since she’s with me instead of Weasel.

It’s killing me, not knowing why she ran. Did the asshat hurt her? Did he cheat on her? Did she finally just come to her senses and decide to leave the bastard? I need to know. Our family is dying to know, as well, but they’re being respectful about keeping their distance. Gia has texted several times since we left three hours ago. She’s worried about Ginny’s mental state, and I can’t say I blame her. I told Gia how devastated Ginny was when I walked into the room. We’re both worried sick about Ginny’s mental health. We’ve been worried for months, but this is the last straw.

“Okay, I’ll be back in a minute.” I get out of the car and walk under the awning to the center doors with a huge welcome sign hanging above them. Cool air washes over me as I step inside. A petite woman stands behind the check-in counter, and she smiles at me when I step up to her desk. “Welcome to the Gentry Inn. How can I help you?”

“We called about an hour ago to reserve a room. It should be under Carson James.”

“Yes, of course. I’ve got you and your wife all set with a king room.” She starts typing on the computer while my brain gets stuck on her words.

“Oh, uhh… Do you happen to have two queens? My, uh”—I clear my throat—“wife likes to have the extra bed for her stuff.”

The receptionist purses her lips. “I’m really sorry, Mr. James. We only have king rooms available right now.”

Well, this is going to be interesting. “That’ll be fine. Thank you.” I slide my card over to her. She gets us checked in while outlining the hotel’s amenities and fun things to do in the area.

I thank her again before heading back to the car. Ginny jumps a mile when I open the door to the Jeep. Tears sit on herlashes as she shuts off her phone and slides it under her thigh. I want to ask what happened, but I decide to give her some space for a bit. It’s been a rough day, emotionally, and I don’t want to push her. That’s on tomorrow’s agenda.

“Good news is, we’re in the room right there.” I point to the first-floor room across from our parking spot. “Bad news is, they only had king rooms, so it looks like we’ll have to share a bed.”

Ginny smirks in amusement. “Why’s that bad? It’s not like it’s the first time we’ve shared a bed.”

Not since we were twelve and it wasn’t weird to sleep in the same bed as your opposite-sex best friend. I also wasn’t hopelessly in love with Ginny back then. Not that I’ll ever tell her that. “No, but you’re a bed hog and a snorer. I have no fucking hope of getting sleep now.” I wink at her.

Ginny’s grin widens across her face. It makes my chest ache when she smiles at me like that. It’s been so long since I’ve seen it. I honestly wasn’t sure if I ever would again. Being the one to bring that smile back fills me with an immeasurable amount of pride.

“I might be a bed hog, but you’re the one who snores.”

I bark out a laugh. “I think your pants are on fire.”

“I’m not wearing any pants.”

---