The Rampage MC #1: Levi/Chain and Genny

Chapter 2: That's Gotta Hurt

"Today," Ella said, flouncing into my room and throwing herself on the bed, "we are going out tonight and drinking."

Knowing what she was trying to do, I shook my head. "I'm not in the mood. What I'd really rather we do is stay in my room and eat lots of ice cream and watch stupid movies."

"Then that is what we will do," she cried dramatically with a sweep of her arms. "Now, how are you really doing?"

With a shrug, I tried to honestly answer her question. "I keep thinking what would be happening right now. Like, you and I would be getting our hair done, then our nails in another hour. In two hours, we'd be at the hall getting ready for pictures, make up done, dresses on. In three hours, I'd be walking up the aisle to Levi."

"Yeah, that's gotta hurt," she said softly, "but I'm glad you found out what he was like and what he was capable of before you tied yourself to him."

"Silver lining," I laughed, but inside I was still crushed.

Ella had done a great job of trying to distract me these last couple of months. The day after I'd canceled my wedding dress, she'd hit me with an idea she'd had for both of us to go on a tour to meet the 25 employees we had.

"We'll be like rock stars on tour...but without the bus. And the groupies. And the stadiums full of screaming fans. Twenty-one cities in two months. We'll finally get face-to-face with our employees instead of just on video calls and see some of the country, stay in some quaint AirBnBs, do some shopping and just...have fun. We've worked hard as hell the last five years and we deserve to treat ourselves to this trip."

I didn't even have to think about it. "Let's do it."

We threw my suitcases into her trunk, then went inside and packed up suitcases for her. Two hours later, we were off, and I left my phone behind. When everyone in your life has betrayed or hurt you in some way, there was no need to keep in touch. Cutting those ties for however long felt freeing in so many ways. For years, I'd sat back as my father worked hard to become Jerica's father, and somewhere along the way, I'd taken a back seat to her, as if he had to go overboard to prove to Seline and Jerica that he cared for Jerica as much as he cared for me. However, that same consideration was not extended to me from Seline. There were several occasions when Jerica and I had conflicting events, and my father had chosen to accompany Seline to Jerica's soccer game while I had been dropped off for my softball game. Alone. Dad had taken me aside and explained that Jerica's father had never been involved in her life and he needed to show her that she mattered. I'd wanted to ask why he didn't need to show me that I mattered, but like the good little girl I tried to be, I'd simply nodded my understanding, hoping if I never made waves, that he'd remember that I mattered, too, someday. Then he'd added that because Jerica was first string while I usually sat on the bench, that he didn't really need to be there for my game.

And with this latest Jerica drama, my dad had taken her side simply by saying he wouldn't take sides. Had I been caught kissing Jerica's fiancé, I would have been crucified by Seline, Jerica and my father. Jerica would not have been told she probably didn't understand or didn't see what she had seen. I would have been the bad guy, no question.

This had been happening for fifteen years, and I was tired to the point of exhaustion trying to be good enough to be loved. I questioned whether I was just feeling sorry for myself or if I had legitimate reasons to be angry at all of them. When I talked it over with Ella, her face became more and more disgusted with every story.

"Fuck them," she spat out when I'd finished. "Seriously, that's messed up, especially your dad. I can't even – I just – they make me so mad!" she sputtered.

From that point on, Ella had made it her mission to make sure I was distracted and having as much fun as possible as we made our stops to visit our employees. We stretched it out with sightseeing, exploring quaint towns and villages, taking ridiculous pictures that made us laugh.