Winds Carry Lost Promises by Asa Holt Vale 45 Summary
In Chapter 45 of “Winds Carry Lost Promises,” Lavern experiences a distressing encounter with law enforcement after arriving at Southview Apartments. The flashing red and blue lights trigger anxiety within him, but he maintains a stoic demeanor as officers conduct an inspection. Despite the tension, he learns that he is under the legal limit for alcohol consumption, yet his license is suspended for six months, a consequence that weighs heavily on him. This incident serves as a stark reminder of his troubled past, leaving him feeling bitter and exposed.
After being picked up by his friend Robert, Lavern’s thoughts drift to Marina, his fiancée, as he instructs Robert to keep tabs on her. His unease grows as he suspects she might have reported him to the police, reflecting his deep-seated fears of losing control over their relationship. The emotional turmoil is palpable as he grapples with feelings of resentment and a desire for independence, even as he remains connected to Marina in a complex and strained manner.
Upon returning to the apartment, Lavern is met with a warm yet chaotic welcome from Shawna and Carrie. The tension in the room escalates as Carrie’s protective instincts clash with Shawna’s longing for intimacy with Lavern. This dynamic intensifies Lavern’s internal struggle, as he feels both isolated and burdened by the expectations of those around him. The scene captures his emotional detachment, as he remains closed off despite the affection directed towards him.
As the wedding to Marina approaches, Lavern’s frustration deepens when she fails to reach out to him. He tries to drown his sorrows by spending time with friends, yet the anger and resentment towards Marina continue to simmer beneath the surface. The chapter culminates in a violent confrontation with Hyman, who suggests manipulative tactics to assert control over Marina. Lavern’s reaction is explosive, showcasing his protective instincts and moral boundaries. His refusal to engage in such deceit reinforces his complexity as a character, caught between love and anger.
Overall, this chapter vividly portrays Lavern’s emotional struggle as he navigates the consequences of his actions, the complexities of his relationships, and the looming pressures of his upcoming marriage. The interplay of anxiety, resentment, and moral conflict highlights the depth of his character and sets the stage for further developments in the story.
Continue Regular Chapter Reading Below
**Winds Carry Lost Promises by Asa Holt Vale**
**Chapter 45**
As Lavern’s car rolled to a stop at the entrance of Southview Apartments, a sudden flash of red and blue lights illuminated the dim evening. He felt a jolt of anxiety, but he maintained an icy facade, determined not to show any signs of weakness as the officers approached.
The officers, clad in their crisp uniforms, wasted no time and instructed him to step out for an inspection. Lavern’s heart raced, but he kept his expression steely, refusing to give them any satisfaction. He was soon escorted to the hospital for a blood test, the sterile smell of antiseptic filling his nostrils.
Fortunately, as the results came back, he breathed a sigh of relief; he hadn’t consumed enough alcohol to breach the legal limit for DUI that night. However, the damage had been done. The officers delivered the news with a clinical detachment: his license was suspended for six months, and a hefty fine was imposed.
Earlier, when Lavern had disclosed his identity, the officers had remained unfazed, almost as if they had been expecting him. This realization gnawed at him, a bitter reminder that his past was catching up with him.
Robert, his loyal friend, arrived shortly afterward to pick him up, promptly settling the fine with a resigned sigh. As Lavern emerged from the station, his face was a mask of cold indifference. The moment he slid into the passenger seat of Robert’s car, his voice sliced through the tension. “Find out if someone reported me,” he commanded, his tone frigid.
“Got it,” Robert replied, nodding in understanding, though a flicker of concern crossed his face.
Lavern’s gaze drifted to the window, his brow furrowed in frustration as the world outside blurred past. After a brief silence, he muttered, “Never mind.”
Robert glanced at him, puzzled but wisely chose to remain silent, sensing the storm brewing within Lavern.
After a few moments, Lavern broke the silence again, rubbing his brow as he lowered his voice. “Have someone keep tabs on Marina. I want to know everything she’s been up to these past few days.”
“Do you think Ms. Finley reported you?” Robert asked cautiously, gauging Lavern’s reaction.
Lavern’s mind raced. *If she wanted to keep me at bay, she really might resort to that,* he thought bitterly. He knew Marina well; she understood him in ways few others did. He would never lower himself to beg her for attention, not when he felt so scorned.
Robert, sensing the weight of Lavern’s silence, drove on without asking for their destination this time, his resolve to resign growing stronger with each passing mile.
As they arrived back at Southview Apartments, Robert parked the car and opened the door for Lavern.
“Mr. Ross, we’ve arrived,” he announced, trying to inject a bit of warmth into the chilly atmosphere.
Lavern, who had been resting his eyes during the ride, opened them to find they had reached his supposed home. A wave of bitterness washed over him. *So now, everyone just assumes I belong here, like this is my sanctuary,* he thought, the taste of resentment souring in his mouth.
He sat there for a moment, expression hard as stone, unwilling to exit the vehicle.
“Is something wrong, Mr. Ross?” Robert ventured, concern lacing his voice.
Words eluded Lavern, and he simply stepped out of the car, his face an impassive mask.
Inside the apartment, he found Shawna and Carrie still awake, their eyes lighting up at his arrival. They rushed toward him, but Carrie’s impatience flared as she noticed Shawna’s overly affectionate demeanor. With a huff, she stepped in, taking Lavern’s coat and firmly nudging Shawna aside.
“Shawna, you’re pregnant. Don’t get too worked up. Go lie down,” Carrie instructed, her voice firm yet tinged with care.
Shawna stood there, hurt flashing in her eyes as she shot Lavern a pleading look. But he didn’t acknowledge her; he simply walked further into the apartment, a wall of ice surrounding him.
Feeling the weight of the moment, Shawna hurried after him, instinctively locking the door behind her as she entered.
“Lavern…” she called softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Just as she was about to reach out, a jarring sound interrupted them—someone jiggling the doorknob. Carrie, realizing the door was locked, began knocking impatiently.
Shawna clenched her jaw, annoyance bubbling within her. Reluctantly, she walked over to unlock the door, her heart racing.
Carrie stood there, a bowl of hangover soup in hand, her expression fierce. “Why are you locking the door?” she snapped, irritation evident in her tone.
Shawna bit her lip, her voice barely a murmur. “Carrie, Lavern and I just need a little privacy.”
Carrie shot her a cold, disapproving look. “You’re pregnant. There’s nothing you should be doing right now, so why do you even need privacy? Just be careful and don’t do anything reckless.”
With that, Carrie turned her attention to Lavern. “Lavern, I made you some hangover soup. Drink it and get some rest,” she instructed, her tone softening slightly. “Marina’s done a lot for you lately. You should spend more time with her and stop coming here so often. If she starts to get suspicious, it’ll be trouble for you.”
Shawna, standing behind Carrie, felt a surge of resentment. *Why does she care so much about Marina?*
Lavern took the bowl, gulping down the soup in one swift motion, yet the worry etched in his features remained stubbornly evident.
Carrie, noticing his troubled expression, rushed over. “What’s wrong? Did you and Marina get into a fight?”
Lavern maintained his stoic demeanor, refusing to respond.
Shawna, however, felt a flicker of satisfaction. *I knew Marina wouldn’t just let things slide,* she thought smugly, her heart swelling with a sense of vindication.
After a few moments of pressing, Lavern finally relented, sharing snippets of Marina’s recent attitude with Carrie.
Carrie had always been irked by how Lavern seemed to bend over backward for Marina, and now that he was finally confronting the situation, she seized the opportunity. “You two are about to get married. Is she really going to cause trouble now? It’s not your fault her grandma passed away. You just didn’t make it to the funeral, that’s all. Guys are supposed to have their own circle of friends. But if she’s trying to control who you see? That’s just crossing the line.”
“Clearly, she’s trying to assert herself before the wedding, making sure you know who’s in charge. If you let her walk all over you now, she’ll run wild once you’re married,” Carrie continued, her voice a mixture of frustration and urgency.
Lavern listened intently for once, absorbing her words without interruption.
Meanwhile, Shawna leaned against the wall, silently relishing the unfolding drama, her heart racing with intrigue.
Determined to freeze Marina out, Lavern resolved to make her feel his absence. After that night, he went completely silent—no texts, no calls, nothing.
Days slipped by, and the wedding to Marina loomed just two days away. Yet, she hadn’t reached out to him.
During this time, Lavern even joined Hyman and the crew for a night out, ensuring that word of his revelry would reach Marina. Yet, she remained unresponsive, appearing to have moved on without him.
Fury simmered within Lavern, and he barely acknowledged Hyman and the others, snapping at them whenever they tried to engage him.
Hyman, sensing the tension, sidled up to Lavern, attempting to lighten the mood. “Lavern,” he greeted, his voice casual.
“Look, as long as your fiancée hasn’t called off the wedding, she’s still got you in her heart. But you know how proud she is; if you don’t knock her down a peg, she’ll never treat you right.”
Lavern’s grip on his glass tightened, his knuckles turning white with suppressed rage.
He had tried every tactic in the book over the past few days, but Marina was proving to be an insurmountable challenge.
Fortunately, Robert had been diligent, keeping a watchful eye on Marina and providing daily updates. She spent most of her time at the wedding planner’s office, busy with preparations, which offered Lavern a small measure of relief.
“Lavern, knocking a woman off her high horse is a piece of cake. Just get a few guys to teach her a lesson, set her up, and then you swoop in as the hero,” Hyman suggested, his tone casual yet devious.
“After she’s been humiliated, she’ll be completely hooked on you. She won’t even be able to look you in the eye; she’ll depend on you, maybe even be scared of you…” Hyman continued, his voice dripping with manipulation.
Before Hyman could finish his thought, Lavern’s fist collided with his face, a surge of anger propelling him forward. The mere idea of using such vile tactics on Marina twisted his stomach in knots.
One punch wasn’t enough; Lavern seized Hyman by the throat, delivering a flurry of blows that left the surrounding crowd stunned.
Chaos erupted as people rushed in to separate them, but Lavern was still consumed by rage, yanking at his collar before smashing a bottle over Hyman’s head.
Glass shattered, blood flowed, and the room fell silent, all eyes on Lavern, who looked like a man possessed.
Hyman, shocked but unfazed, pressed a wad of tissues to his bleeding head and managed a sheepish grin. “Lavern, bro, I’m really just looking out for you here. Your girl isn’t like the others; normal tricks just won’t cut it with her.”
“And it’s not like we’re actually gonna hurt her. If you don’t want anyone touching her, just give her a little warning, keep it light, just enough to let her know she can’t keep walking all over you,” Hyman insisted, attempting to justify his twisted reasoning.
Lavern lunged at Hyman again, delivering more kicks before others intervened, pulling him away.
Seizing the opportunity, Hyman bolted out of the private room but lingered at the doorway, calling back, “Lavern, trust me, man. If you feel guilty, just make it up to her after you’ve put her in her place.”
Lavern shot him a glare that could freeze fire, and Hyman took off, knowing he had pushed his luck too far.
Conclusion
In the aftermath of the chaotic confrontation with Hyman, Lavern found himself standing at a precipice between the man he had been and the one he was becoming. The adrenaline that coursed through him was a stark contrast to the emotional turmoil that had been festering within. With each punch thrown, he had felt a surge of clarity, a desperate need to reclaim his agency in a world that seemed determined to dictate his choices. Yet, as the dust settled and the reality of his actions sank in, Lavern was left grappling with the consequences of his fury. The exhilaration of standing up for himself was quickly overshadowed by a deep-seated fear of what this path might mean for his relationship with Marina. He was a man caught in a storm of his own making, unsure whether he was fighting to protect himself or to push away the person he loved most.
As days turned into a blur leading up to the wedding, Lavern’s resolve hardened, but so did the walls around his heart. The silence between him and Marina grew deafening, punctuated only by the whispers of those around him. He had hoped that by withdrawing, he could force her to confront her own feelings, but instead, he only found isolation. The thrill of rebellion had morphed into a profound loneliness, and the weight of his choices bore down on him like an anchor. With the wedding looming, Lavern stood at a crossroads, faced with the choice to either confront the rift he had created or succumb to the bitterness that threatened to consume him. In that moment of reckoning, he realized that the winds of change were not just carrying lost promises, but also the chance for redemption—if only he could find the courage to reach for it.
What to Expect in Next Chapter?
**What to Expect in Next Chapter?**
As the dust settles from Lavern’s explosive confrontation with Hyman, readers can anticipate a tumultuous aftermath that will ripple through his relationships and challenge his sense of self. With the wedding to Marina looming just days away, Lavern is faced with a critical choice: will he continue down the path of manipulation and revenge, or will he find the strength to confront his own demons and seek a more honorable resolution? The internal conflict brewing within him promises to be as intense as the external pressures from those around him, particularly with the stakes at an all-time high.
Moreover, the dynamics between Lavern, Shawna, and Carrie are set to shift dramatically. As Lavern grapples with his feelings toward Marina and the fallout from his violent outburst, Shawna’s presence may become a double-edged sword—offering comfort yet complicating his resolve. Will she stand by him as he navigates this turbulent period, or will her own ambitions come to the forefront, threatening to unravel the fragile peace they’ve managed to maintain? The tension in their interactions is bound to escalate, leaving readers on the edge of their seats, eager to see how loyalties will be tested and alliances formed or broken.
As Lavern prepares for the impending wedding, the question of Marina’s true feelings looms larger than ever. Will she confront Lavern about his recent behavior, or will she remain distant, forcing him to confront the reality of their relationship? The next chapter promises to delve deeper into the complexities of love, loyalty, and the consequences of choices made in anger, ensuring that readers are left breathless with anticipation for what lies ahead.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
