When They Beg I Rise (Lemira) novel Chapter 973

When Lemira heard him flatly refuse, her fingers dug into the leather of the steering wheel.

Her heart stuttered, a bitter ache sweeping through her chest.

She had drained every ounce of her courage just to force those words out. The iron wall of finality she had just built was actually fragile enough to crumble at a single touch.

She lowered her head, entirely unsure of what to do next.

Orion sat there watching her, the heavy silence stretching between them, but the words he wanted to say simply wouldn't come out.

He couldn't stand seeing her look so agonizingly conflicted.

Gritting his teeth against the frustration, Orion finally unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the car.

He knew that if he stayed and tried to force the issue like he had last time, she would probably just punch him again.

The second the door clicked shut, Lemira slammed on the gas, peeling away without a single backward glance.

Orion stood on the pavement and let out a long, heavy sigh. If this were the old Lemira, she never would have abandoned him on the side of the road.

Pulling out his phone, he dialed Thaddeus Draven. "I'm not coming."

"Where did you guys run off to? Everyone is inside waiting for you."

"She went to meet with Attorney Bennett about her case."

He had heard Sebastian's name in the car and easily connected the dots.

Standing alone under the streetlights, Orion instinctively dug a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it. He rarely smoked, usually reserving the habit only for situations that made him feel utterly powerless.

His entire life had been smooth sailing up until now. She was the one obstacle he simply couldn't overcome.

Right now, he was a volatile mess of frustration. The nicotine was the only thing keeping him grounded while Lemira's breakup speech played on an endless loop in his head.

His sharp eyes narrowed slightly, the glowing red cherry of his cigarette cutting through the dark night.

Thaddeus paused on the other end of the line. "So, how did the talk in the car go?"

Orion took another slow drag. "Not well."

He got dumped.

Even though he had known it was a very real possibility, a stupid part of him had still been clinging to hope.

Hearing the absolute defeat in his tone, Thaddeus immediately knew what had happened. "Don't throw in the towel just yet. Life is long, man. Just put in more effort from now on. It definitely won't be as easy as the first time, but it's not impossible."

Orion didn't respond. His mouth tasted like ash and regret.

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