Lila gave a small smile, grateful for Jerica's understanding. "Yeah. I mean, who knows where life will take me, but I want to do things my way. I've seen too many people rush into relationships just to end up miserable. I don't want that for myself."
Jerica's heart clenched at Lila's words. She had done exactly that—rushed into a relationship with the hope that the love would follow, that the life she envisioned would naturally fall into place. Now, years later, she felt like she was grasping at sand, trying to hold together a marriage that was slipping through her fingers.
She had loved Jared fiercely once, but now? Now, she wasn't so sure. The distance between them had grown, growing with every passing day. His coldness, the secrets, the way he seemed to shut her out more and more—it left her feeling adrift, alone in a marriage that should have been her anchor.
