Chapter 21: The Pickup
Riva had expected Benton to yell at her, and she’d thought she was ready for that. In fact, Benton hadn’t raised his voice. He’d let her into his room silently, and Riva had breathed a sigh of relief, figuring they could talk this out. She hoped that, together, they could solve problems that seemed impossible when she tried to work them out on her own.
Benton, however, hadn’t answered her when she’d tried to explain or apologize. He hadn’t spoken to her at all.
“Do you want me to go?” Riva had whispered finally, but Benton had only gone on giving her the silent treatment.
Riva sat in a chair in the corner, curled up next to a curtain that smelled of dust and faded cigarette smoke, sobbing until she thought her ribs would crack. It didn’t even make sense how much
