And took a complete turn.
A sudden recollection of her conversation with Maya last night tumbled into her mind, making her blink with the same anger she’d forgotten last night.
Ray grit her teeth and shoved a hand through her hair as she opened her eyes and looked up. Froze as she found herself staring into a mirror that reflected her actions. Her eyes snagged on her clothes. On the beige sweater that flopped against her body. She tugged at its helm, trying not to breathe in too deep to avoid the scent. But it was near impossible. Because those wisps of coffee and whiskey wereeverywhere.
Ray shook her head. Apart from the sweater there was nothing different. Of course, her eyes were smudged dark, and her hair was a bird’s nest, but apart from that, she was all right. Was surprised to find herself not quite unhappy with how events had turned out last night. A growl left her lips, and she turned away in annoyance.
Why in hell would she think about that now?
“Whatever.” Ray whispered to herself and dropped her phone on the counter and stripped to step into the hot shower.
When she stepped out of the washroom, her thoughts weren’t as near scalding as the shower had been. But her wounds were throbbing in pain. And it was enough to calm her mind down. She walked to the side of her room, right in front of the mirror, and dropped the towel off her body. Breathing out calmly, she tore the pieces of plastic she’d attached to cover up her wounds.
Ray grimaced when saw the nasty slash run down her shoulder and stop right in the middle of her chest. Her hands shook as she looked at the stab wound on the side of her abdomen, and winced as she edged her fingers on beside it carefully.So many scars,Ray cursed as she turned to grab a new pair of bandages to wrap around her abdomen.
The stitches were pulled tight, but Ray still cringed as she wrapped the cotton bandage around her waist. Her eyes darted up to the whip injury, to the sliced skin that was still red and throbbing after so long.
A part of her wanted to cover it up. Wanted to hide it from the world.
And yet Ray did the complete opposite.
She didn’t know how she could treat it just yet and decided to go to David later on. For now, however, Ray carefully wrapped the cotton bandage around her shoulder, unable to cover most of the wound but making an effort, nonetheless. A sudden burst of exhaustion hit her as her hands dropped down.How was she even standing after not having eaten anything for a day?
As if in confirmation, her mind rocked sideways making her vision blur. Ray swayed to one side, bracing a hand against the pillar of her bed as she breathed out harshly.Loss of blood,she recounted in her mind as her eyes shut and her mindspun, and no food in her system.
She was lucky she was fucking alive.
Ray grimaced and righted herself, forcing herself past the rocking nausea as she pulled open the doors of her closet and removed the first thing she saw. Ray made sure to keep her eyes open as she heaved the black jeans up her thighs. Her hands shook terribly as she put on the black spaghetti blouse and topped it off with a white cardigan.
By the time she was done, Ray was so exhausted that she was sure she was going to pass out. But she willed herself to move. To grab her phone and lock the door behind her as she walked through the bustling hallway.
She didn’t know how or when she tumbled out in the dining room, but her mind was still rocking back and forth when a warm hand wrapped around her upper arm.
“Raylene Walker?”
Ray groaned at the unfamiliar male voice behind her but couldn’t bring herself to turn around as she leaned against the wall.
“Food.” She said and the boy behind her hauled her closer, straightening her as he turned over his shoulder to yell out,
“Get her some breakfast!”
This time Ray didn’t have to turn because the boy was already coming to stand in front of her, not too close but not too far away. Dark blonde hair and brown eyes with green flecks. Her eyes widened as a female voice called out from somewhere behind her,
“What’s wrong with her?”
Jack Davis’s eyes were scrunched in confusion and concern as he looked over his shoulder to respond, “I don’t know.”
Ray didn’t miss him murmur, “There’salwayssomething wrong with her.”
She couldn’t help the small laugh that left her lips at that, and opened her eyes as far as she could, “Nice to meet you too, Jack Davis.”
His eyes widened and a pair of hazel eyes came into Ray’s vision. She smiled lightly as Christina Morris peeped over Jack’s shoulder and said,
“Are you alright?”
Ray nodded, pulling her hand from Jack’s as she pushed past them to sit at the dining table. Her head flopped down on the glass loudly as she sat down and groaned.
“Somebody get somefucking food on this table!”She yelled, but it was muffled because of her face being shoved in her arms. She could still hear the people around her scurry when the warm British accent flooded through her ears as Jack spoke from behind her, sounding awfully awestruck,
