Forever Luminescent

Chapter 38

HALF OF THE TURKEY sandwich she managed to swallow down churned in her stomach as she speed-walked out of the diner. Though Dahlia tried to get her to stay a little longer, to visit more often, promising to always welcome her into the family, Gwenn could not handle any more. Ronan noticed the shift in her expression, taking the lead in conversation until they had paid for their meal and could spring out of their booth.

The last hour replayed in her head over and over again. The scene added itself to the nauseating film reel that had started gathering shots from the moment she opened that old chest in her parents' attic. It looped continuously until her body started shaking.

Gwenn heaved by the truck, running her hands through her hair and down her puffy cheeks. The night made it harder for her to see anything ten feet in front of her, but the hunk of metal was cool to the touch when she reached a hand out. The nearby dim streetlight reflected across the window, her figure popping in beside it as she rested her forehead against the glass.

A warm touch slipped from her shoulder down her back until it reached for the curve of her waist. "Hey," Ronan whispered into her shoulder. She shivered and turned to him, not bothering to look up at his face before burying her forehead in his chest. His response was immediate, wrapping his other arm around her until she was flush against his body. "I know it's a lot," he said against her head.

She shuddered as Ronan rested his chin on her shoulder. Part of her wanted to push him away, but the other wanted to pull him in close. She wanted to forget everything that had brought them to Braunson Valley, Arizona-all the lies and the secrets-and let herself be held by him the entire night.

Gwenn swallowed the burning lump in her throat, and gripped his black shirt with tight fingers. She tried to keep herself frozen and let his warmth seep in through her pores until she melted into a puddle of goo, numb and disassociated from reality. But her eyes welled with more tears, and she couldn't swallow them back.

"Look at me," Ronan muttered. She shook her head, not wanting to leave the safety of his chest. His hands left her waist, cupping her jaw to tilt it towards him. Those icy eyes fell over her, studying her like he knew every crack and imperfection that marred her soul. A trapped tear escaped the clutches of her lids and slithered down her cheek. His thumb reached for it and swept it away. "This is a small victory. You found who your biological mother is. I know it opened a massive can of worms, but don't forget about what you managed to get despite it all."

Under the light of the flickering sign and the dim streetlight, he shone with a glow that threatened to illuminate the barren land around them. Wind blew around them, picking up dust and sand, but with Ronan's hands on her, she couldn't find it in her to care that they were going to be covered in grime by the time they went inside the truck.

"Okay?" he asked. It took her a minute to realize his grip had hardened and he had pulled her closer, his eyes widening. She nodded softly, but couldn't find it in her to step away from him. Not yet. She wasn't sure if she could trust herself to walk without crumbling to the jagged pavement and mixing her tears with sand and broken pebbles.

She recalled her mother back in Hales Bay, sauntering around her life like she was the queen of everything. Her platinum hair, so different from the light brown she had in the old photo with Ruth and Dahlia, and her eyes flashing like lightning in the middle of a thunderstorm, a shade of blue so light it looked gray from afar. She had shut Gwenn down every time she asked about her biological family, claiming it was a closed adoption and that it didn't matter.

Gwenn had a family with them. She was a Davidson through and through.

And yet, she withheld quite an important detail. A connection that changed everything. Her mother grew up with her biological mother. They were best friends.