Roses for My Mother's Grave, Divorce Papers for Your Funeral - Chapter 40: Chapter 40
You are reading Roses for My Mother's Grave, Divorce Papers for Your Funeral, Chapter 40: Chapter 40. Read more chapters of Roses for My Mother's Grave, Divorce Papers for Your Funeral.
Riley gathered up everything Blake had given her over the years—every gift, every memento.
She called a shipping company and had it all sent to Sophia's place.
Sophia clearly wanted everything that belonged to Riley anyway.
Fine. She could have all these meaningless souvenirs.
That evening, Blake rushed home after someone tipped him off.
He walked in just as Riley was burning the last of her old diaries and letters from when she was a teenager.
He waved the smoke away, staring at her with a deep frown.
"What are you burning?"
Riley watched the final sparks fade to nothing and answered quietly:
"Garbage."
Blake felt something uncomfortable twist in his gut at the sight of her like this.
He tugged at his tie and pulled her up from where she was kneeling by the fire.
"Marcus and the guys are back from Europe. They want us to go skiing this weekend."
Then he started dragging her toward the door without waiting for an answer.
Halfway out, he turned back and grabbed the metal basin, dumping it by the outdoor trash cans. "If it's garbage, why leave it lying around?"
Riley took one last look at the burned remains. All those yellowed pages—diary entries, love letters she'd never sent—finally reduced to ash.
Never getting the chance to be read by the person they were meant for.
When Blake arrived the ski resort with her, Marcus was already there waiting.
Marcus lit up when he saw Riley and rushed over for a hug.
But just as he was about to wrap his arms around her, Blake instinctively stepped between them.
Marcus scowled when he couldn't reach Riley.
"Dude, I thought you said this whole thing with Riley was fake. Why are you being so territorial? Riley and I go way back—what's wrong with a hug?"
Blake's face flickered with something uncomfortable.
He recovered quickly, his tone dismissive. "Territorial? Are you kidding me? She's been a complete psycho lately. Just trying to save you from getting your face ripped off."
Marcus looked at Riley with confusion, but her expression hadn't changed at all.
"Riley, what did this guy do to piss you off?"
Riley pressed her lips together, trying to figure out what to say, when voices drifted over from nearby.
Blake suddenly turned and walked away from them.
Riley watched as he jogged over to Sophia, his whole face lighting up as he pulled her close, both of them laughing about something.
Marcus raised an eyebrow. "I've never seen Blake act like this over any girl."
Riley glanced over once, then looked away.
When she went inside to stash her gear, Sophia tagged along.
She slammed her hand against the locker next to Riley, the bang echoing through the room.
"Riley, so you sent me a bunch of used garbage, trying to mess with me?"
Riley slowly looked up at her smug expression, only said:
"Move."
Sophia just smiled wider when Riley didn't react.
She casually pulled something from her jacket pocket.
Riley's breath caught.
"Where did you get that?"
It was the custom watch her late grandmother had given her on her wedding day.
A few weeks ago, the band had broken and Blake had taken it to get repaired. She'd been waiting to ask him about it.
Now it was in Sophia's hands.
Seeing Riley's first real emotional reaction, Sophia's grin turned vicious.
"Blake noticed I liked it, so he gave it to me."
Riley reached for it, but Sophia yanked it back.
"What's so special about this ugly old thing anyway?" She dangled it carelessly, turning it back and forth.
Riley's hands clenched into fists. "Give it back! That's mine!"
Sophia raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying Riley's anger.
Then she shrugged.
"Fine, it's hideous anyway. Nobody wants this old piece of shit. Here you go!"
But instead of handing it over, Sophia hurled it toward the window.
The watch arced through the air and sailed over the third-floor railing into the snow below.
She called a shipping company and had it all sent to Sophia's place.
Sophia clearly wanted everything that belonged to Riley anyway.
Fine. She could have all these meaningless souvenirs.
That evening, Blake rushed home after someone tipped him off.
He walked in just as Riley was burning the last of her old diaries and letters from when she was a teenager.
He waved the smoke away, staring at her with a deep frown.
"What are you burning?"
Riley watched the final sparks fade to nothing and answered quietly:
"Garbage."
Blake felt something uncomfortable twist in his gut at the sight of her like this.
He tugged at his tie and pulled her up from where she was kneeling by the fire.
"Marcus and the guys are back from Europe. They want us to go skiing this weekend."
Then he started dragging her toward the door without waiting for an answer.
Halfway out, he turned back and grabbed the metal basin, dumping it by the outdoor trash cans. "If it's garbage, why leave it lying around?"
Riley took one last look at the burned remains. All those yellowed pages—diary entries, love letters she'd never sent—finally reduced to ash.
Never getting the chance to be read by the person they were meant for.
When Blake arrived the ski resort with her, Marcus was already there waiting.
Marcus lit up when he saw Riley and rushed over for a hug.
But just as he was about to wrap his arms around her, Blake instinctively stepped between them.
Marcus scowled when he couldn't reach Riley.
"Dude, I thought you said this whole thing with Riley was fake. Why are you being so territorial? Riley and I go way back—what's wrong with a hug?"
Blake's face flickered with something uncomfortable.
He recovered quickly, his tone dismissive. "Territorial? Are you kidding me? She's been a complete psycho lately. Just trying to save you from getting your face ripped off."
Marcus looked at Riley with confusion, but her expression hadn't changed at all.
"Riley, what did this guy do to piss you off?"
Riley pressed her lips together, trying to figure out what to say, when voices drifted over from nearby.
Blake suddenly turned and walked away from them.
Riley watched as he jogged over to Sophia, his whole face lighting up as he pulled her close, both of them laughing about something.
Marcus raised an eyebrow. "I've never seen Blake act like this over any girl."
Riley glanced over once, then looked away.
When she went inside to stash her gear, Sophia tagged along.
She slammed her hand against the locker next to Riley, the bang echoing through the room.
"Riley, so you sent me a bunch of used garbage, trying to mess with me?"
Riley slowly looked up at her smug expression, only said:
"Move."
Sophia just smiled wider when Riley didn't react.
She casually pulled something from her jacket pocket.
Riley's breath caught.
"Where did you get that?"
It was the custom watch her late grandmother had given her on her wedding day.
A few weeks ago, the band had broken and Blake had taken it to get repaired. She'd been waiting to ask him about it.
Now it was in Sophia's hands.
Seeing Riley's first real emotional reaction, Sophia's grin turned vicious.
"Blake noticed I liked it, so he gave it to me."
Riley reached for it, but Sophia yanked it back.
"What's so special about this ugly old thing anyway?" She dangled it carelessly, turning it back and forth.
Riley's hands clenched into fists. "Give it back! That's mine!"
Sophia raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying Riley's anger.
Then she shrugged.
"Fine, it's hideous anyway. Nobody wants this old piece of shit. Here you go!"
But instead of handing it over, Sophia hurled it toward the window.
The watch arced through the air and sailed over the third-floor railing into the snow below.
End of Roses for My Mother's Grave, Divorce Papers for Your Funeral Chapter 40. Continue reading Chapter 41 or return to Roses for My Mother's Grave, Divorce Papers for Your Funeral book page.