Chapter 34

The engine hummed softly as the miles passed beneath the tires, the monotony of the road only broken by the occasional flicker of headlights or the sharp sting of salt in the air. Elena kept her eyes fixed on the endless stretch ahead, her thoughts a million miles away. She knew what she wanted to say, but the words always felt like they would slip out wrong. Everything felt wrong. Every decision, every move they’d made, had led them here, to this point of no return. Derek didn’t say anything. The silence between them was deafening. But she could feel him watching her, like he was trying to figure her out in ways he never had before. She didn’t want to be figured out, not by him, not by anyone. Not anymore.