His 181St Second (Laverne and Marina) novel Chapter 28

**Winds Carry Lost Promises by Asa Holt Vale**

**Chapter 28**

In the dimly lit bedroom, Marina had just wrapped up her evening routine, the warm water still lingering on her skin when a familiar knock echoed through the silence. “Marina, it’s freezing out here in the living room. Can you let me in so we can sleep together?”

There was a note of desperation in his voice, an unspoken plea that tugged at her heartstrings, urging her to reconsider. “I’m still sick, you know,” he added, hoping she would relent.

Lavern couldn’t shake the feeling that she wouldn’t be so callous as to leave him out there, vulnerable and alone, especially when he was still in the throes of a cold.

Moments later, her voice sliced through the air, cool and devoid of warmth, tinged with an unwavering resolve. “Grandma always hated the idea of unmarried couples crashing together in someone else’s place. We haven’t even secured our marriage license or had the ceremony yet. You sure you want to make her mad?”

The silence that followed was palpable, and Lavern felt as if he could sense her steadfast gaze boring into him from the other side of the door.

He let out a heavy sigh, his irritation bubbling to the surface. “Okay, I won’t come in. But could you at least throw me a blanket?” he pleaded, his voice softening.

“Aren’t you supposed to be apologizing to Grandma? How’s someone with genuine regret gonna get any sleep anyway?” Her words dripped with sarcasm, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

Lavern scratched his nose, feeling awkward and exposed. “It’s dropped a ton in Sicester today, and my cold’s still kicking,” he muttered, trying to defend his situation.

Marina shot back, her tone icy, “It was just as cold when Grandma passed. I stayed up night after night, hardly got a wink of sleep.”

His heart sank at the reminder. “I’m sorry. This is all on me,” he whispered, the weight of guilt pressing down on him.

But she remained silent, her eyes closed, shutting him out completely.

Lavern lingered by the door for a moment longer, torn between the desire to push through and the understanding that he might be crossing a line. He shuffled back to the living room, dropping onto the sofa with a heavy thud.

He tried his hardest to avoid the gaze of Alyssa’s portrait hanging on the wall, but it was impossible. It felt as though her eyes were piercing through him, judging him for every misstep he had ever taken.

Taking a ragged breath, he fought against the guilt rising in his chest. He grabbed his phone, opening up social media in a futile attempt to distract himself.

His eyes landed on his pinned contact. After a brief moment of hesitation, he typed out a message: [Asleep yet, Marina?]

Meanwhile, Marina’s phone lit up, illuminating the darkness of her room. She picked it up, saw it was from Lavern, and frowned. With a sigh, she silenced his notifications and shut her eyes once more, determined to block out the chaos of the night.

Tomorrow, she had an important appointment to take Daron to the Wonder Group project site. She needed to push him to finalize that contract soon.

Only eight days to go. She had to tie up these loose ends quickly.

Lavern continued to send a few more messages to Marina, but they went unanswered. He leaned back, feeling utterly deflated, rubbing his throbbing temples in frustration.

Just then, his phone vibrated in his hand. Eagerly, he grabbed it, but to his dismay, their chat was still empty. Instead, a new message popped up from Shawna.

Shawna: [Lavern, my stomach hurts so bad out of nowhere. Have you and Marina turned in for the night? I don’t want to interrupt, but I’m really scared.]

His heart raced as he jumped up from the sofa and hurried toward the courtyard.

He took a couple of steps, then stopped abruptly, turning back toward the house. After a moment of hesitation, he approached Marina’s bedroom door and knocked again.

“Marina, something urgent just came up; I gotta head out for a bit. Tomorrow, I’ll…”

“Get lost!” Marina’s voice was sharp, cutting through the night air. She had barely drifted off when the knocking jolted her awake, leaving her fuming.

Lavern froze, realizing he had crossed a line. He dialed back his tone, attempting to soothe the situation. “Marina, it’s a real emergency. I’ll come back tomorrow and keep you company. Please, try to get some rest.”

Silence enveloped them, thick and heavy.

Marina started toward the exit, and Lavern stood frozen, desperate to think of a way to stop her.

She reached the center of the living room before glancing back at him, a teasing smile dancing on her lips. “Aren’t you in a hurry? Why the holdup?”

Lavern sighed quietly, his chest tightening as he finally moved.

He walked at a casual pace, not like someone rushing to an emergency. It felt more like he was stalling, trying to slow her down, buying time.

At the front gate, Marina came to an abrupt halt.

Lavern had pulled ahead by a step or two, only to notice her sudden stop.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, her eyes glinting with a mischievous smile as she leaned one hand on the iron gate, but her stare was as cold as ice. “Look at you, breaking out in a sweat from nerves. Really that terrified of me joining you?”

Lavern swiped at his forehead, but there was no sweat to be found. He pulled himself together, hiding the alarm in his eyes. “Marina, that’s not it at all.”

With a cool, detached smile, she replied, “My time’s too precious to waste on people like you.”

And with that, she slammed the door shut in one swift motion. The heavy clang of the iron gate hit Lavern like a punch to the chest, leaving him dazed and breathless. Panic gripped him suddenly, and he stepped forward quickly. “Mar…”

Just then, his phone buzzed again. Lavern picked it up, his eyebrows knitting together, irritation lacing his tone. “If you’re feeling sick, go see a doctor; I’m not one!”

Carrie’s frantic voice came through, urgent and filled with fear. “Lavern, Shawna’s bleeding. I called an ambulance, hurry to the hospital.”

Lavern stood there, speechless, the gravity of the situation crashing down on him.

In the end, he made his choice. He had to go to the hospital. Lives were at stake, and he couldn’t afford to hesitate any longer.