The Journey Taken Together

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Status: Edited

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~Dennis~

"I'm so sorry," I mumble to myself as my bottom lip starts to quiver. Watching Thea walk out of the hospital, I try and contain my emotions. Tears run down my cheeks like a waterfall, and I cough, choking on my tears. I slowly get up, my legs aching from crouching against the wall.

I head over to the service desk and look at the woman sitting there.

"Is there any way that I could pay for Steven Wolf's funeral?" I ask politely. The woman's eyes go big from shock, and she begins typing away on the keyboard.

"The funeral is going to cost a lot of money...are you sure you want to do that?" she warns. I slowly nod my head, and she hands me a slip of paper.

"Please fill out your information on this card," she states, and I do so. When I'm finished, I hand the card back to her.

"His funeral will be tomorrow at three in the afternoon," she informs, and I nod. Walking away, I take one last glance at his room. Swallowing my pride, I turn around to walk.

The nurses in the hallway look at me as if I'm a zombie emerging from the ground. I walk slowly, trying not to put too much pressure on just one leg. Stepping out of the hospital, I look up at the night sky. The stars shine brightly as the moon lights up the sky. I dig my keys out of my pocket and press the unlock button. I see two dim lights shine in the darkness and walk towards them.

When I saw Thea's reaction... I just couldn't cope with myself. She looked like I just took the life out of her, and I probably did. Needless to say, I ruined her and have to live with that for the rest of my life. I'm sure there is no way to make it up to her.

I reach my car and open the door. I look up and see Thea walking off into the distance and immediately get into the car. Quickly starting it up, I drive out of the hospital parking lot in her direction. I roll my window down and pull up to her.

"Hey...I know this may not help, but I'm staying in a hotel tonight. Steven's funeral is tomorrow, and you should come," I yell out of my window. She stops and glares at me. Her nose is as red as a tomato, and I can tell that she hasn't stopped crying.

"I have no money," she mumbles and starts to walk off.

I pull up a little while she walks. "I can pay it for you. C'mon, lemme do this for you," I say, and she sighs.

"And why should I? You are just going to persuade me to forgive you," she hisses and continues walking.

I continue to pull up while talking to her and turn on my hazard lights. "I won't say anything to you. I will just drive you to a hotel. Please," I beg, and she turns towards the car. She gets in, and I search for the closest hotel on my phone. Typing in the address on my GPS, I get on the highway and begin to drive.

'Maybe I can't persuade you, but I can sure make my point clear,' I think and smile.

~Thea~

I get into Dennis's car with a huff. Once again, he has managed to persuade me to go with him. I can't let him win this time. I stare at the road as he drives. Silence fills the car, and I have to admit, it feels really awkward.

I clear my throat and sigh. "You know, the only reason I am doing this is for Steven," I mutter. A smirk creeps on his face, and I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, I do. But you are here now," he says, slowing to a light. He turns his head towards me, and I look away. He lets out a small laugh as the light turns green.

"That doesn't mean anything though," I say, trying not to fall into old habits. I can feel his guilt as he sighs hard, and almost too dramatically. We reach a lot full of hotels, and he parks the car. We both get out and walk towards the building. He walks closer...and closer to me, and I speed up.

"Stop," I demand but he keeps doing it. He finally manages to catch me by wrapping his arms around my waist. I turn around and punch his arm hard. He gasps and rubs it while I continue walking

"Ouch!" he says in an overdramatic tone, and a smile slowly creeps up on my face. We walk inside of the building, and I gasp. The lobby of the hotel is spotless with no speck of dirt to be seen. The tile floor looks freshly waxed and hanging on the ceiling is a fancy looking light. Dennis walks up to the desk while I admire the leather couches.

"Room for two please," he says, and I quickly turn my head towards him.

"Dennis," I hiss, and he turns around.

"What? It's cheaper this way and less time consuming," he playfully admits, and I glare at him.

Staying in a room with him is bad luck, but I have no other choice. After all, he is the one paying for it. The guy hands him the key, and we take the elevator up to the second floor. As we reach our floor, we wander the hallways while trying to look for the room.

"I'll find it before you do," he states, and I roll my eyes. I search the left side and finally see the room number.

"I spy with my little eye something-"

"Found it," he says and cuts me off. He unlocks the door, and I push him into the room.

"No fair! I found it first!" I yell and shut the door behind us. He gasps at me, and I try to hold my smile back. A pang of guilt hits me for yelling at him and treating him the way I did.

"I'll take the floor," he says softly and grabs one of the pillows from the queen sized bed as I admire the room. A single bed with white sheets sits at the back of the room. A wooden dresser is to the side of it.

"This room is bad," I say, looking at Dennis on the floor. He looks up at me and frowns.

"Sorry," he mumbles and turns on his side. I lay down on the bed and cover myself up with the single sheet left on there. I stare up at the ceiling, thinking about what to do next with my life.

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Hey guys! Only one chapter left~ *gasps* Do you think Thea and Dennis will make up? Will Dennis be in Thea's future? Find out on Wednesday!

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